Recovering the Priority of Personal Holiness
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
In Romans 12:1-2, the apostle Paul exhorts God’s people to present themselves as holy sacrifices, not being conformed to the image of this world but being transformed by the renewal of their minds. The exhortation is for Christians to be holy sacrifices to God as people who are not conformed, but who are transformed. Countless other times in His word, God commands His people to the same pursuit of holy living.
In this article, Cleveland pastor Alistair Begg looks at the life of Puritan writer John Owen, a man that pursued holy living and relied on the infallible word of God as his guide. I believe Christians everywhere can learn from the life of John Owen, understanding that holy living is a biblical mandate, not something we do just during Sunday worship, and not just at Bible studies. It is a conscious, continuous pursuit. May we as Christians follow Owen’s example and not chase after the acceptance of man and worldly philosophy, but rather pursue biblical living until death.
Suggested readings on and by John Owen
God's Statesman: Life and Work of John Owen – Peter Toon