Holiness testifies to the workmanship of God’s life-changing grace in our lives.  It also testifies to the world that we belong to a holy God, purchased by a holy Son, and are indwelt by a holy Spirit.  Holiness is a calling card of the gospel, a truth the world needs to hear.

Among the articles on my USA Today iPad app one took me aback; it posed the question: “Can a Christian watch ‘Game of Thrones’?”

Not having read the books or seen the show, I’m not in a position to answer the question one way or the other.  But what struck me was that the question was being posed by an article in secular media, when it seems that many professing Christians do not even ask that question of themselves.

The desire for holiness among believers appears to have gone out of style.  I’m not suggesting we publish an “approved” list of morally acceptable TV shows, movies, books or magazines.  I have a vague memory growing up (as most of my memories are nowadays) of a list of movies deemed permissible and impermissible, published by the Roman Catholic Church.  I’m not proposing we reinstitute such a list.

What I am saying is that, if followers of Jesus Christ are called to pursue holiness, then it is necessary that we ask questions like the one posed by the USA Today article.

Our Father in heaven calls His adopted children to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:14-15). It is clear Peter is speaking of our practice of rather than our positional holiness, in that he calls for action in the prior verse.

“Holy” means separate. Not that leads us to be aloof from the world or sequestered from it (cf. 1 Cor. 5:10).  Jesus urges His disciples to be in the world but not of it.  We are to be holy, set apart for God, not from the world but in the world.

Holiness requires choices.  Choices require deliberation.  Deliberation takes into account counsel in what our God wants for His children.  God’s Word is a lamp to our feet.

The teachings of Scripture say much about how we are to live as His holy ones, ones set apart to belong to Christ. Throughout the Bible, we are instructed to conduct our lives in light of our standing in Christ. Note how Paul says this in Ephesians 5.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving (Eph. 5:1-4).

These biblical commands make demands of us.  They require us to ask questions about what we partake of and in what we involve ourselves.

Again, in Ephesians, Paul reminds us that our orientation to life has changed by God’s redeeming grace.

…at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord (Eph. 5:8-10).

Disciples of Jesus cannot go with the world’s flow.  They must walk circumspectly, following the “GPS” of wisdom (Eph. 5:15-17).

Some may argue, “But I am under grace, not under law. I am free in Christ.”  This is assuredly true if you belong to Christ.  But the freedom of the gospel speaks not only to freedom from sin’s guilt and power, but also freedom for obedience to Christ.  Romans 6 emphasizes that the Christian’s liberty does not mean autonomy or license, but conscription to Christ.

Paul teaches in Romans 3 – 5 that the righteousness by which we are accepted by God and through which we gain salvation is the imputed righteousness of Christ alone, received by grace alone, through faith alone.  From this foundation, Paul then describes in Romans 6 – 8 what that looks like experientially in the pursuit of holiness, as believers understand that they are no longer dead in sin but alive in Christ.

The grace that saves apart from works (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:3-7) is a grace that enrolls us in the school of discipleship as Christ is formed in us.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14).

Who is the teacher of Titus 2:11?  Law?  No, the schoolmaster is grace. But law is certainly a part of the lesson plan as an exhibit of the heart-based obedience characteristic of those who love Jesus.  Grace instructs and enables Christians in their pursuit of holiness.  Grace never teaches stark self-effort but Christ-dependence.

The salutation in 1 Cor. 1:2 is addressed to believers are holy in the Lord and called to be holy.  The call to holiness teaches us to discern what pleases our Lord Jesus, to the glory of the Father, that we might not grieve the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 4:1-8; Eph. 4:30; Gal. 5:13-25).

Holiness testifies to the workmanship of God’s life-changing grace in our lives.  It also testifies to the world that we belong to a holy God, purchased by a holy Son, and are indwelt by a holy Spirit.  Holiness is a calling card of the gospel, a truth the world needs to hear (Mt. 5:13-16; 1 Pet. 3:14-17).

Every Christian will not give the same answer with respect to the question posed by the USA Today article, but the question needs to be asked.  And it needs to be answered in light of the revealed truth of our Father in heaven, who is holy and whose name is holy.

Stan Gale is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He holds an MDiv from Westminster Seminary and a DMin from Covenant Seminary. He currently serves as pastor of Reformed Presbyterian Church in West Chester, PA. This article first appeared at his blog and is used with permission.