Prayer and Holiness

Devotional Classics, Evelyn Underhill, Excerpts from The Essentials of Mysticism

"[Prayer] entails, then, a going up or out from our ordinary circle of earthly interests." (p.113)


A number of years ago I gave a a couple of sermons on Old Testament (OT) worship. It was hard to get a handle on that. I boiled it down to Sabbath and Sacrifice. Sacrifice in the OT seemed to me to have two purposes: to make the person "clean" and "holy." Cleanliness was being washed of sin and ceremonial uncleanliness. Holiness was being set apart from the mundane, everyday existence for a special relationship with God.

In this quote from Underhill, I was reminded of holiness. I thought of holiness as being the road to prayer, a way of describing the state of coming near to God. In the Temple, God's presence resided in the Holiest of Holies. A place set far beyond "ordinary" life and people. Access was extremely limited. So prayer was always at a distance in certain ways.

I am to "put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:22) Holiness becomes part of who I am. I become a Temple, the Holiest of Holies where the presence of God stays. This is God's intention in the new creation of his adopted children.

Practically speaking, I usually equate holiness with righteousness and purity, a lack of sinfulness. This is right and good. They certainly are related. They go together, but I do not see them as synonymous. I think holiness stands on top of cleanliness, but it seems possible to be clean but not holy. In the OT, you could be clean, but still not allowed to enter into the Holiest of Holies because you were not set apart for it. Only the high priest could enter once a year, I believe. And so, I may have a certain level of purity in my life and yet not be lifted out of my "ordinary circle of earthly interests" into prayer.

Perhaps I am messing with a theological term that I should leave alone. I merely had the thought that holiness might be more than an ethereal perfection imputed upon myself by virtue of my confession of Christ as my Savior and my God. That is not small thing. I believe it may be bigger than a single confession, however. Maybe in practice, holiness is more than justification and more than righteous living. Maybe holiness is the practice and habit of placing earthly things aside and placing my heart, mind, soul, and strength upon God above. To be holy is to live the presence of God!

It is dangerous to equate holiness with my personal experience of God's presence. Perhaps it is equally dangerous to equate holiness with God's action of justifying us apart from any personal experience. Is my justification merely in heaven? Is my holiness just a heavenly fact with no earthly consequences? Rather I think that when I was invited into the Holiest of Holies by the loving sacrifice of Jesus, my life with God was stored in heaven and the firstfruits of it can be dispensed on earth. The curtain in the temple was torn down and now I can go in with anyone else who will!

So this true holiness which is built on true righteousness may be the mountain in Hebrews 12:

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”  But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (vv. 18-24)

Lord, fear has been replaced by awe. Jesus sacrifice has covered me and opened the door to the kingdom. Where the OT prophets and priests only caught a glimpse, I can live daily. This is the wonder of your holiness. I can see it as the mountain where your kingdom resides. Yet I refuse to climb the mountain at times. Perhaps I am like the Israelites long ago who feared even your voice. Sometimes all I can see is "darkness, gloom, and storm." Let me fix my eyes on Jesus who will take me higher up and deeper in, "the Author and Perfecter of my faith." (Heb. 12:2) In his trail I will climb this mountain to you. May my eyes be on him alone as I watch this world fade away. Amen.

I feel that I have touched something profound here. I wish I could explain it better. More, I hope I can live it. May I do as Paul says: "Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Col. 3:1) This holiness requires that I learn to keep my eyes (as well as all my faculties) focused not on the everyday things, but on God, not as an escape, but so that what is everyday and mundane will be taken as "daily bread" from the Lord and not be the center of my existence.