I wanted to introduce my new book with a definition of holiness.

So, here’s the Introduction to:
Writing In Holiness: While Keeping It Real
due out some time in the next couple of weeks in KDP Select and Createspace.

 

How does holiness apply to me as an author?

The church has been confused about this for many decades. If you ask most strongly believing Christians what is meant by holiness or sanctification (both use the same word in the Greek), they will say, “Set apart.” If you ask them what that means you often get puzzled looks.

Holiness [in Strong’s]: hagioasmos; means 1. consecration, purification

So you can see where the set apart teaching comes from. Its meaning doesn’t really become clear until we look in Strong’s at holy [hagios]:

Sacred (physically pure, morally blameless, ceremonially consecrated)

Vine’s puts it this way (edited and paraphrased slightly):

Sanctification is about the separation of the believer from evil things and ways… it must be learned from God… and it must be pursued by the believer, earnestly and undeviatingly… it is an individual possession, built up, little by little, as the result of obedience to the Word of God…

Jesus is the Word of God as revealed by the Holy Spirit  as we study the scriptures after thoughtful prayer for wisdom and guidance. But we must never forget that Jesus is the core of it all. As we are obedient to Him, we learn holiness. As Peter said, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” He was quoting something the Lord said centuries earlier. What Moses did not know was the mystery of the church and the part where we are made holy by His Holiness residing within us, in our spirits. He works His way out through our soul as we allow it and eventually shows us how to purify our flesh.

It doesn’t just happen

It is the result of each one of us individually pursuing and grasping onto the very character of God. It results in a consecrated focus, which is morally blameless, and we become physically pure.

For us as authors it means that we must maintain a pure, laser-like focus on the Truth—so we can share that with our readers.

You may, “That’s not my call.”

I say, “It’s the call of all believers—of which you are one if you claim to be a Christian author.” That’s why Paul and Peter call us saints. This is the same word, hagios, and means the holy ones. That’s you and me, brothers and sisters.

Your calling as an author may be a subset of your broader calling. But, the call is always to holiness, purity, the strait and narrow path which leads from the narrow gate. You will not be fulfilled as a Christian author until you answer this call to holiness.

That’s what the book is about…