This Sunday, my pastor used the phrase “the beauty of holiness,” and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
It appears again and again in the Psalms: “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).
The writer of Hebrews reminds us to “follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
So, what is the beauty of holiness? Is it the same thing as the fruit of the Spirit?
A Life Set Apart
The more I studied, the more I saw that the two are connected but not identical. The fruit of the Spirit is the character the Holy Spirit grows in a believer. It is what He produces within us and then reveals through us.
The beauty of holiness is the beauty of a life devoted to God: set apart for Him, living in righteousness, and reflecting His character. One describes the fruit; the other describes the life that carries it. Both point to the work of God in a person’s life.
I’m a husband and father, and I’m 46 years old. When I first started thinking about the beauty of holiness, my mind went straight to love, especially the love I have for my family. Nothing in my life is more cherished than the people God has entrusted to me.
I don’t think it’s an accident that love is the first thing Paul names when he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22 and 23).
What a Holy Home Can Look Like
When I read those verses, I see a picture of what a holy home can look like.
Love is choosing the good of others over our own selfish desires. Joy is a deep gladness rooted in God. Peace is harmony with God and with one another, expressed in the way we live together.
Longsuffering is patience through hard days and, honestly, with hard people. Gentleness is kindness and compassion, expressed in the grace we show others. Goodness is moral integrity and a sincere desire to do what is right.
Faith is trusting God and living with faithfulness and reliability. Meekness is humility, with strength kept under control. Temperance is control over our desires, emotions, and behavior, even when we would rather have our own way.
Something I hadn’t noticed before is that Paul says “fruit,” not “fruits.” It is singular. To me, that is a reminder that these qualities aren’t a menu from which we choose our favorites and ignore the rest. They belong together as expressions of the character the Spirit produces in us.
A Daily Choice
When I picture a family living in the beauty of holiness, I think of strength, hard work, discipline, leadership, sacrifice, selflessness, and devotion.
That picture challenges me. It means choosing patience when I’m tired, gentleness when I’m frustrated, and restraint when I’d rather have my way. It means laying down what I want for the good of the people God has entrusted to me.
Those are choices I must make again each day, relying on God to keep changing me.
Sadly, we see a war on the beauty of holiness all around us. The world doesn’t celebrate a life set apart for God, and it often works to pull us away from one.
That is why the question matters so much. It matters not just on Sunday, but in the way we live at home, treat our families, and respond to other people.
Are you living in the beauty of holiness?