“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” -Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride.

The theological circles I run in are known for their adherence to holiness. We take serious God’s call to “Be holy as I am holy” (Leviticus 19:2 and 1 Peter 1:16). Sadly, it seems some in my tribe are confused as to what “holiness” entails. 

Allow me to offer a few tips (just “a few,” my list is not exhaustive) on holiness. Hopefully this clears up some of the muddle…

If your version of holiness is….

• more about you than Jesus, that ain’t holiness.
• unkind, unforgiving, unjoyful, unhumble that ain’t holiness.
• unloving toward neighbors and enemies that ain’t holiness.
• uncaring toward the poor and needy, that ain’t holiness.
• focused on outward persona rather than inward purity, that ain’t holiness.
• childish not child-like, that ain’t holiness.
• bullying others on-line or in person, that ain’t holiness.
• comparable to the Pharisees, that ain’t holiness.
• hypocritical or hyper-critical, that ain’t holiness.
• cliquish more than a welcoming, that ain’t holiness.
• snooty and gossipy, that ain’t holiness.
• attention seeking more than Jesus seeking, that ain’t holiness.
• envious, greedy, lustful or prideful, that ain’t holiness.
• rude, harsh and self-seeking, that ain’t holiness.
• bombastic and belligerent, that ain’t holiness.
• record keeping of wrongs, that ain’t holiness.
• condemning the sin in others while covering up one’s sinful habits, that ain’t holiness.
• pushing people out of the kingdom rather than inviting folks in, that ain’t holiness.
• lacking in generosity, that ain’t holiness.
• critical of social media mudslinging, then promptly slinging mud on social media, that ain’t holiness.
• full of “gotcha questions” meant to trap and belittle, that ain’t holiness.
• championing “truth” while telling half-truths and outright lies, that ain’t holiness. 
• depicted by who you hate rather than who you love, that ain’t holiness.
• fueling heated arguments rather than godly conversations, that ain’t holiness.
• blind to the giant log in one’s own eye, yet judging the speck in someone else’s eye, that ain’t holiness.
• more about legalism than charity, liberty and grace, that ain’t holiness.
• dismissing the above list and getting defensive about the areas that reflect your own poor attitudes and behaviors, that ain’t holiness either.
• Anything other than being like Jesus, quite simply…  it ain’t holiness. Period. 

Dear English majors, I know, “ain’t” isn’t a word. I also know the “holiness” that some folks proport to be “protecting” or “promoting” isn’t holiness. 

It’s something, but it’s not holiness.