The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness [Hardcover]

Kevin DeYoung (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2012

The hole in our holiness is that we don't seem to care much about holiness. Or, at the very least, we don't understand it. And we all have our reasons too: Maybe the pursuit of holiness seems legalistic. Maybe it feels like one more thing to worry about in your already overwhelming life. Maybe the emphasis on effort in the Christian life appears unspiritual. Or maybe you've been trying really hard to be holy and it's just not working! Whatever the case, the problem is clear: too few Christians look like Christ and too many don’t seem all that concerned about it.

This is a book for those of us who are ready to take holiness seriously, ready to be more like Jesus, ready to live in light of the grace that produces godliness. This is a book about God's power to help us grow in personal holiness and to enjoy the process of transformation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is vintage DeYoung - ruthlessly biblical
-John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Twin Cities, Minnesota

'My heart resonated deeply when I first heard Kevin speak on this subject. His message is a wake-up call to God's people - timely, prophetic, and desperately needed in our day. As a gifted theologian and thinker, Kevin tackles many of the biblical intricacies and nuances of true holiness. As a pastor, he evidences sincere compassion and concern for the condition of the flock. As a fellow pilgrim, he gets to the heart of ways of thinking and living that keep us from reflecting our holy God in this dark world. As a servant and lover of Christ, he holds out a vision of the beauty and power of personal holiness.'
- Nancy Leigh DeMoss, author, Biblical Womanhood in the Home; radio host, Revive Our Hearts

Holiness was once a central component of following Christ. But for many today, the Christian life is little more than a celebration of cheap grace and pseudo-liberty, with a high tolerance for sin. In this well-written and much-needed book, Kevin DeYoung thoughtfully points us to an unpopular yet strangely liberating truth - that God is holy and expects us to be holy. With no hint of legalism or drudgery, Kevin offers a balanced and engaging view of law and grace. Kevin DeYoung is one of my favorite writers, and this book demonstrates why. I repeatedly said 'Yes!' as I turned these pages. I'm convinced that Christ-followers desperately need to read, discuss, and live out the timely, God-exalting message of The Hole in Our Holiness!'
- Randy Alcorn, founder and director, Eternal Perspective Ministries; author, If God Is Good and Heaven

''Grace is too amazing to save us from sin's guilt only to leave us under its cruel tyranny. In this book, Kevin DeYoung reminds us that the gospel is the ground of our justification and sanctification. At the same time, he reminds us of the many exhortations in Scripture to pursue godliness as the fruit of our union with Christ in the power of the Spirit. The Hole in Our Holiness offers important reflections on a crucial topic in the ongoing conversation about the joys and struggles of the Christian life.''
- Michael S. Horton J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

''One might expect a book about holiness to be heavy on finger-pointing, leaning toward legalism, and embarrassingly out-of-touch. But The Hole in Our Holiness is none of those things. Instead, Kevin DeYoung gets specific about what Spirit-infused, gospel-driven effort toward holiness looks like. Going way past 'try harder' and 'believe better,' this book implants in readers not just a longing to be holy but real hope that it could happen''
- Nancy Guthrie, Bible Teacher; author, Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible Study Series --Review --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

“This book is vintage DeYoung—ruthlessly biblical.”
—John Piper, founder, Desiring God Ministries; chancellor, Bethlehem College and Seminary

“My heart resonated deeply when I first heard Kevin speak on this subject. His message is a wake-up call to God’s people—timely, prophetic, and desperately needed in our day. As a gifted theologian and thinker, Kevin tackles many of the biblical intricacies and nuances of true holiness. As a pastor, he evidences sincere compassion and concern for the condition of the flock. As a fellow pilgrim, he gets to the heart of ways of thinking and living that keep us from reflecting our holy God in this dark world. As a servant and lover of Christ, he holds out a vision of the beauty and power of personal holiness.”
—Nancy Leigh DeMoss, author, Biblical Womanhood in the Home; radio host, Revive Our Hearts

“Holiness was once a central component of following Christ. But for many today, the Christian life is little more than a celebration of cheap grace and pseudo-liberty, with a high tolerance for sin. In this well-written and much-needed book, Kevin DeYoung thoughtfully points us to an unpopular yet strangely liberating truth—that God is holy and expects us to be holy. With no hint of legalism or drudgery, Kevin offers a balanced and engaging view of law and grace. Kevin DeYoung is one of my favorite writers, and this book demonstrates why. I repeatedly said 'Yes!’ as I turned these pages. I’m convinced that Christ-followers desperately need to read, discuss, and live out the timely, God-exalting message of The Hole in Our Holiness!”
—Randy Alcorn, founder and director, Eternal Perspective Ministries; author, If God Is Good and Heaven

“Grace is too amazing to save us from sin’s guilt only to leave us under its cruel tyranny. In this book, Kevin DeYoung reminds us that the gospel is the ground of our justification and sanctification. At the same time, he reminds us of the many exhortations in Scripture to pursue godliness as the fruit of our union with Christ in the power of the Spirit. The Hole in Our Holiness offers important reflections on a crucial topic in the ongoing conversation about the joys and struggles of the Christian life.”
—Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

“One might expect a book about holiness to be heavy on finger-pointing, leaning toward legalism, and embarrassingly out-of-touch. But The Hole in Our Holiness is none of those things. Instead, Kevin DeYoung gets specific about what Spirit-infused, gospel-driven effort toward holiness looks like. Going way past ‘try harder’ and ‘believe better,’ this book implants in readers not just a longing to be holy but real hope that it could happen.”
—Nancy Guthrie, Bible Teacher; author, Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible study series

“J. C. Ryle wrote his classic Holiness out of a concern that ‘practical holiness and entire consecration to God are not sufficiently attended to by modern Christians in this country.’ It is with the same prescient concern and pastoral insight that my friend Kevin DeYoung has written what I consider to be the modern equivalent, urging a new generation of Christians to obey God's command to ‘be holy, for I am holy.’ May The Hole in Our Holiness do for our time what Holiness did in a previous age: promote gospel-centered holiness in Christians and churches around the world.”
—C. J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“I have loved being under Kevin's teaching during my college years, specifically on this matter of holiness. This is indispensable reading material for all who desire a life of piety. Though we are fallen people, Kevin points us to our potential for godliness and how our progress in this area is of the utmost importance. Get your highlighter ready!”
—Kirk Cousins, former starting quarterback, Michigan State University; quarterback, Washington Redskins

“The strength of this book lies in its biblical understanding that all great renewal is founded upon knowing the goodness and holiness of God. We are commanded to be holy because he is holy, and only in Christ can we be trained accordingly: ‘For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age’ (Titus 2:11). I pray that Kevin’s words would be read widely and that the church might be known as a people ‘zealous for good works’ upon seeing the Father’s holiness and Christ’s redeeming work.”
—John M. Perkins, President, John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation and Development

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Crossway; 1 edition (August 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433533340
• ISBN-13: 978-1433533341
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan, near the Michigan State University campus. I've been the pastor there since 2004. I was born in Chicagoland, but grew up mostly in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. I root for da Bears, da Bulls, da Blackhawks, the White Sox, and the Spartans.

I am married to Trisha. We live in Lansing and have five young children.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Will help its readers understand the holiness of God and how to grow in the grace of God August 13, 2012

By Dave J. Jenkins VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

In the past year or so there has been a significant discussion on the relationship between justification and sanctification in the Reformed blogosphere. One of the participants of that discussion and arguably one of the most articulate voices in evangelical Christianity is Pastor Kevin DeYoung who wrote blog posts in that conversation, and now has written a very helpful book titled The Hole in our Holiness Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness.

At the heart of DeYoung's book is the Gospel. He teaches that, "Any gospel which says only what you must do and never announces what Christ has done is no gospel at all" (11). DeYoung's concern is a valid one as much of the preaching many of my friends have grown up on was preaching that focused only on what they were supposed to do in their Christian life rather than on what Christ has done in His work on Cross and in the Resurrection.

One of the most neglected truths in Christianity and arguably one of the most important truths for every Christian to understand is definitive sanctification (our positional identity in Christ), and how it does not eliminate the need for continuing "progressive sanctification." DeYoung notes, "In Christ every believer has a once-for all positional holiness, and from this new identity every Christian is commanded to grow in the ongoing-for your whole life process of holiness" (32). David Peterson notes that "Believers are definitively consecrated to God in order to live dedicated and holy lives, to his glory." In other words, sanctified is what Christians are and what they must become.

Chapter six is one of the most helpful chapters in the book and will help believers to understand how the Gospel empowers them to live the Christian life. Here DeYoung argues that "faith is operative in both--in justification to receive and rest, and in sanctification to will and to work" (85). Piper notes that, "I don't wait to kill my sin, I don't wait passively for the miracle of sin-killing to be worked on me, I act the miracle." DeYoung notes that, "Christians work they work to kill sin and they work to live in the Spirit" (89).

One of the more helpful discussions in the book is on union with Christ. Union with Christ is the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation not only "in its application but also in its once-for-all accomplishment in the finished work of Christ" (95). "Our progress in the pursuit of holiness comes largely from understanding and appropriating our union with Christ" (100). "Union with Christ means God's power for our us working in and through us" (112).

Union with Christ begins with the Holy Spirit's work of faith and regeneration within people's hearts, whereby they are grafted into Christ and His living body, the church. By the Holy Spirit, Christ dwells in His people and nourishes them with the gospel through preaching and the holy sacraments so that by grace they may live to please God. This truth not only applies to our understanding of holiness but also our view of ethics as the restoration of God's image in those united to Christ is the goal of the gospel, the purpose of salvation, and the full expression of the Christian life.

One of the other helpful comments by DeYoung is the following: "To run hard after holiness is another way of running hard after God. Just as a once-for-all, objective justification leads to a slow-growth, subjective sanctification, so our unchanging union with Christ leads an ever-increasing communion with Christ" (123). Calvin taught that union and communion with Christ are realized only through Spirit-worked faith. Communion is actual, not because believers participate in the essence of Christ's nature but because the Spirit of Christ unites believers so intimately to Christ that they become, as it were, flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone. From God's perspective, the Spirit is the bond between Christ and believers, whereas from our perspective faith is the bond. One of the Spirit's principal operations is to work faith in the sinner.

Only the Spirit can unite Christ in heaven with the believer on earth. Just as the Spirit united heaven and earth in the incarnation, so in regeneration He raises the elect from earth to commune with Christ in heaven and brings Christ into the hearts and lives of the elect on earth. Thus, communion with Christ is always the result of the Spirit's work- a work that is astonishing and experiential rather than comprehensible. The Holy Spirit is the link that binds the believer to Christ and is the channel through which Christ is communicated to the believer.

Faith unites the believer to Christ by means of the Word, enabling the believer to receive Christ as He is clothed in the gospel and graciously offered by the Father. Calvin notes, "We ought not to separate Christ from ourselves or ourselves from him," but participate in Christ by faith, for this "revives us from death to make us a new creature."

By faith the believer possesses Christ and grows in Him. What's more, the degree of this faith exercised through the Word determines his degree of communion with Christ. Calvin notes that "everything which faith should contemplate is exhibited to us in Christ." The believer who excels in piety learns to grasp Christ so firmly by faith that Christ dwells in his heart, though He remains in heaven. The pious live by what they find in Christ rather than what they find in Christ.

Hole in our Holiness is a very helpful book that will help Christians to not only understand the importance of holiness, and their positional standing as adopted sons and daughters of God, but also how to grow to be like Christ by the grace of God. Hole in our holiness is a great book for the new Christian who is just learning what Christianity is all about. Hole in our holiness will help the seasoned Christian to understand why they need to continue to grow to be like Christ and to fight against sin by the grace of God. Pastors should put Hole in our holiness in the hands of their people to help them to understand what holiness is and how to grow in the grace of God.

Wherever you are in your walk with God, I encourage you to pick up this important new book by DeYoung, because it will help you to think through what the Bible teaches on holiness and expose as it has done with me the areas in my own life that need to be addressed as I continue to grow in the grace of God. May this book by Pastor DeYoung do for our generation what J.C. Ryle's Holiness continues to do today instructing people in the holiness of God and the majestic truth of our union with Christ.

Title: The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness

Author: Kevin DeYoung

Publisher: Crossway (2012)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Conversational, but There are Better Books on This Topic September 16, 2012

By A. Wencl

Format:Audio CD

Kevin DeYoung's newest book is a conversational treatment on the role of holiness in the life of a believer. We're often drawn towards either an "anything goes" mentality or a self-righteous pharisaism that misses the mark of Biblical holiness. DeYoung, on the other hand, aims to stay true to the Bible and do it in such a way that is clear and helpful to his readers.

One thing I most appreciate about DeYoung is his conversational manner of writing that can take a challenging and complex topic and explain it in such a way that you don't feel like you're reading a technical theologial work. His writing is witty and clear, and resonates well with an average guy like myself. Likewise, his stories and humor serve to teach and engage, not merely to break up a weighty paragraph or topic.

Regarding holiness, DeYoung takes readers to the Bible and brings into focus the key areas of motivation and empowerment, which helps us avoid those two pitfalls mentioned above. Although the book was a helpful resource, it didn't feel as well unified as others he's written or that I've read on the same topic of holiness. Maybe it's because I listened to this shortly after listening to Jerry Bridges' The Discipline of Grace: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness, but after comparing the two, I'd have to give this book only three out of five stars because Bridges' book was more unified, personal, and devotional than DeYoung's.

Even still, I recommend DeYoung's book, just not as much as Jerry Bridges'.

I received this book from christianaudio for the purpose of review.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Holiness--be who you are August 17, 2012

By Paul A. Mastin

Format:Hardcover

Kevin DeYoung, a Michigan pastor, has established himself as a young traditionalist. Unlike many of his peers, who want to "emerge" or "re-vision" the church, DeYoung hangs on to tradition and orthodoxy in his vision of what church should be. Don't misunderstand: I mean that as a compliment, and DeYoung defends that position well.

In The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap Between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness, DeYoung is once again looking backward, trying to recover something that seems to be lost on the church of today. "The hole in our holiness is that we don't really care much about it." Teaching about holiness is rare or watered down to the level of moralism or self-help. The church today, as rule, has failed "to take seriously one of the great aims of our redemption and one of the required evidences for eternal life--our holiness."

Some of the emphases of modern evangelicalism have detracted from a focus on holiness. I applaud the new social awareness evangelicals have shown in addressing poverty, abortion, creation care, human trafficking, and other concerns. But as DeYoung points out, "you will find few explicit commands" in scripture telling us to care for social needs, "but there are dozens and dozens of verses that enjoin us . . . to be holy as God is holy."

By the same token, modern evangelicals like to talk about friendship with Jesus, saying that Christianity is not about religion but relationship. I agree, and I think DeYoung does too, to a certain extent. But as he points out, "It sounds really spiritual to say God is interested in a relationship, not in rules. But it's not biblical. From top to bottom the Bible is full of commands. They aren't meant to stifle a relationship with God, but to protect it, seal it, and define it." DeYoung turns to C.S. Lewis for insight on what it means to delight in the laws of God. It is a "delight in having touched firmness, like the pedestrian's delight in feeling the hard road beneath his feet after a false short cut has long entangled him in muddy fields."

Lest you think DeYoung lays on the guilt throughout the book, I assure you he doesn't. He holds out hope for believers, specifically our hope in Christ. A life of holiness is to be who we were made to be as new creations. Christ living in us gives us the ability to do that which God demands. And cultivating holiness is done by "boring and out-of-date" practices: "The way to grow in your relationship with Jesus is to pray, read your Bible, and go to a church where you'll get good preaching, good fellowship, and receive the sacraments."

The Hole in Our Holiness is not an easy read for Christians comfortable in their worldliness. But what a great reminder of the truth of who we are and a challenge to be who we are. DeYoung writes, "Do not strive after holiness because you cower in dread of God. Strive after holiness because you are confident you already belong to God." Even though you may not feel like it, if you are a believer you are holy. God has made you holy. DeYoung gives some direction for us to delight in and live in that holiness.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy.