Holiness as Family Resemblance

Dear New Life in Christ Church,

When we hear the word holiness, many of us immediately think of rules, restrictions, or a kind of stiff spirituality that feels more like duty than joy. But Scripture gives us a very different picture. Holiness is not about being morally pure in a joyless or rigid way. It is about belonging to God’s family and bearing His likeness. It is in this way that holiness and happiness can be so closely linked. 

In the Old Testament, God called Israel to be holy because they were His chosen people: “You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his treasured possession” (Deut. 14:2). Holiness here was not first about what Israel did, but about who they were, God’s family set apart for Him. As His children, they were meant to reflect their Father’s character. 

This is the same for us. As the image of God, we were created to reflect, express and participate in the glory of God, even his holiness, in miniature, creaturely form. In other words, holiness is family resemblance, looking like our Father in heaven. 

We see parallels in everyday life. Children naturally take on the mannerisms of their parents. They pick up our laugh, the phrases we use, even the way we tilt our heads. Sometimes they don’t even realize it’s happening. In the same way, God calls His children to share His likeness, to reflect His character of love, truth, purity, and peace. 

The New Testament shows us this most clearly in Christ. Jesus is the true image of God, the Son in whom the Father is perfectly pleased (Matt. 3:17). In salvation, when the Holy Spirit unites us to Christ, God begins conforming us to the Son’s likeness: “Those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). That means holiness is nothing less than looking more like Jesus, the Son of God, the Word of God, and the image of God made flesh (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15). 

This reshapes how we think about the Christian life. Holiness is not cold rule-keeping. It is not even mainly about avoiding certain sins. It is about growing into the likeness of Christ, who shows us what true humanity and true godliness look like. The Spirit works in us so that our Father’s family resemblance is seen more clearly in patience, gentleness, purity, and love. We find genuine joy as we take on the image we were designed and redeemed to have. 

This understanding of holiness also reshapes our motivation. If holiness is family resemblance, then we pursue it not to earn God’s love but because we already have it. We do not pursue to prove ourselves. It is also not an elusive goal. Think about it: a son or daughter does not try to become part of the family, they already are. Instead, they grow up learning what it means to carry the family name. In the same way, the Spirit teaches us to “walk worthy of the calling we have received” (Eph. 4:1). 

So the next time you hear the call to holiness, do not hear it as a burdensome demand. Hear it as your Father’s loving invitation: “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16). God is shaping you to look like Jesus. That is the Spirit’s great work, and it is our family resemblance, and our path to joy and love.

Faithfully Yours,
Pastor Sean