Holiness: How to Use This Study

Why Holiness?

Most of us grew up hearing "holy" as a churchy way of saying "good," or maybe "strict." But the Bible means far more than that. When Scripture first uses the word, it is not talking about rules. It is talking about God himself: who he is, how near he comes, and what happens to people, places, and even ordinary days when they are set apart for him. Holiness in the Bible carries danger and wonder and nearness. It also carries real moral weight, because the holy God tells his people how to treat their parents, their hired hands, and the stranger at the edge of their field. Over these twelve weeks we will hold both of those together, and we will find that holiness is finally about belonging to God, not about earning our way to him.

How Each Lesson Works

This is an inductive study. That simply means we let the Bible speak first, before we bring our conclusions to it. Each week moves through three steps:

• Observe: What does the text actually say? Who is there, what happens, what words repeat? Slow down and notice.
• Interpret: What does it mean? Here we ask why the passage says what it says, and how it fits the whole story of Scripture. Short "Consider" notes are there to help if you get stuck.
• Apply: What is this passage doing to me? Hebrews 4:12 tells us the word of God is living and able to discern the heart. In this step we let the text read us, honestly and without fear.

Each lesson also has a short background note, one word to notice, a prayer, and a few suggestions for groups.

Alone or Together

If you are studying alone, give yourself thirty to forty-five minutes with a Bible, a pen, and a notebook. Write your answers down; it makes you see more. If you are in a small group, have everyone work through Observe on their own during the week, then spend your time together on Interpret and Apply. Nobody needs to be an expert. Just come with your Bible open and your questions honest.

Read It Aloud, Slowly

One request for every week: read the passage aloud, slowly, more than once. God's people heard Scripture long before most of them could read it. Hearing the words in your own voice slows you down, and you will catch things your eyes skipped. Then read it again.

Let's begin.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.