Book Recommendation: Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness By Kevin DeYoung

Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness By Kevin DeYoung 

This book was a rather refreshing read several years back.  It is a welcome reflection upon a great deal of false teaching in the area of progressive sanctification (that is assuming you believe your sanctification can progress) in growth.  Many do not.  Many chaff at the idea of imperatives, holiness, godliness, and piety.  It is much too easy for way to many people influenced by today's trendy authors to whip out the straw man, ad hominems (you know: legalism, judgmental, etc...).  

I recommend this book to any seek how to grow in holiness and sanctification.  Yes, there is more to sanctification than rehearsing some indicatives over and over and over.  Far too many churches today have the doctrinal ducks in a row but the way they live.  Well if you didn't know otherwise, you wouldn't know they were followers of Christ at all (and that's putting it charitably).

I am including a very meaty and detailed outline from the text.  Please fell free to comment on the issue of progressive sanctification.

1.      Chapter One: Mind the Gap

1.1. Holiness is the New Camping

1.2. Who Says?

1.2.1.      Is Our Obedience known to All?

1.2.2.      Is Our Heaven a Holy Place?

1.2.3.      Are We Great Commission Christians?

1.3.Why so Holey?

1.4. But he (may) have this against you

1.5. Chapter One Study Questions

1.5.1.      What come to mind when you hear the word “holiness”?  Are your thoughts primarily positive?  Negative?  Encouraging?  Discouraging?  Burdensome?  Freeing?

1.5.2.      Growing up, how did your church, family, and friends speak of holiness?

1.5.3.      Is the holiness of heaven of delightful thought for you?  Does it equal the delight you have in thinking about heaven as a place of love, peace, enjoyment, and happiness?  Why or why not?

1.5.4.      Why does there appear to be a “hole in our holiness” today?  Which of the reasons given by the author resonate with your own struggles with holiness?

1.5.5.      What have been the major themes of your Christian life?  Has holiness

2.      Chapter Two: The Reason for Redemption

2.1. A Necessary Good

2.2. A Necessary Explanation

2.3. Chapter Two Study Questions:

2.3.1.      What reasons come to mind when you think about why God saved you?

2.3.2.      What are some passages in Scriptures that have impacted your life of holiness?  Why do these hold significance?

2.3.3.      Do you find the pursuit of holiness intimidating?  Why or why not?

2.3.4.      Does it seem disagreeable to stress personal holiness?

3.      Chapter Three: Piety’s Pattern

3.1.Got and still growing

3.2. Cheap Imitations

3.2.1.      Holiness is not mere rule keeping

3.2.2.      Holiness is not generational imitation

3.2.3.      Holiness is not generic spirituality

3.2.4.      Holiness is not “finding your true self”

3.2.5.      Holiness is not the way of the world

3.3. The Real Deal

3.3.1.      Holiness looks like the renewal of God’s image in us

3.3.2.      Holiness looks like a life marked by virtue instead of vice

3.3.3.      Holiness looks like a clean conscience

3.3.4.      Holiness looks like obedience to God’s commands

3.3.5.      Holiness looks like Christlikeness

3.4.Chapter Three Review Questions

3.4.1.      What assurance and confidence does definitive sanctification give?

3.4.2.      Where has the church in previous generations gone wrong in its pursuit of holiness?  What errors do you see today?  Are some of them present in your own understanding of holiness?

3.4.3.      As you read through the list of virtues and vices in this chapter, what are some of the vices in your life that you need to get rid of?  What are some of the virtues you see and need to continue to encourage?

3.4.4.      Of what things in your life would you have trouble saying, “I can thank God for this?”

3.4.5.      Do you know the Ten Commandments?  Do they shape your living?  How?

4.      Chapter Four: The Impetus for the Imperatives

4.1.What’s Left for the Law?

4.2. The Grace of Law

4.3. The Law of Love and the Love of Law

4.4. The Medicine for our Motivation

4.5. Chapter Four Review Questions:

4.5.1.      Do you delight in the law of the Lord?  Do you see the law as an expression of God’s grace?  Why or why not?

4.5.2.      What motivations for holiness listed in this chapter are currently the “best medicine” for you?

4.5.3.      Which motivations for holiness have you seldom heard in sermons or within the church?  Why do you think that is?

4.5.4.      Think of a sin you are struggling with.  Which biblical motivations for holiness provided in this chapter are an encouragement to you to pursue holiness and to mortify this sin?

5.      Chapter Five: The Pleasure of God and the Possibility of Godliness

5.1. A Gospel-Centered Pancake

5.2. Imagine the Possibilities

5.3. A Perfect Storm

5.4. Filthy Rags or Fully Pleasing?

5.5. The Hazard of Moral Equivalence

5.6. Sons, not Illegitimate Children

5.7. Feeling Clean

5.8. Chapter Five Review Questions:

5.8.1.      Has your pursuit of personal holiness been short-circuited in certain ways?  How?

5.8.2.      When you are told that the Scriptures teach that righteousness is possible, that you truly can do good works, and you can please God, what is your reaction?  Does it surprise you?  Encourage you?

5.8.3.      Do you allow yourself not only to be convicted while reading the Scriptures, listening to sermons, and reading Christian books, but also to be encouraged at the progress and “success” within your Christian life?

6.      Chapter Six: Spirit-powered, Gospel-driven, faith-fueled effort

6.1. Holiness by Holy Spirit Power

6.2. Good Deeds based on Good News

6.3. Standing on the Promises

6.4. Effort is not a Four-letter word

6.5. Chapter Six Review Questions

7.      Chapter Seven: Be Who you are

7.1. Jesus Christ and Union Station

7.2. Union Confusion

7.3. From Being with Christ to Being Like Christ

7.4. Making the Reality Real

7.5. The Other Romans Road

8.      Chapter Eight: Saints and Sexual Immorality

8.1.Run, Baby, Run!

8.2. Members of Christ

8.3. Holiness in a Hookup World

8.4. Not even a hint

8.5. Fit for a King

8.6. A Pastoral Post-script

9.      Chapter Nine: Abide and Obey

9.1. Union and Communion

9.2. Keeping Commandments, Abiding in Love

9.3. Four Practices for Oneness with Christ

9.3.1.      We pursue communion with Christ through prayer.

9.3.2.      We pursue communion with Christ through the word of truth.

9.3.3.      We pursue communion with Christ through fellowship with other Christians.

9.3.4.      We pursue communion with Christ through partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

9.4. Extraordinary Holiness through Ordinary Means

10.  Chapter Ten: That All May See Your Progress

10.1.        Repentance as a way of Life

10.2.        What Kind of Grief?

10.3.        Growing into a Good-Looking Christian