“Holiness and work are also closely related, especially the work of nurturing and persevering in personal discipline. Discipline takes time and effort. Paul exhorted Timothy, ‘Exercise they self rather unto godliness’ (1 Tim. 4:7). Holiness is not achieved sloppily or instantaneously. Holiness is a call to a disciplined life; it cannot live out what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called cheap grace – that is, grace which forgives without demanding repentance and obedience. Holiness is costly grace – grace that cost God the blood of His Son, cost the Son His own life, and costs the believer daily mortification so that , like Paul, he dies daily (1 Cor. 15:31). Gracious holiness calls for continual commitment, continual diligence, continual practice, and continual repentance.”
-- Dr. Joel R. Beeke (Puritan Reformed Spirituality – Cultivating Holiness; p409)
(compare Titus 2:11ff.)
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