The Immeasurable Glory: What The Puritans Got Right About Holiness

Theology, in its purest form, is never abstract. It is, as the best Reformed thinkers insist, doctrine for life. This profound conviction—that eternal truths must penetrate and transform daily conduct—was the bedrock of Puritanism.

Often caricatured as severe or rigid, the Puritans offered the church a vision of Christian living marked by intellectual rigor and heartwarming devotion—a singular focus on holiness.

If we wish to move beyond devotional sentimentality to a deep, deliberate effort to follow Christ, we must revisit what the Puritans taught about the nature and practice of genuine holiness.

1. Holiness is the Inseparable Fruit of Justification

The Puritans, standing firmly on the gains of the Reformation, maintained absolute precision in defining the steps of salvation. This distinction is paramount:

Justification is God’s instantaneous, forensic act, declared outside the believer. It removes the guilt and penalty of sin, providing a righteous legal status through Christ’s imputed obedience. It is complete the moment a sinner believes and never changes.
Sanctification is God’s continuous, gracious operation within the believer. It removes the pollution and power of sin, renewing the soul in the image of God. It is a progressive process that continues throughout life.

The genius of the Puritan view is that while justification (the declaration) and sanctification (the process) are distinct, they are never separated. To attempt to sever these two aspects is to attempt to tear Christ in pieces. The justified person is immediately united to Christ, and from that union flows the Spirit’s work to make that person actually holy. Holiness, therefore, is never the root or cause of our acceptance with God, but always the inevitable fruit and evidence of saving faith.

2. Holiness is Comprehensive and Christ-Centered

The Puritans defined holiness not as mere morality or outward correctness, but as a thorough renewal of the whole person after the image of God.

Internal Renewal, Not External Polish: Morality offers a “clean outside,” but holiness is having a “clean inside.” It is an inward reality that must penetrate the mind, will, affections, and conscience. It is a new nature, where the love for sin is replaced by a profound love for God and His law.
Rooted in God’s Character: The foundation and pattern for human holiness is the holy character of God Himself. We are commanded to be holy because He is holy, and what He commands, He supplies through His sovereign grace.
The Goal: Fitness for Heaven: The ultimate purpose of sanctification is to prepare the believer for eternal glory. Without this personal holiness, no one shall see the Lord. Justification gives us the right to enter heaven, but sanctification provides the fitness to be there and to enjoy communion with a thrice-holy God.

3. Holiness Demands Disciplined, Active Engagement

The Puritans understood that while sanctification is entirely the work of the Triune God—purchased by the Son, applied by the Holy Spirit—it requires the diligent and active co-operation of the believer. They refused to treat believers as passive stones; rather, they treated them as rational, living stones, expected to exercise themselves unto godliness.

This diligent effort involved specific means of grace:

Searching the Scriptures and Meditation: The Word of God is the “rule and square” for holy living, providing clear, authoritative instruction. Meditation—serious intention of the mind to settle truth upon the heart—adds depth to mere reading.
Fervent, Constant Prayer: Prayer is not optional, but a vital duty that sustains spiritual life. The Spirit Himself is the “Spirit of supplications,” guiding our prayers and providing the strength necessary for the daily battle.
Mortification and Vivification: This is the daily warfare of the Christian life. Mortification is the continual putting to death of the remnants of indwelling sin, which remain until death. Vivification is the quickening of the new nature, resulting in new obedience and good works. The Puritans warned:

Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.

Holiness in Vocation and Family: Holiness must not be confined to Sunday duties, but must be carried throughout all aspects of life—in one’s work, one’s friendships, and especially in the diligent instruction and worship within the home.

Conclusion

The Puritan emphasis on holiness was not a call to burdensome legalism, but a deeply evangelical invitation to a life fully grounded in Christ’s completed work, lived out daily through the Spirit’s power. They taught us to pursue righteousness not to earn grace, but because we have received it, knowing that this pursuit is the essential pathway to the eternal, glorious enjoyment of God Himself.

References and Further Reading

Beeke, Joel R., and Mark Jones. A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2012.
Beeke, Joel R., and Paul M. Smalley. Reformed Systematic Theology: Man and Christ. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019.
Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020.
Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. 3 vols. New York: Scribner, 1871–1873.
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Great Doctrines of the Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2003.
Mounce, William D. Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.
Packer, J. I. Puritan Papers: Vols. 1–5. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1990.
Spurgeon, C. H. Spurgeon's Commentary on the Whole Bible.
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647).
The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume Two. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.