The Wesleyan Church

Drury on the Longevity of Holiness for Ordinary People

Jun. 3, 2009

The New Testament calls every Christian to live a holy life. For 25 years, Holiness for Ordinary People by Indiana Wesleyan University professor Keith Drury explains in simple, practical terms how every Christian can live a Christ-like life, God's intentions for every Christian.

Wesleyan Publishing House said of the book: "The 25th Anniversary Edition is a message of hope, encouragement and possibility where readers can discover the life change that holiness brings."

1. What was your motivation for writing this book?

Drury>>> The motivation for the original book was to explain the Wesleyan doctrine of entire sanctification. The motivation of this third edition is explanatory but includes several new chapters that are persuasive. Today fewer folk believe living an obedient life is even possible. Among today's Christians there is a general pessimism as how much God can change us. Many Christians now believe a life of disobedience as sin is ordinary, even to be expected. This book calls the church to believe that God can indeed cleanse and empower his children to be what He calls us to become. So the motivation of this third edition with five new chapters is more persuasive, to challenge Christians to believe in a God who is more powerful than our sin...a God who not only forgives sin but can empower us to stop sinning.

2. To what do you attribute its longevity?

Drury>>> It has surprised me actually. I expected the book to have a run of a few years then disappear into the used bookstores. Maybe it has staying power because it addresses a real hunger. I see, especially among the young people I teach, a real hunger to live a holy life. They are tired of half-way living and the constant promises-failure cycle and want to believe that God can really deliver them from habitual failure. Even though there is great doubt that holy living is realistically attainable there is, at the same time, great hope that it might be possible. I suppose the only reason any book lasts for 25 years is that it fills a need. That's encouraging to me.

3. What difference you think the book has made on the Church?

Drury>>>The book has kept the idea of holy living on the church's agenda. It is a minority report that stands against the testimony of the vast spiritual malaise that grips today's Christians. Most Christians say they can never overcome sin and have nothing else to do but confess their constant sinfulness and hope God soon hits the universal ejection button and beams them up to heaven where they'll finally live faithfully. This book offers the positive optimistic alternative that God is willing to beam down His grace enabling us to obey Him fully while we are still on earth. The kingdom of God (where we do His will on earth as it is done in heaven) is possible on earth not just in the future.