“The Most High is holy (1 Samuel 2:2). He is spotless and pure. He has no blemish, and none can find fault with Him. As the Lord is holy, so are we called to be holy (1 Peter 1:13-16). The chief way to become holy is not to start out by following a list of rules, but to examine the Lord’s character, to know His Word, and to follow the example of His Son. The local church will help us greatly in learning what it means to be holy, for there we find people who are living holy lives not to check off legalistic boxes, but to present their entire beings as a thank offering to God. How crucial, then, that we join and become active members in our local churches, where we can learn God’s Word and encourage one another to conform our lives to it.”
—Owen Strachan & Doug Sweeney, “The Beauty of God,” Jonathan Edwards On Beauty (The Essential Edwards Collection), p. 45.