If It’s Not Love, It’s not Holiness

In this sermon, Pastor Dan challenges the traditional, often harmful misunderstanding of holiness as a means of creating distance from others. By examining Mark 7 and Acts 10, he illustrates that holiness is not about proximity to “unclean” things or people, but is instead revealed through our actions and the way we treat those around us. Pastor Dan emphasizes that Jesus did not remove the call to be holy; rather, He redefined it as a tool for closing distances and breaking down human instincts to label, separate, and exclude.

Moving beyond mere behavior management, the sermon explores how true holiness is fundamentally rooted in love. Since God is love (agape), being “set apart” for God means being dedicated to a life of self-giving, unconditional, and other-centered compassion. Pastor Dan calls the community to move away from theology that “clobbers” or harms others—specifically addressing the historical misuse of scripture against the LGBTQ community—and instead asks whether our lives reflect the dignity and respect of Christ. Ultimately, holiness is found in our commitment to stopping harm and loving our neighbors well.