Virtuous Life
Responding with integrity.

The Holiness Traditon emphasizes the re-formation of our hearts so that we are able to respond appropriately to the challenges of life.  The word “holiness” has some negative connotations today, but the original Greek meaning of the word virtue is simply “to function well.”  Virtuous Life is not about rules or judgement, perfectionism, or some kind of merit gained by good deeds.  It encourages us to the ultimate goal: not to “get us into heaven, but to get heaven into us.”  It is attentiveness to the source of our actions, to the condition and motives of the heart, and taking on new patterns of life that flow naturally from within.

We see Jesus consistently doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done.  We see in him such deeply ingrained “holy habits” that he is always “reponse-able,” always able to respond appropriately.  This is purity of heart.  This is the virtuous life.
~ Richard J. Foster, Streams of Living Water