Not Merely Good

A Dialogue Between Abba Arsenius and a Disciple on Holiness

“You shall be holy to me; for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.”

— Leviticus 20:26

A brother came to Abba Arsenius and said, “Father, this word troubles me: ‘You shall be holy to me; for I the LORD am holy.’ I strive to avoid sin, to pray, to fast, and to be kind to others, yet holiness still seems far away.”

The old man said, “Perhaps because you think holiness means becoming a respectable man.”

The brother replied, “What else is it, Father?”

Abba Arsenius said, “If a piece of iron is cleaned and polished but never placed in the fire, does it become fire?”

“No, Father.”

“It remains iron.”

“So also a man may become outwardly moral and still remain cold. Holiness is not merely the cleansing of the iron. It is the placing of the iron into the fire.”

The brother said, “Then what does it mean that God has separated us from the peoples?”

The old man answered, “It means that He has claimed us for Himself. The world says, ‘Become successful. Become admired. Become powerful. Become whatever pleases you.’ God says, ‘Become Mine.’”

The brother was silent.

After some time he said, “But why does God wish us to be holy?”

Abba Arsenius replied, “Because love always desires communion. The Lord did not create man merely to obey commandments. He created him to share His life. He separated Israel from the nations and the Church from the world so that they might become vessels of His presence.”

The brother said, “Then holiness is not first about virtue?”

The old man looked at him with compassion.

“Virtue is the doorway, not the house. Fasting, prayer, watchfulness, and repentance clear away what obstructs the heart. But if you stop there, you are like a man who sweeps and adorns a room and never invites the King to enter.”

“And what happens when the King enters?”

The old man said, “Then a man begins to love as God loves, to forgive as God forgives, to bear suffering as God bears it, and to look upon others with mercy. He does not merely imitate God from a distance. He participates in His life.”

The brother said, “This seems too great for man.”

Abba Arsenius answered, “It is too great for man. That is why it is a gift. Holiness is not self-improvement. It is divine life received with humility.”

Then the brother asked, “Father, why do so few seek this?”

The old man said, “Because it is easier to settle for being decent than to surrender oneself entirely to God. A decent man remains in control. A holy man belongs to Another.”

The brother bowed his head.

Abba Arsenius said, “Remember this, child. The command, ‘Be holy,’ is not a demand that you become extraordinary by your own efforts. It is an invitation to draw near to the Fire without fear. God separates you from all that is passing because He desires to give you what is His own. He wishes you to become, by grace, what He is by nature.”

Then the old man arose to pray, saying, “Lord, make me Yours, and all else will follow.”