Holiness is for you

There are times in your life as a Christian where it may feel as though you could never be holy. There are times you may be gripped by anger or despair, stubbornness or an immoral habit you many have. And you just can't get over it. It is times like these that you may feel as though holiness was just something you can not attain.

But, the good news is that holiness is for you. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). There is hope for you; we can walk in obedience before God and live a life of holiness.

Firstly we must understand what the bible means by holiness. It is not a series of specific prohibitions or a particular style of dress and mannerisms, or even an unattainable perfection. Holiness is to be morally blameless. It is to be separated from sin, and therefore, consecrated to God. The word signifies 'separation to God, and the conduct befitting those so separated'. To live a holy life is to live a life in conformity to the moral precepts of the Bible and in contrast to the sinful ways of the world.

...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness... (Ephesians 4:22-24)

The reason then, that we as Christians may feel defeated in our struggle with sin is because our attitude towards sin is more self-centered than God-centered (our victory over sin, rather than obedience to God);  we misunderstand 'living by faith' to mean that holiness requires no effort on our part; and we do not take all sins seriously. (These three factors will be discussed in greater detail later in the book).

So then, there is hope for us; holiness is for you. It comes as a gift with faith, but it remains something we need to work with.