Living the holy life is a daily decision to surrender our lives completely to our Father in heaven.

Holiness is not just a matter of imitation (trying to follow Christ’s example), it is a matter of inhabitation (God’s spirit coming to dwell within us).

The spirit of God at work within us, day in and day out, shaping us, molding us, refining in us the image of Jesus. That will reveal the devastating effect of allowing sin to remain in our lives. We need to be willing to admit what sin does to our relationship with God.

Sin is what separated us from God in the first place. Sin is what keeps us separated from God. Don’t make excuses or attempt to justify your sin. Admit you are unable to live the life God is calling you to live on your own.

We all need his help. And the good news is he is ready to provide it. God will enable us to live the life he has called us to live. Remember, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can empower us to live the holy life we have been called to live.

Here is the bottom line of what I have been trying to say for the past several weeks. Holy people are in the process of becoming more like Jesus. Summed up in one word, holiness is Christlikeness.

We cannot become holy on our own. God gives us his spirit to help us obey his word. He gives us the power to overcome sin. He is the one who makes us more like Jesus.

I want to encourage you to tap into his power today. Holiness is not only a possibility for the Christian, holiness is a requirement. In Hebrews 12:14, we are told, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.”

Here on this earth, we pursue holiness. In the world to come, we attain it. As we mature spiritually, we will see the image of Jesus being perfected in us.

To conclude this series, I think it would be a good idea to join the psalmist in praying the prayer he prayed in Psalm 139. Will you do it?

“Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; see for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong — then guide me on the road to eternal life.” (Psalm 139:23-24 The Message)

You may read Steve Greene’s blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or you can email him at [email protected].