Living a holy life is possible when we surrender to Christ and are empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience. Though we will still sin, God’s grace and forgiveness enable us to keep growing in holiness and glorify Him in our daily lives.
The Bible teaches that God is holy (1 John 1:5), and He calls us to be holy (1 Peter 1:16, quoting Leviticus 19:2). This means being set apart for God, living according to His ways in purity (1 Thessalonians 4:3–8; 1 Peter 1:14–15). Romans 12:1–2 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Living our lives unto God becomes easier when we steep ourselves in God’s Word (John 17:17; Psalm 119:11), submit to Him daily (Galatians 5:16), and fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:24–25). We cannot achieve a holy life merely by our own efforts. Because we are sinful (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12) and have an adversary in Satan (1 Peter 5:8–9), living a holy life would be impossible without first being made righteous in God's sight through surrendering to Christ (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 1:3–14; 2:1–10). When we accept Christ as Savior, we’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to lead godly lives (Romans 8). In other words, God's grace—not our works—saves us, and the indwelling Holy Spirit transforms us enables us to live holy (2 Corinthians 5:17–21; Philippians 1:6; 2:12–13). By leading a holy and set apart life, we are freed from a lifestyle of sin and can glorify God to others (Matthew 5:16; Romans 6:6).
We’ve all had it happen: A friend is sharing pictures, and you see a candid, unflattering image of yourself. That picture shows flaws that you hadn’t noticed, even though you see yourself in the mirror daily. When we look in the mirror, what we expect to see can blind us to what’s really there; a picture can open our eyes. The prophet Isaiah had a much more powerful experience of noticing his flaws, the ones that go deeper than looks. When Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord, he immediately realized his own unholiness by contrast, and he couldn’t help but cry out, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5).
Without Christ, we would be as helpless as Isaiah felt at that moment because we’re all sinners (Romans 3:23). But those who yield their life to Christ are covered by His righteousness and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can lead lives glorifying God. This doesn’t mean that we’ll live perfectly from then on. We will still sin (1 John 1:8—2:6). But unrepentant sin won’t be a persistent, purposeful pattern in the life of the believer. And the important thing is that we can confess our sins, ask for God's forgiveness, and keep moving forward (1 John 1:9; Romans 8:1). God's mercy for us is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23).