Stop Trying To Be Holy

Stop trying to be holy. You heard me right. Stop trying to be holy . Blasphemy? No. Bible truth.

Now, I did not say, do not be holy. That would be blasphemy! I said, stop trying to be. Why? Because

holiness is not your work; it is God’s gift. It does not come by trying. It is the result of trusting. It is not achieved by self-effort. It is received by faith.

Here are a few passages that confirm this liberating and empowering truth.

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:30, 31 NKJV)

God made Jesus your sanctification!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6 NKJV)

God has made you holy and blameless before Him by Jesus Christ!

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (I Peter 2:9, 10 NKJV)

You are already a royal priesthood and a holy nation. You are now the people of God!

God’s standard of holiness is no less under grace than it was under Law. The requirement that we “be holy as He is holy” is still God’s will for His people. The Law Giver still sits on His throne. But something has changed!

In the Old Testament God gave the law and the people tried their best to keep it. They failed miserably, as is always the case when imperfect people try to live up to a perfect standard. In the New Covenant, God made a drastic change. Instead of only being the Law Giver on the throne, He also became the Law Keeper in my heart.

Child of God, you do not need to try to be holy any more. God has made you holy and made you one with Jesus so that Jesus can live His life for you and through you. Instead of trying to be holy, start acknowledging that you are holy in Christ Jesus and trust Him to manifest holiness in and through you.