how we are holy

In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Colossians 3:7-8

There are two parts to sanctification (Christian holiness) that the New Testament clearly teaches. Paul is particularly clear instructing churches in his epistles on how it works. The first part of our holiness is positional. It is God’s part and is the biggest and most important part. Upon faith in Christ the old sinful self has died with Christ and new life comes in Christ (Colossians 3:3; Ephesians 2:4-9). We do nothing except believe the gospel. Jesus does it all. The Father sees us as forgiven and clothed in Christ’s righteousness. The Holy Spirit indwells and protects us as God’s beloved holy ones.

We are also called to live in that holiness by actively repenting of sin (putting sin to death) and obeying the call to live in holiness (Colossians 3:5-6; Ephesians 2:10). This is what is known as practical sanctification. We were created for good works to walk in them, pleasing to the Lord. This is why exhortations are always found in the letters of the New Testament. We work out (not work for) our salvation (a possession guaranteed by Christ) with fear and trembling (an attitude of love, reverence, and fear over sin’s destructive influence) (Philippians 2:12-13). God gives the gift of sanctification. We open it with obedience and use it through surrender to Christ’s Lordship so we can live like Jesus calls us. And though we grow in it, He holds us in the forgiveness of the gospel as we stumble forward, confessing, repenting, and obeying (1 John 1:9).

To be Christian is to live the forgiven and the forgiving life. It is to repent and to keep confessing. It is to be cleansed and to seek cleansing. It is to be made holy and to pursue holiness as we seek to be holy as He is holy. Anything less is confusion and lawlessness. Anything more is legalism.