“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
(1st Peter 1:13-16)

As true believers our pursuit of holiness is not intended to plunge us into what Bunyan called “the slough of despond” and drive us to despair. It is not intended to motivate us to look to ourselves for righteousness or assurance of salvation. It is intended, first, to promote humility within us knowing that if the LORD ever charged us with sin we would be damned forever. It therefore intended to drive us more and more in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for ALL salvation and all righteousness. Our assurance of salvation is never in self, but in Christ Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith. It is intended also to show us as true believers (sinners saved and preserved by God’s grace) how to glorify and honour the God of all grace and express our love and gratitude to Him for all the blessings of salvation given us based on the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is intended to give us a way to express our love to our brethren in Christ and encourage us in witnessing to a lost world, in our own growth in grace and in knowledge of Christ, and in our continual warfare with the flesh.