As a college freshman, I tried out for the men’s basketball team as a walk on. Afterwards, the coach sat down with me in his office. Nicely, he said I didn’t make the team. But he encouraged me with the potential he saw. If I wanted to keep working, I could try out again the next year. For much of my Christian life, I’ve approach holiness in a similar way: work hard, get better. Except there’s one thing missing from that equation.
True, the Bible does command and exhort us to work out our salvation. To pursue after Christ. To make every effort at holiness. To put our sin to death. All of that is true. So what’s missing? God’s grace and strength and wisdom.
Holiness is not simply achieved by your effort alone. While Paul says that you work out your salvation with fear and trembling, he also says that it is God who is at work in you. But you must give more than just lip service to God if you are to grow in holiness. He alone knows your sinfulness; He alone knows the depths of your heart and soul. Jesus has already won the victory over all of your sin through His death, burial, and resurrection.
I think of 1 Corinthians 6:11. Paul was writing to a church that was immersed in sinful culture, and many of them came from that; many Christians were still struggling with those habits, addictions, and temptations. In verses 9 and 10, Paul lists some of the past sins of these Christians: fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate (we might say today transgender), homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers (an abusive person today), swindlers. But listen to this next verse: Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God!
How was it they were made holy? Sanctified? Made clean and washed? Because of their efforts? Because of a 12 step program? Because of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God. God is the one who makes holy. So, work out your salvation; pursue after holiness. Put in the effort. But always know that God is the one putting holiness into you!