Holiness Is Who You Are, Not What You Perform

One of the greatest struggles Christians face is understanding holiness. We tend to think of holiness as something fragile, something we lose every time we fail. When we sin, we assume holiness disappears. When we obey, we believe holiness returns. But that is not how Scripture describes holiness for the believer.

Let me explain it this way.

I am a Burkeen. That is not something I earned. It is something I was born into. No matter how badly I disobeyed my parents growing up, my last name never changed. When I made foolish decisions, when I rebelled, when I failed to live up to the values of my family, I was still a Burkeen. My behavior did not redefine my identity.

In the same way, when you are in Christ, holiness is not something you perform. It is something you receive.

The Bible says, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30, LSB). Sanctification, holiness, is not something you add to yourself. It is something Jesus became for you.

When you placed your faith in Christ, you were set apart once and for all. Hebrews says, “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10, LSB). That is positional holiness. It is settled. It is secure. It is not fragile.

That does not mean sin does not matter. Sin always matters. Sin damages fellowship, clouds our joy, and brings discipline from a loving Father. But sin does not undo what Jesus has already accomplished. Just as my disobedience never removed me from my family, my sin does not remove me from Christ.

This is where many believers live confused and exhausted. They are trying to earn a holiness they already have. They are trying to become something God says they already are. Scripture tells us, “As obedient children, not being conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:14–15, LSB). Notice the order. You are called holy, therefore live holy.

We do not obey to become holy. We obey because we are holy.

When you understand this, everything changes. Obedience stops being driven by fear and starts being shaped by love. Repentance becomes a return to who you truly are, not a desperate attempt to regain God’s acceptance. Discipline becomes formative, not condemning.

Paul captures this beautifully when he says, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11, LSB). He does not say, “Try to become dead to sin.” He says, “Consider yourselves.” Live from the reality God has already declared.

If you are in Christ, holiness is your last name now. You may stumble. You may struggle. You may fail. But your identity does not change. Jesus does not unclaim you. The cross does not lose its power. Grace does not expire.

Holiness is not something you chase in order to be accepted. It is something you grow into because you already are accepted.

Live like who you are.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Jody