"Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever" (Ps. 93: 5).

The great struggle for man these days is his struggle with sin. The Scriptures correctly state that there is no man without sin and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rm. 3:25). Sin is a problem not only for sinners but also for the so-called saints. Man desires a sinless life but he is frustrated at his inability. Man does not attain perfection till he is able to act according to his good intentions. He does not have the strength to act like that. That strength should come from God.

Jesus Christ came to this world to conquer sin and to deliver man from it. It is difficult to digest that , inspite of that, even those people saved by Him are living in sin. If that is so, what is the difference between ourselves and others?

I shall give you a few counsels to lead a sinless life and become holy. Please bear with me if it affects your sentiments in any way.

1.Life itself is a struggle between wisdom and impulse. We should place wisdom first and control impulse. We must live keeping impulse behind. Only when we live like that life will be virtuous and full of good principles. We face problems in life when we allow our impulse to dominate. Human beings are not faultless. Even highly reputed sages were known to have erred. As an error occurs in our lives, its consequences surround us. The only way to escape those consequences is to accept the error, confess it and receive forgiveness from God. Forget what has happened and concentrate on what remains to be done.

2.Thoughts: It is natural that all kinds of thoughts arise in the mind of man. You are not an exception. Such thoughts should be controlled by wisdom. Some base thoughts do arise in our mind. You should destroy such thoughts within seconds of their occurrence and fill the mind with good thoughts. Similar to the occurrence of day and night in the world, our bodies too alternate between the state of activity and passivity. Human mind is not different from this. Do not fear. Always try to lead a virtuous life. Sow good seeds in your mind. Think nobly about yourself. Imagine what he or she would think about you if you do any wrong thing. Imagine the kind of respect and honor he or she will have for you if you hate unacceptable behavior and do good. The thoughts that arise and allowed entry into our mind shape us. Should briars sprout in our mind or pleasant flowers and fruits grow in our mind? What do you prefer? Sow that in your mind and it will grow. Think again and again of the good life which you want to lead. Practice and persevere for that life. As you read an essay, until you assimilate the thoughts and translate into practice, that essay belongs only to the paper on which it is published. Holiness, courage and self confidence are not commodities which can be purchased at a shop. As rice or wheat purchased at a shop is cooked, eaten and assimilated and absorbed by your body, so also, only when the essence of the essay is firmly embedded in your mind and becomes a part of it, the essay is going to be useful (Phil.4: 8).

3. Avoiding temptation: We are in which aspect we are weak. Therefore avoiding the moments of temptation, walking away from it, being on the alert and opposing sin will do a lot of good. There exists a general opinion in this world about love, that marriage laws are only man-made and therefore dispensable and that the only consideration in this world is males and females. Man can not form regulations on his own and live by them. Sin is a formidable force which affects everyone irrespective of whether one is rich or poor, literate or illiterate, small or big, young or old. There are certain rules to be followed in human life and relationship. When we transgress them, we receive its reward on hand, against our expectations. Act carefully. God alone frames regulations for human life. Marriage regulation had been established by God. On the other hand the advice of not to marry but to commit adultery originated from satan. If God had not told, "Fear God and do not commit adultery", we would not have known that adultery was a sin. But knowing the consequences and evils of sin, God had given good laws and commandments to man. "My son, let your eyes look straight ahead" (Prov.4: 25). "Don't pass along the street near her corner" (Prov. 7:8). Avoid occasions of frequent meetings. When you speak to a woman, keep a distance of at least three feet. Speak looking at her face and not her breast. Let your conversation be brief. It is not necessary to meet separately not even to pray or discuss divine matters. If it becomes necessary, then take one or two persons with you. When our Lord Jesus Christ sent His disciples for ministry, He sent them by twos (only males) (Luke 10:1). To shut up a male and a female inside prayer room is like keeping cotton and fire together. However wet the cotton may be, it will gradually dry up and catch fire.

4. We must bring our mind and its function under our control. The thought that the entire responsibility of regulating and controlling our thoughts processes is within our hands, should constantly remain at the base of our mind. Do you know how our mind functions? A provoking word spoken by some person, incites our anger and an event induces our sorrow. A movement of the eyelid arouses hatred, lust, love or joy. By this we become emotional and by emotions we get anger, fear, joy etc. Emotions are the result of our thoughts. Thoughts are the source for emotions. When we realize this, we can control ourselves. If we realize that the cause of our emotion of anger was just a thought, we would think, " O why was I so upset over and afraid of such a small thing?" Generally we do not think like this. Suddenly something happens in the morning and our mood is spoiled. We fail to understand why we so readily get angry for everything or why we lose control over our emotions. That mood of anger and irritation fills our minds. Only when we trace the events backward do we understand the real cause of anger. It becomes clear that its real cause is just a word spoken by someone or a thought that has gained entry into our mind. In the same way, the cause of many emotions flow from some word or thought that penetrates our mind. If we fail to control them, many emotions will not fail to leave their impact on us. Our body strains under stress; the heart palpitates; hands and legs shiver; the body perspires and we reach a state of emergency. As a result of all these, our body loses its normalcy. This changed state subjects our body to various illnesses. Man suffers from asthma, blood pressure, ulcer etc. Many diseases are the result of mental stress. Emotions originate from body. However its original cause, the thought, originate in the mind. The thought belongs to you as no other person can enter your head. Therefore you should be careful about the thoughts which enter your head. We can modify those thoughts, choose the good ones and admit the noble ones. Unless we want, no one can inject any thought into our mind and if we really want, then, no one can prevent it either.

5. Sin is an evil force. An evil force is behind every sin. When any sin is active in us, we should realize that an evil spirit is trying to gain control over us. We must resist that. Like Joseph who ran away from sin saying, "How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?", we should run away from sin. One who yields to sin saying, "Let me sin now but later receive forgiveness and lead a holy life, will never become holy because he has yielded to sin willingly.

Sin occurs only when he yields himself to it even for a moment. A person who sins is a slave to sin. Even if he is remorseful and receives forgiveness, after some days, when opportunity comes, sin will again induce him. He commits sin thinking that after this time he will not sin anymore. This will happen often. Unless the grace of God intervenes and gains control over the situation, he will not be delivered from his sins - because he yielded willingly. As he does an act again and again, it becomes a habit. Man is a slave to habit (Rom. 6:16). People should be careful about confession of sins. The doctrine of confession of sins is there only to lead a sinless life but not to repeat sinning and confessing ceaselessly. Avoid sinning and search for the grace of God.

6.We are not perfect beings at the very outset. Therefore we must not grumble that we have not become holy at once. When a person is said to have traveled five miles, it does not mean that he covered that five miles in one jump. On the other hand he must have covered the distance walking step by step. The moment we get a sinful dream, we should not keep worrying over that saying, "O, what kind of life am I leading! I am not fit to be a believer. The life of faith will not suit me and I can not reach it even with a ladder. My God! What kind of thought I had! O what have I done!" When we worry like this, we are only confirming and strengthening those evil thoughts. Because of that, we may grow weary and may even think of abandoning this holy life. Then we may be overcome by Satan. When failure occurs we must not worry over that. When we analyze why the failure has occurred, and where we have erred, we will be making use of that failure. We need not keep screaming `perfection', `perfection' in everything. It is good to work towards perfection. A sculptor who destroys his work which has not come to his liking again and again, will never finish his wonderful sculpture. Looking for perfection and dissatisfied with his work, if a story writer tears off everything he writes, he will never complete his story. The student who is evaluated by his teacher on the criterion of perfection will have to drop out of school for failing to attain perfect knowledge. It is in appreciation of this fact that schools set a lower criterion such as 40% marks as sufficient for moving on to the higher class. Without unduly worrying over the state of perfection, one should walk towards perfection. God alone is perfect in this world. Change and growth are visible everywhere as we look at the world. We must not forget that change and evolution are the expectation and order of God. In the adolescent age, some glands secrete hormones arousing sexual impulses. This is not a sin. This urge may happen not only to the adolescent but also to the septuagenarian. As a young man looks at a young girl, he experiences an urge. In the same way, as a young girl looks at a young man, she experiences some sort of urge. This is natural and only indicates that he is a male and she is a female. Immediately he thinks, "O, could she not be my sister or my mother or my daughter? Does she not belong to my neighbor?". And out of fear of God and to maintain the honor of his family he changes his thoughts and behaves and talks normally with her. There is no harm. She too thinks, "O, could he not be my brother or my father? Does he not belong to her?" and she changes her thoughts. She protects herself out of godliness and to maintain the honor of her family. She entertains good thoughts and behaves normally. There is no harm. In such circumstances, if you think "she is the sister of Jesus Christ or she is Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ", you will never get that urge.

7.Holiness is a gift from God. "Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption" (I Cor. 1:30). Holiness comes from God. God grants it to those who desire and seek it. Don't think you are holy just because you are not married. Even if you fast and pray alone, the poison of lust will reach your head and gain control of your body. Without Lord, you can not purify yourself (Is. 66:17). "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots...." (Jer. 13:23). Don't say, "Once I am married, I will be delivered from my lust". If you fail to become holy in your present state, you will not become holy even when you get married. Believe and receive holiness in what you are. If God tells you to get married, you should marry. That is holiness. If God tells you not to marry, you should not marry. That is holiness. Holiness is obeying the command of God and to transgress His command is sin. Do according to His command; you will receive Holiness. Those who marry to fulfill their lust will be disappointed. Those who marry according to the will of God will be satisfied. The one who does not marry wanting to show himself holy, is a hypocrite. He will fall in sin and go to the place destined for such sinners. Holiness is granted from God.

1.We are saved by faith (Acts 16:31; I Cor. 15:1-5; Eph. 2:8). We are saved by believing in such words of God.

2.We are sanctified by faith (Heb. 10:10; John 17: 19, 17; 13:10; Ezek. 36: 25-27). We are sanctified by believing in Scriptures such as these. God removes the heart of stone from us and gives us a heart of flesh. He gives us a new spirit and the Spirit of God and writes His laws in our minds and makes us obey them (Heb. 8:10-12; 9:14; Ezek. 11:19).

3.We are perfected by faith. By believing in Scriptures such as Heb. 10:14-18; I Thes. 5:23,24; Jude 24,25; John 10:28; Heb. 7:19,25), we become perfect. We should walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).

As we lead a life of prayer and bible-study and as we remain unfailing in our duty, regular in worship and participate in sacraments, as we constantly seek the grace of God, our salvation becomes perfect; Holiness is granted; We will attain perfection. Let us proceed towards that state. Let us not be conceited and provoke one another but train ourselves to be perfect in love. Let us hasten to become holy. Then we shall see Him in His coming (I John 3:2,3).

Ask and it will be given to you,

Knock and the door will be opened,

Seek and you shall find. Everything is by grace.

(This is one method)

"Without holiness, no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12: 14).