Personal holiness is God's will for all believers and all are called to perfect holiness in their christian walk.
The writer of Hebrews has given a very profound and somewhat frightening statement:
"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14, NKJV, emphasis added).
Now, compare this with what Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3, emphasis added).
A king rules in a kingdom. Every kingdom has a king and a king without a kingdom cannot be legally called a king. Therefore, when it is said that a person cannot see God (the Lord or the King) is same as saying he cannot see the Kingdom of God. With reference to the above verses of Scripture we come to the logical conclusion that without holiness a person will not see or meet God. His spiritual condition is same as that before he was born again. In other words, he is lost, he is outside the Kingdom of God and stalls in the salvation process. He is no different from an unbeliever. His destiny is same as that of an unsaved person.
Therefore, all christians must personally seek after holiness, without which no one will finally be saved. Personal holiness is so important that Paul appealed to his fellow believers to join him in the pursuit of it:
"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1, emphasis added).
"These promises" are promises in the previous 2 Verses (2 Cor. 6:17,18). In other words, geniune christians must firstly, "come out from among them" (unbelievers) and be separate (act of sanctification) and secondly, do not touch anything unclean. These are the conditions for believers to come into the presence of God. After being received by God, christians are to perfect holiness in the fear of God.
"Filthiness of spirit" means "the spirit of the believer has been made filthy (or unclean) by acts of worship of other gods which is same as committing spiritual adultery"
"Filthiness of the flesh" means "the filthiness comes from committing sexual immorality" (Read 1 Cor. 6:16,17,18).
Achieving personal holiness is not something that God will do for us. It is something that God offers us the grace to do for ourselves. A God fearing chirstian will have the desire to "perfecting" holiness as Paul said. Since holiness needs to be "perfected' in the chirstian walk, it indicates that salvation is is not a static condition, it is a way of life. Holiness is progressive just as righteousness is progressive.
Consider the following:
"Yet the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger" (Job 17:9).
"But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18).
Therefore, the righteousness of the just will grow stronger and stronger and his path will shines brighter and brighter until perfection. I believe this is what God wants to see in our walk of holiness and sanctification.
The Scripture reveals that only those who are made holy by sanctification are brothers to Jesus. In fact they are one with Christ.
"For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren" (Hebrews 2:11).
Notice that only christians who are brothers to Jesus will "joint heirs with Christ" and receive an inheritance from God.
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Ghrist, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (Romans 8:16.17).
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