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Many years ago it occurred to me that even if I was able to force myself to be pious enough during my lifetime to qualify for Heaven; I was pretty sure I couldn't keep it up for eternity. Sooner or later my true colors would show themselves.
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This is the one mistake many people make in their understanding of how actions grow from Grace. Perfection in The Messiah is not achieved by us, without His grace. Indeed our sin is convicted by the Spirit will only spurs us to live more true and through this we become more holy over time, saints have taught us this.
In time we become more holy, like removing layer after layer of sin like a onion and as we do this becomes the new me, the new you. It a slow process the Messiah explained in the Beatitudes: Our sin make us poor in Spirit, which leads us to the Kingdom because it brings the next Blessing; We mourn these sins, they hurt others and ourselves, and this leads to Grace, He forgives a truly repeated heart.
This leads to humility, or a meek heart because we know we fell short and He accepts us anyway, out of love which means we found a place on this earth to witness this love. Most Christians stop here but the Beatitudes goes on, true repentance and realization of His Mercy brings a hunger and thirst not to fail Him again! He died for US. Can't we do anything for Him? So we search and with grace find ways to move away from our sinful past toward greater holiness, which brings fulfillment,
This also brings mercy, for we are to forgive those who trespass against us as we forgive the, and He forgave us. When we do we find the true mercy so many assume they have even without showing such forgiveness of others. This leads us to possess a pure heart of love, like Christ has, and with this pure heart they finally can understand more of the Divine Plan and our humble part in that plan.
This makes us peacemakers where ever we go, and people will see us as faithful by these actions. Strangely though this leads persecution, true sainthood, which going through this process over and over again will help one achieve, makes sinners highly uncomfortable. This is a blessing and something to remember.
Yet nothing says we'll reach the level of holiness heaven requires, but according to Paul. we only have to be in the race, moving toward that goal for Christ to complete that in us at death. Yet once death comes that race ends and our struggles end as well because bathed in in the pure Light we will have no hunger or thirst to sin. Sin is a human, earthly condition tied to free will.
If the L-rd wanted robots He take away our freewill or make it immaterial. He just wants us to remove from our free will that me, myself and I, and put into it place, pure love.
