Strive and Pursue

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
How do we navigate between these two scriptures? If we say we do not sin, we lie. Yet scripture tells us to strive for holiness and says we cannot see God without it. I accept that both are true. Some of that answer lies in the word strive. Or pursue peace. We are a work in action. We ask to be forgiven and keep on striving, pursuing. We keep following. 
For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. James 3:2  If any one does not stumble in what he says is  a perfect man. This is preceded by for we all stumble. We get up and keep striving, we keep pursuing the prize before us. Sometimes I think we get prideful when we look and think I have not committed adultery, but forget the words of gossip that just passed our lips. Perhaps it is because we label sins, one is worse than another. Isn't adultery worse than gossip? is it worse in God's eyes? 
If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. Ecclesiastes 7:20
All these scriptures and many more point to the fact that we need a savior. We cannot clean ourselves, yet Hebrews says without Holiness no one shall see the Lord. The only way to peace with God is through Jesus Christ and the cross. We are all guilty. Often we hear people tell their stories and they were delivered from a bad lifestyle. Sometimes we hear of those that grew up in church and never lived a bad lifestyle. Scripture says there is not one that has not sinned. We come to Jesus and the cross and ask to be forgiven for all our sins. Past, present and future. This does not give us a license to sin, this does not mean we can live anyway we want after conversion. Strive for peace and holiness. Psalm 119 talks about learning God's plan, his precepts, his commands. It is not good enough to just not commit adultery, we must strive to avoid gossip. Many times we feel we are OK to tell what we call white lies. I have been on this road for 30 plus years and will read scripture and see areas in my heart and life I need to fix as the word convicts me of sin. I believe there is non of us that is to far from God if we will accept him as Savior and Lord. I have often looked at those that struggle with addiction, and how difficult it must be. But I believe God is able to clean and fix even the worst sinner. What about a murderer, are they too far from God? I think not. I believe there is grace to cover our sins whatever they be. Don't be satisfied with where we are in this walk but continue to pursue God and his love. Sometimes I look at the things I write and I wonder if love comes through. Is there enough of God's love in my heart that it comes through in the words I write. From the abundance of what is in our heart, the mouth speaks. I have not lived a perfect life, I need God in everything I do, every hat I wear, I need God. Jesus is the only way to peace with God. We cannot live a life pleasing to God without Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are never good enough or too far from Gods grace to not need Jesus. Jesus died for all our sins, Big, little, insignificant or the worst we cam imagine. Jesus died for all our sins.  God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to the knowledge of God and their need for him. God fix me is my prayer.   God bless, LVZ.