More on Getting What We Deserve

Since I sparked some interest with a quote from a book I was reading last week I thought I would add to the discussion with a quote from a different book I just began reading - Foundations of Spiritual Formation by Paul Pettit. Don't let the extremely boring title fool you. The book has so far been interesting. Anyway, here is the quote:

As Christians, we live in the now and not yet. “Christians are positionally holy by virtue of being in Christ (1 Cor. 1:2; 6:11; Heb. 10:10) although experientially they remain tainted by sin.” We are simultaneously “sinning saints” or ”saintly sinners.” While it is true that we possess everything for life and godliness (2Peter 1:3), it is also true that we still await our final state of righteousness in glorified bodies. This occurs at glorification when the presence of sin is finally done away with. We see in part now (1 Cor. 13:12), but one day all the blinders of sin will be removed. Sin has initially been dealt with at the cross, but its final (historical) demise is yet future. One day our character will finally be conformed to Christ- positional will become actual. This process is what spiritual formation is all about (pg. 44).

This brings up an important question for me: How do we live a holy life and still struggle with temptation and sin? Or is that the wrong question to ask altogether? Maybe living a holy life, what all Christians should be about, has more to do with who we are and who we are becoming in Christ by His power at work in us and less to do with our personal achievement on a moral do's and don'ts list.

How do you make sense of Pettit's idea?