The concept of being as holy as Jesus feels like an impossible standard. It feels that way because it is impossible. Jesus did not come to earth as a human to prove that living a holy life could be done, but rather to prove that the only way a human could live a perfect life was that person was also fully God. Jesus modeled a holy life so we did have a frame of reference to know what holiness looked like here on earth. Grace is needed to close the gap between how a typical human can live and what Jesus can live. But as Paul said, it is not for us to sin so grace may abound. Understanding grace is key to pursuing holiness without dragging along the baggage of guilt and shame.
I have always struggled with the question of, “Can I really live like Jesus did?”. It was not until I had the understanding that, no, I can’t, that I was able to truly understand the work Jesus did on the cross. He created a way forward into a life of holiness so that I may have life, and have it to the full. The enemy would love to have me live in a way that I give up the hope of holiness since it is unattainable. This is yet another perversion of truth. While it is true that by my own power I cannot achieve holiness, the bridge has been built by the only one who has ever lived a perfect and truly holy life.