Karen,
 
We are righteous not because of what we do, but who we are in Christ.  To the extent that we die to our selves and let Christ work within and through us we are faithful.  Christ indwells all who have come to a saving knowledge of Him and whether that person tries to be "holy" or not is of little significance.  Life is all about Christ not all about us trying to do anything.  ALL fall short of the glory of God.  There is nothing we can do to make God love us more or LESS.  The real issue of the Bride is not good versus bad, it is saved versus unsaved.  We, as believers, are all cleansed with the blood of Christ, therefore spotless and without blemish because He is spotless and without blemish.  We are His body, just as the wife is the body of her husband.  He is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church and His bride.
 
All of this is not to say that through faith our lives won't be cleaned up, because the more we remove ourselves from the picture the more that Christ can come into focus to others though us.  Day by day and moment by moment we make choices, we have free will, but as we come to depend on Christ and less on ourselves the more our lives will reflect Christ.  There is a book called The Indwelling of Christ by Ian Major Thomas.  I highly recommend it as an explanation of how to live a life pleasing to God by allowing Christ to work in and through you, the believer.
 
Your sister in Christ,
Jill