Jerry Bridges The Pursuit Of Holiness

In The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges explains his view holiness. He states, “to be holy is to be morally blameless” (15); meaning, it is to be detached from sin wholeheartedly, dedicating your life to God and trying to mirror Christ’s behavior in order to honor Him. However, finding holiness is a dual effort between God and the individual pursuing Him. It is impossible to achieve holiness without the helping hand of God. He has laid out the path and is guiding Christians along the way to a pleasing lifestyle towards Him, but it is to those whom are following Him that must submit to the task and take direction, putting in the effort, and trying to live a life that God would approve of, and as well as, shed a light to His great glory to
others.
First off, to start the journey of pursuing holiness, it is important to understand and appreciate the magnitude of what Jesus did for the people of this world, because after comprehending this, then it easy to recognize that “holiness is not an option” (31). As a Christian, living in sin is to throw away all of God’s struggle and purpose towards our salvation. 1 Timothy 1:15 states, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief". Jesus Christ was given to his enemies by one of his own apostles, ridiculed, spat upon, crowned with thorns, condemned to death by crucifixion, and made to carry His own cross to Golgotha, the place of execution. Then He was hanged to the cross by nails through His feet and wrist, mocked some more, and then was killed. He willingly endured all of this for His people’s sake, to save us, to give everyone salvation. Salvation is a gift from God, offered to anyone who accepts Him as their own personal Lord and Savior, but with that gift, comes the requirement of pursuing holiness. Achieving complete holiness is impossible, because only God is entirely holy, however changing bad habits, and as well as, living a life of obedience and faith towards the Holy Spirit, are all actions that can lead to a more holy life.
Unfortunately, sinning has become a habit in many lives. Falling under a repetition of sin has disappointingly become normal standard, and Christians must break this pattern. This is done by giving a total commitment to the cause, not half-heartedly, but with a full heart and mind. Having total commitment is vital, because with out it, exceptions will be made, and in God’s eyes, there are no exceptions or favorable sins.
Jerry Bridges makes the point of, “no one can pursue holiness who is not prepared to obey God in every area of his life.
Obedience to the revealed will of God is often just as much as a step of faith as claiming a promise of God” (136). With faith, followers are empowered to submit to Him when obedience is difficult or seems unreasonable.
The Bible says, “pursue holiness, for without holiness no one will see the Lord”. Some steps regarding holiness include commitment, obedience and faith. Although, these steps don’t lead to holiness entirely, they do lead to a pure heart. God has called Christians to follow Him with a full heart and love, to dedicate their life, to a life of honoring Him. He asks Christians to mirror his actions and live a holy life.
After reading The Pursuit of Holiness, I have become inspired to live a life more committed to God. Absolute commitment to God means that Jesus is our only authority, the light in our lives and trusting in Him entirely, and relying on God completely, I hope to gain a more meaningful and full life. One of my favorite verse of all time is Proverbs 3: 5-8, and I believe it summarizes this paper perfectly. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make strait your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes’ fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your
bones”.