The Pursuit of Holiness

[This blog is primarily written as part of my own reflection, meditation and as I grow older, my memory :).  As such I have no shame or self-promotion, nor do I mind if it helps others, although that is not my primary motive. As part of a group of men who are trying to grow deeper in their faith, I am reading through some books, and it seemed necessary that I jot down some notes. 

Having come out of a legalistic group that completely misunderstood grace, faith and salvation, the subject of “Holiness” is one that is often abused.  Since I knew and trusted the men that were reading with me, I was not reluctant to grow in my faith with them. ]

The Pursuit of Holiness

Jerry Bridges

 

“Strive for peace with everyone and for holiness without which no one will see the Lord” Hebrews 12:14

At the end of the book, the author points the key benefit of Holiness:  Experiencing God’s Love.  More specifically, His love is not conditional on obedience, but our experience of it is, 1) in Fellowship with God (Ps 51:12)  2) Joy of obedience (Nehemiah 8:10) and 3) anticipation of our reward.  I wish I had read this first.

 The remaining 16 chapters focus on how we view obedience to God’s will, and some simple principles to keep in mind as we pursue that. In the end, I couldn’t find anything that troubled me from the standpoint of legalism, and on the contrary, found confirmation of a faith-based approach to Holiness led by the Holy Spirit, which is exactly where Holiness must come from. 

By far the most important message to me is this: Our spirit works with the Holy Spirit (not “either/or” but “BOTH/AND”).  “… for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Phil 2:13).  This begins to reconcile a much bigger question I have about the interplay between “free will” and God’s sovereignty.  My summary below picks other ideas from each chapter that were personally most impactful.  

Chapters 1-16

1.     Holiness is for you - Romans 6:14 <> Victory is a byproduct of obedience, God commands us not to sin.

2.     The Holiness of God – 1 Peter 1:15-16 <> Because God is holy, He hates sin.  Do we justify sin by saying “I am growing in this area” instead of owning it?

3.     Holiness is not an option – Hebrews 12:14 <> Holiness is a requirement for fellowship with God, well being, our service and our assurance.

4.     The Holiness of Christ – 2 Corintians 5:21 <> We are secure because of Christ “I have come to do your will”

5.     A change of Kingdoms – Romans 6:6-7 <>The potential of resisting sin is NOT the same as the Responsibility for resisting sin.  Slaves after Lincoln were used as an example, though they were legally free, not all of them took responsibility for their freedom, but continued to live like slaves.

6.     The battle for Holiness – Romans 7:21 <> Our efforts toward denying sin: focus on “affections” glorifying God.  This relies on the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, avoiding the twin pitfalls of morbid introspection and “missing the real issues in our lives.

7.     Help in the Daily Battle – Romans 6:11 <> God uses scripture AND the Holy Spirit AND prayer AND dependence to expose sin.  

8.     Obedience Not Victory – Romans 8:13 <>Obedience to the Spirit not Victory/Defeat by the enemy. It is our spirit working with the Holy Spirit (not either/or but BOTH/AND).  “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Phil 2:13)

9.     Putting Sin to Death – Colossians 3:5 <> Mortify sin, Questions to ask yourself – “Is it helpful? An idol? Hurtful? Does it glorify God?  Saying no to sin makes it easier to say no next time.  These decisions must be made out of a conviction, a sense of obedience to God, not a judgment of others whose convictions are different.

10. The place of personal discipline – 1 Timothy 4:7 <> No such thing as instant godliness: Train yourself

11. Holiness in Body – 1Corintians 9:27 <> Plan before you approach Temptation

12. Holiness in Spirit – 2 Corinthians 7:1 <> Contentment is a function of (Trusting a sovereign God 1 Peter 2:23). Not revenge or retaliation

13. Holiness in our wills – Philippians 2:13 <>   The heart (Mind, Emotions, Will, Concience) is trained by TREASURING understanding

14. Habits of Holiness – Romans 6:19 <> Every sin reinforces the HABIT of sinning.  Repitition with the Holy Spirit in saying NO breaks the habit. 

15. Holiness and Faith – Hebrew 11:8 <> We need CONVICITON in necessity of obeying the revealed word of God and CONFIDENCE in His promises.

16. Holiness in an Unholy world – John 17:15 <>Our own holy life will serve as a sufficient rebuke.   Our interest in others is not in conduct but the need for Jesus as their savior.

17. The Joy of Holiness – Romans 14:17 <>  His love is not conditional on obedience, but our experience of it is.  1) Fellowship with God Ps 51:12, 2) Joy of obedience (Neh 8:10) and 3) anticipation of our reward.

The book is by far better than this summary.  Modern classic as Chuck Colson describes it.