On Wednesday evenings I am privileged to participate in a ladies’ Bible study at the Lynden United Reformed Church. Our studies are based on lessons presented by author Jerry Bridges in his book, The Practice of Godliness. Currently, the aspect of godliness which we are studying is holiness. Here is an excerpt from the chapter on holiness that I found especially succinct and edifying:
Even for the most godly Christian, there will be failure in the pursuit of holiness. The apostle John says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8). We still have a sinful nature within us, and we still live in a wicked world ruled by a wicked devil. Temptation is on every hand, and our old nature responds to it.
- >>But what is the desire of our hearts?
- >>What is the object of our most earnest prayers?
- >>What is the major bent of our lives? If we want to train ourselves to be godly, it must be holiness in every area of our lives.
But let’s get specific. When Paul exhorted the Ephesian Christians to a life of holiness, to stop living as the Gentiles did, he dealt with three general areas of morality:
- >>Honesty (a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way);
- >>Peaceableness (freedom from bitterness, anger, or strife of any kind); and
- >>Purity (not even a hint of sexual immorality in word, look, thought, or act).
The message I get from the above passage is, “Holiness is not optional; it’s mandatory.” The Bible confirms this truth in such verses as 1Peter 1:16, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” As Christians, our desire is to become more and more like our God. We want to become more godly, more holy, more conformed to His image.
Those who profess to be Christians while simultaneously arguing with God’s standards of right and wrong should wonder who they really love. Do they love the holy God of the Bible or a *god* of their own imaginations who doesn’t mind if they live an ungodly life, as long as they give lip-service to Christianity?
Thanks for your thoughts on that excerpt–looks like a very good/insightful read. 🙂
Hi Laura,
Yes, the book is a good tool for examining one’s profession of faith and daily behavior. The discussions which ensue after we have all done our reading and studying are beneficial as well.
Love,
Mom
I haven’t read this book, but I have long loved his earlier one, The Pursuit of Holiness, published in 1978.
love n light 🙂
A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity. – Eleanor Roosevelt (@)-
Thank you, John, for your comments. I totally love the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. I especially like the portion, “all of us need both love and charity.” The more we realize our own short-comings, the gentler and humbler we are in dealing with others when they offend us.
Love,
Joyce