Jerry Bridges On Living A Holy Life

From the desk of Jerry Bridges:

To be holy is to be morally blameless. It is to be separated from sin and, therefore, consecrated to God. The word signifies separation to God, and the conduct befitting those so separated… To live a holy life, then, is to live a life in conformity to the moral precepts of the Bible and in contrast to the sinful ways of the world. It is to live a life characterized by the “(putting) off of your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires… and (putting) on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22, 24). (Copied from The Pursuit of Holiness, © 1996, p. 16.) [I would like to comment that The Pursuit of Holiness is one of the finest Christian books I have read. – Samuel]

John Adams: A Nation With The Bible As Its Only Law

John Adams

Quoting John Adams – 2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence:

“Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God … What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be.” (Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9)

The Foundations Of Faith

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:4-6)

We are taught here that our Old Testament fathers were saved by the same kind of faith that we are. In believing and seeking they draw near to God. They believed in the promise not yet seen as we must believe in the promise that was seen and died for us on a cross. In these verses we must understand that only by a Mediator do we find anything but justice in the hands of God. In the greater context, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the knowledge of Christ is as necessary to salvation as the knowledge of God; for without Christ we can never know or enjoy God. Jesus states in John 14:6, “No man can come to the Father but by me.” In our fallen estate, man is in need of a mediator.

We know also that a man is not saved by holding a right opinion of God. A devil may hold a right opinion. A man may be a Christian in opinion and a pagan in life and practice. The verses above require “drawing near and seeking” – which actions imply a desire of communion with God. In this we see belief applied to a practical end. The whole object of faith is not explained here, but the foundation that faith is necessary, and begins before seeking the favor of God is plain enough.

What does it mean to please God? It means we must walk with Him by faith. To please God is to be found acceptable in any act of obedience or conformity to God’s will. There must absolutely be true faith in Jesus Christ and the understanding that salvation is only available through Christ. “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) The foundations of Christian faith are God and Christ. We cannot be saved unless we believe in God and Jesus Christ as His mediator.

It is not wise to play with truth or you will find yourself in a snare. Yes, He does reward those who seek Him! However, these rewards can never be earned in terms of payments. God, in His goodness, blesses His people. His rewards cannot be weighed in the balance of human actions. God’s rewards are sovereign free gifts; for even believing faith is a merciful gift of God’s sovereign grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Therefore, our faith, which is the gift of God, signifies that we will be assisted in believing in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and shall not lack for supernatural help in seeking Him.