For some time the book ‘The Pursuit of Holiness’ by Jerry Bridges has sat by my bed and I often dip into it, so I was interested to read about him when interviewed in a recent edition of Discipleship Journal (published by The Navigators/NavPress). He writes some very challenging things about pursuing personal holiness, and his writing is particularly helpful because he speaks about his own journey, and his struggle between the self-effort and no-effort approaches to personal holiness.

Having realised that neither of these was Biblical, JB came to a position of ‘dependent responsibility.’ We are responsible to obey God, but we’re dependent on the Holy Spirit to help us do that. It reminded me of the teaching I received from Charles Price over the Easter period, about dependence and obedience going hand-in-hand.

We have the responsibility to live for God day-by-day, but in the strength He gives through the power of the Holy Spirit. The problems come when we start to rely on our own abilities, and neglect our daily time with our Heavenly Father. God and His Word give us direction for each day and perspective on all circumstances that lie before us.

‘Pursuing holiness is really nothing more than seeking to live the way God wants us to, as revealed in the Bible.’ JB