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The Pursuit of Holiness
This book will help you understand how God has equipped us to lead holy lives. It provides guidelines for determining right from wrong, and shows how habits and personal discipline play a part in holy living.
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
1289 people are currently reading
20674 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Bridges
121 books687 followersJERRY BRIDGES was an author and conference speaker. His most popular book, The Pursuit of Holiness, has sold over one million copies. Jerry was on the staff of The Navigators for over fifty years, and currently served in the Collegiate Mission where he was involved primarily in staff development, but also served as a speaker resource to the campus ministries.
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October 29, 2012
In The Pursuit of Holiness, author Jerry Bridges urges us to live a life of obedience to God, striving for increasing victory over sin. The first few chapters define and argue the need for holiness. The rest of the book includes exhortation and practical tips for attaining greater holiness.
I listened to the audiobook version. Narration is as important as writing style when you’re listening to a book and while narration was competent I found it somewhat bland. I think this somewhat diminished my enjoyment of the book. At roughly 4 hours, however, that wasn’t such an issue.
What I liked most about the book was that the call to holiness is emphatic, well argued and of greater urgency than when Bridges first wrote it. I agree with the overall message. Bridges reminds us that the pursuit of holiness require discipline, and as far as this goes, it is a good exhortation. Exhortation and practical application are the book’s strengths.
The problem is, Bridges’ answer pretty much boils down to, “Memorise the Bible and try really hard.” That’s a caricature, of course, but not an unfair one. Bridges argues that holiness is neither an automatic process that happens when we become a Christian, nor is it a matter of legalistic works. He says that we need the Holy Spirit’s help and to walk in obedience to the word, both truths with which I agree, but he never really defines what relying on the Holy Spirit means beyond the conviction of the Spirit. We must exercise our minds and our reason to overcome our physical desires and emotions. Essentially, we read the Bible and the Spirit will convict us of sin, but it’s up to us to do it.
It’s not so much that what he says is wrong, it’s that it is incomplete. There is very little discussion on prayer, especially on praying in the Spirit, which the Apostle Paul says builds us up. And while there is certainly a need to overcome our sinful appetites, there is no discussion about fixing our affections on God. There is no joy or power in the pursuit of holiness as Bridges frames it in this book.
And perhaps this is the issue I had with this book. It convicted me of the need for holiness but sucked all the fun out of it.
I listened to the audiobook version. Narration is as important as writing style when you’re listening to a book and while narration was competent I found it somewhat bland. I think this somewhat diminished my enjoyment of the book. At roughly 4 hours, however, that wasn’t such an issue.
What I liked most about the book was that the call to holiness is emphatic, well argued and of greater urgency than when Bridges first wrote it. I agree with the overall message. Bridges reminds us that the pursuit of holiness require discipline, and as far as this goes, it is a good exhortation. Exhortation and practical application are the book’s strengths.
The problem is, Bridges’ answer pretty much boils down to, “Memorise the Bible and try really hard.” That’s a caricature, of course, but not an unfair one. Bridges argues that holiness is neither an automatic process that happens when we become a Christian, nor is it a matter of legalistic works. He says that we need the Holy Spirit’s help and to walk in obedience to the word, both truths with which I agree, but he never really defines what relying on the Holy Spirit means beyond the conviction of the Spirit. We must exercise our minds and our reason to overcome our physical desires and emotions. Essentially, we read the Bible and the Spirit will convict us of sin, but it’s up to us to do it.
It’s not so much that what he says is wrong, it’s that it is incomplete. There is very little discussion on prayer, especially on praying in the Spirit, which the Apostle Paul says builds us up. And while there is certainly a need to overcome our sinful appetites, there is no discussion about fixing our affections on God. There is no joy or power in the pursuit of holiness as Bridges frames it in this book.
And perhaps this is the issue I had with this book. It convicted me of the need for holiness but sucked all the fun out of it.
September 7, 2022
A quick read...but a great one!
June 17, 2013
Jerry Bridges paints a fairly familiar picture in this book: new Christian enthusiastically expects his faith to carry him above sin, and quickly realizes the surprising truth that the Christian life doesn't actually work that way. He falls into despair because if he was really a Christian, he should be walking in victory, right? And then there are all those well-meaning people ready to assure that struggling Christian that there is no need to be concerned because "Christ has already done everything." "Don't be trying; be trusting."
And does anyone ever explain to him what some of those kind of statements are even supposed to mean in everyday life? Because, experientially, everyone who tries it knows one thing about living in holiness: it's hard, back-breaking work. It takes effort. And while it's not a list of do's and don't's, it does mean adherence to principles that a lot of other people are going to think are crazy. For some of us, this is confusing because we thought holiness was supposed to be the natural fruit of our justification in Christ--that somehow God was going to do it for us, and that effort on our part would be going back to the law.
The Pursuit of Holiness is aimed at Christians in exactly that kind of position. Yes, holiness is required, Bridges emphatically argues, not primarily so that we can live in victory (which is self-focused), but because all sin offends the holiness of God (so holiness is God-focused). This locates personal holiness against the holiness of God, and allows us to see it in proper perspective: “As we grow in holiness, we grow in hatred of sin; and God, being infinitely holy, has an infinite hatred of sin.” Bridges also distinguishes true holiness from various types of legalism, while offering some practical suggestions for daily living. Yes, it requires effort, and yes it requires taking responsibility for the need to pursue holiness. It's a tough message, and I found it both challenging and convicting.
However, one Goodreads reviewer has criticized the book, not unjustly, saying, "Bridges’ answer pretty much boils down to, 'Memorise the Bible and try really hard.'.... He says that we need the Holy Spirit’s help and to walk in obedience to the word...but he never really defines what relying on the Holy Spirit means beyond the conviction of the Spirit."
This weakness is symptomatic of a larger weakness in most types of Evangelical theology, and as a Catholic I would say the gap ought to have been filled with teaching on the sacraments as a means of grace. These make real to us that holiness requires our continual participation in the Divine will, but that grace for the endeavor is always given to us, to be simply received, not earned.
All in all, though, in spite of some weaknesses (mostly weaknesses of omission), The Pursuit of Holiness was a good, Scripturally-grounded work and I would recommend it to anyone looking for guidance on what it really looks like to avoid both antinomianism and legalism, and truly pursue holiness.
January 22, 2023
“Holiness is not a series of do’s and don’ts, but conformity to the character of God and obedience to the will of God.”
Why have I not picked up this book sooner? I always thought it was a legalistic view and a set of rules of do and don’t to be holy. But instead it was an encouraging and challenging look at God’s holiness. And because of His character and our disgust of sin this pushes us to seek holiness and separation from sin.
“In all of our thoughts, all of our actions, in every part of our character, the ruling principle that motivates and guides us should be the desire to follow Christ in doing the will of the Father.”
Why have I not picked up this book sooner? I always thought it was a legalistic view and a set of rules of do and don’t to be holy. But instead it was an encouraging and challenging look at God’s holiness. And because of His character and our disgust of sin this pushes us to seek holiness and separation from sin.
“In all of our thoughts, all of our actions, in every part of our character, the ruling principle that motivates and guides us should be the desire to follow Christ in doing the will of the Father.”
December 11, 2024
Dec. 2024:
A good refresher; always an uplifting and exhortational read. A reminder that we too often focus on ourselves when battling sin, instead of that it grieves God and that it's His law we are breaking and a reminder that we have the biggest role to play in our personal holiness.
March 2022: My first time reading and I can't believe I waited so long. This is a great book. Very convicting, easy to read, and timelessly applicable.
"God wants us to walk in obedience—not victory. Obedience is oriented toward God; victory is oriented toward self."
“Too often, we say we are defeated by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated. We are simply disobedient. It might be good if we stop using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather, we should use the terms obedience and disobedience. When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside of me has defeated me. But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for my sin squarely on me. We may in fact be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey.
We need to brace ourselves up and to realize that we are responsible for thoughts, attitudes, and actions. We need to reckon on the fact that we died to sin's reign, that it no longer has any dominion over us, that God has united us with the risen Christ in all His power and has given us the Holy Spirit to work in us. Only as we accept our responsibility and appropriate God's provisions will we make any progress in our pursuit of holiness.”
"We become so accustomed to our sins we sometimes lapse into a state of peaceful coexistence with them, but God never ceases to hate them."
March 2022: My first time reading and I can't believe I waited so long. This is a great book. Very convicting, easy to read, and timelessly applicable.
"God wants us to walk in obedience—not victory. Obedience is oriented toward God; victory is oriented toward self."
“Too often, we say we are defeated by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated. We are simply disobedient. It might be good if we stop using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather, we should use the terms obedience and disobedience. When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside of me has defeated me. But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for my sin squarely on me. We may in fact be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey.
We need to brace ourselves up and to realize that we are responsible for thoughts, attitudes, and actions. We need to reckon on the fact that we died to sin's reign, that it no longer has any dominion over us, that God has united us with the risen Christ in all His power and has given us the Holy Spirit to work in us. Only as we accept our responsibility and appropriate God's provisions will we make any progress in our pursuit of holiness.”
"We become so accustomed to our sins we sometimes lapse into a state of peaceful coexistence with them, but God never ceases to hate them."
August 10, 2023
This book is a great intro to holiness. Bridges covers topics such as: what is holiness? why is it important? how can we be obedient? What does faith have to do with holiness? how can we be holy in an unholy world?
The biggest takeaway I had from this book was the importance of bodily discipline and how it reflects on your spiritual state. "As we become soft and lazy in our bodies, we tend to become soft and lazy spiritually."
The biggest takeaway I had from this book was the importance of bodily discipline and how it reflects on your spiritual state. "As we become soft and lazy in our bodies, we tend to become soft and lazy spiritually."
February 6, 2017
Wow is about all I can say. I have read this book before, but this time I was so slow going through it. My stage of life is so different and I find it hard to read 'theologically deep' books with the little ones running around and feeling exhausted at the end of the day. I could only seem to read it when I was at a coffee shop away and I could actually think through what I was reading. This is the type of book I could probably read a hundred times and continue to get something from. It isn't a hard read per se, there is just so much truth to unpack. Jerry Bridges is an inspiration and a real-life hero who I have actually met. He is wise, kind and humble and I rejoice that he has achieved perfect holiness as he passed away this year and is now with Jesus!
April 1, 2024
If you consider that the Number One attribute of God is Holiness and the first Commandment He gives us is to love Him, pursuing this virtue makes perfect sense. In fact, the author asks, why don't we hear more about this? Why are we so complacent about our own sanctity? Are we expecting Him to take care of it for us or do we think there's not much we can do?
Holiness is not a word most of us use in our everyday conversations and it does look a little like the author has been trying to be pun-ny in his title, hoping to tweak our collective conscience with a semi-reference to the American Declaration of Independence clause about ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. Well anyway, that’s what came to my mind. It reminded me of something I read in one of Skylar’s reviews about the major differences between American and Japanese parents; the former hope their children grow up to be happy and the latter want their children to grow up to be good. I told her I was countercultural because I’d prefer my daughters be virtuous even if they weren’t always happy, at least as society generally defines happiness.
But back to Bridges’ book! It is also countercultural as it endorses a life of self-discipline, regular prayer, Scripture reading, meditation and adherence to all that God commands of us. It reminded me of other books on spiritual practices, so I can’t say it really offered anything especially ground-breaking. Still, it’s good to get an inspiring pep talk now and then. If you need one, this audio book will do the job! I received a free download of this book from christianaudio.
Holiness is not a word most of us use in our everyday conversations and it does look a little like the author has been trying to be pun-ny in his title, hoping to tweak our collective conscience with a semi-reference to the American Declaration of Independence clause about ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. Well anyway, that’s what came to my mind. It reminded me of something I read in one of Skylar’s reviews about the major differences between American and Japanese parents; the former hope their children grow up to be happy and the latter want their children to grow up to be good. I told her I was countercultural because I’d prefer my daughters be virtuous even if they weren’t always happy, at least as society generally defines happiness.
But back to Bridges’ book! It is also countercultural as it endorses a life of self-discipline, regular prayer, Scripture reading, meditation and adherence to all that God commands of us. It reminded me of other books on spiritual practices, so I can’t say it really offered anything especially ground-breaking. Still, it’s good to get an inspiring pep talk now and then. If you need one, this audio book will do the job! I received a free download of this book from christianaudio.
April 8, 2019
Chapters are short which makes it very readable. I'm encouraged, convicted, and refreshed in my personal pursuit of holiness. I perfer JC Ryles Holiness but this is a great book!
July 31, 2024
Reread 2024. I seem to read this about every 6 years, and it gets better every time.
2018: Excellent and thoroughly supported by heaps of Scripture. Slow is the way to go with this book.
"A book by Jerry Bridges"
2018: Excellent and thoroughly supported by heaps of Scripture. Slow is the way to go with this book.
"A book by Jerry Bridges"
January 14, 2024
This was a beautifully convicting book, with so many great quotes and encouragements to pursue holiness. Some hard to hear, but greatly needed.
I underlined so much of this book, it’s hard to pick just a couple of quotes, but here’s two that spoke to me…
“The question we must ask in a serious pursuit of holiness is this: Am I willing to develop convictions from the Scriptures and to live by these convictions?”
“Will you begin to look at sin as an offence against a holy God, instead of as a personal defeat only? Will you begin to take personal responsibility for your sin, realizing that as you do, you must depend on the grace of God? And will you decide to obey God in all areas of life, however insignificant the issue may be?”
I highly recommend this book, it will not only encourage you in your faith, but be a help to you as you walk with God.
I underlined so much of this book, it’s hard to pick just a couple of quotes, but here’s two that spoke to me…
“The question we must ask in a serious pursuit of holiness is this: Am I willing to develop convictions from the Scriptures and to live by these convictions?”
“Will you begin to look at sin as an offence against a holy God, instead of as a personal defeat only? Will you begin to take personal responsibility for your sin, realizing that as you do, you must depend on the grace of God? And will you decide to obey God in all areas of life, however insignificant the issue may be?”
I highly recommend this book, it will not only encourage you in your faith, but be a help to you as you walk with God.
May 15, 2015
This is one of the books that I read shortly after I got saved. I can't remember the details of what I read but I can tell that I liked the book very much. I remember one thing though: That holiness is not optional.
I am looking forward to re-reading this book again. I will make detailed review when I do so.
I am looking forward to re-reading this book again. I will make detailed review when I do so.
June 10, 2018
5 stars. This book really pushed me and forced me to evaluate my relationship with God. For that reason alone, this book is worth all the stars. Review to come.
June 27, 2024
This book would be helpful for anyone at any point in their journey to becoming more like Jesus. Informative for those just beginning on their path to holiness. Hopeful for those struggling on the path.
Bridges never oversimplifies or understates the difficulty of living a life pursuing holiness — he honestly admits the challenges, but never allows those challenging realities to compromise the standard God and His Word set for us to obey. And he also encourages readers to take responsibility for their own actions in “falling” or “being defeated by sin” by simply calling it what it is — “disobedience.” The part about growing in obedience to the convictions God places on our hearts was, in a word, convicting.
However, Bridges is also honest about the joys that can only come from living a life obedient to God’s Word and His Spirit’s leading in our lives in a way that encouraged, inspired, and renewed/refreshed my desire to follow Jesus and walk in holiness.
Definitely will be rereading this, and I couldn’t recommend this book more!
Bridges never oversimplifies or understates the difficulty of living a life pursuing holiness — he honestly admits the challenges, but never allows those challenging realities to compromise the standard God and His Word set for us to obey. And he also encourages readers to take responsibility for their own actions in “falling” or “being defeated by sin” by simply calling it what it is — “disobedience.” The part about growing in obedience to the convictions God places on our hearts was, in a word, convicting.
However, Bridges is also honest about the joys that can only come from living a life obedient to God’s Word and His Spirit’s leading in our lives in a way that encouraged, inspired, and renewed/refreshed my desire to follow Jesus and walk in holiness.
Definitely will be rereading this, and I couldn’t recommend this book more!
December 20, 2010
This review first appeared on my blog, Jacob's Café (http://jacobscafe.blogspot.com/2010/1...).
I recently received a complimentary copy of Jerry Bridges' audiobook version of The Pursuit of Holiness in order to review it (without any expectation of a positive review, as will be obvious here :) ). I had several theological problems with this book that bleed over to the larger issues of some of holiness movements. Let's go through these by way of some of Bridges' central points:
Factual certainty is central to faith. This, I think, is one of the most damaging elements of this book. At the same time, it was one of the most helpful to me, as it elucidated why so many people are obsessed with sin and the purging of sin: It helps certainty of salvation (more on this later).
Bridges states, "Faith must always be based in fact." I'm not sure where he gets this idea, as it's not biblical or humanly defined. Hebrews 10:1 defines faith as being certain, but based on what we hope for and cannot see. As emphasized by the positivist and empiricist movements, fact is really based on what can be observed by humans. That does not meant there is no fact of God. It means that there does not have to be proof in order to have faith. In fact, faith is more powerful without fact.
Secular definitions also define faith as not being based in fact. Wikipedia's first sentence in the article on faith states, "Faith is the confident belief or trust in a person, idea, or thing that is not based on proof." Other definitions of faith have more to do with the general idea of belief or trust, not necessarily rooted in fact.
This blog is devoted to people's struggles with faith, usually based on their reliance on facts that end up being unsupportable or not as they originally thought. Just because the facts disappear does not mean God or our faith have to disappear.
Reason must contain and control desire. Bridges rightly explains that our desires can be impure and lead us down some terrible roads. Therefore, he argues that we must always use our reason to contain our sinful desires. Reason is a very good thing, but it can also lead us astray. As a psychologist, I frequently see the reason-based defense of rationalization used to dissociate someone from their emotions and therefore move them away from truth.
Ransomed Heart Ministries is based on the premise that once we give our lives to Christ, he gives us a new, good heart. Heck, even the more conservative and sinlessness-driven John Piper's ministry is called Desiring God. We must listen to our desires. Yes, they may mislead us, but if we pay good attention to them, we will hear God speaking to us. Frankly, God speaks to us more through our emotions than through our intellect.
Holy is defined by sinlessness. Bridges states that holiness is "separation from impurity and moral evil." This is one of the biggest and most dangerous bad definitions in Christianity. A few months ago, I talked about how holy and sinlessness are not one in the same. Holiness can include sinlessness, but it is not defined by it. Rather, a better definition of holy is sacred, meaning set apart. Avoiding sin is one way to be set apart, but holiness is a lot more than that.
Granted, Bridges later says that holiness is in a broader sense "obedience to the will of God in whatever God directs," but by the content of his book, he clearly focuses on God's will being that we lead sinless lives.
One of the reasons this perspective can be dangerous is that it can lead us to assume that God dislikes us. Jonathan Brinks recently posted an article related to a video by Skye Jethani, exploring how God views us in the midst of sin. The answer: God loves us. When we forget that, our relationship with God becomes strained because we no longer trust him. But usually that's not our fault, but rather the fault of the Church.
Sinlessness is the evidence of salvation. Bridges states partway through his book, "The only evidence of salvation we have is a holy life." Based on his definition of holy, this would mean sinless. Besides the fact that no person will ever be sinless on earth (Bridges notes this), this idea is simply not biblical. He argues that the Holy Spirit helps us become sinless.
Yet in Galatians 5:22-23, Paul states the fruit of the spirit is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Do these correlate with sinlessness? Some do. But these indicate something much more than the absence of sin. They emphasize the presence of love. Frankly, most of these emphasize desire and emotion and not reason, contrary to Bridges earlier point about reason trumping emotion.
Finally, this brings us back to the idea of the role and motivation of factual certainty. It seems this whole book (and I would argue much of people's obsessions with sin) is focused on the need to be confident in their own salvation. This is definitely an understandable concern: We don't want to wonder if we'll be in Heaven. We want proof. So we look for it in various ways.
One of the ways is emphasizing a "pure," sinless life. Like the Pharisees, we can become self-righteous if we lead sinless lives, being certain of our salvation. But just like the Pharisees, it is at this time that we are the farthest from God, missing the true hope of salvation in a relationship with Christ.
I recently received a complimentary copy of Jerry Bridges' audiobook version of The Pursuit of Holiness in order to review it (without any expectation of a positive review, as will be obvious here :) ). I had several theological problems with this book that bleed over to the larger issues of some of holiness movements. Let's go through these by way of some of Bridges' central points:
Factual certainty is central to faith. This, I think, is one of the most damaging elements of this book. At the same time, it was one of the most helpful to me, as it elucidated why so many people are obsessed with sin and the purging of sin: It helps certainty of salvation (more on this later).
Bridges states, "Faith must always be based in fact." I'm not sure where he gets this idea, as it's not biblical or humanly defined. Hebrews 10:1 defines faith as being certain, but based on what we hope for and cannot see. As emphasized by the positivist and empiricist movements, fact is really based on what can be observed by humans. That does not meant there is no fact of God. It means that there does not have to be proof in order to have faith. In fact, faith is more powerful without fact.
Secular definitions also define faith as not being based in fact. Wikipedia's first sentence in the article on faith states, "Faith is the confident belief or trust in a person, idea, or thing that is not based on proof." Other definitions of faith have more to do with the general idea of belief or trust, not necessarily rooted in fact.
This blog is devoted to people's struggles with faith, usually based on their reliance on facts that end up being unsupportable or not as they originally thought. Just because the facts disappear does not mean God or our faith have to disappear.
Reason must contain and control desire. Bridges rightly explains that our desires can be impure and lead us down some terrible roads. Therefore, he argues that we must always use our reason to contain our sinful desires. Reason is a very good thing, but it can also lead us astray. As a psychologist, I frequently see the reason-based defense of rationalization used to dissociate someone from their emotions and therefore move them away from truth.
Ransomed Heart Ministries is based on the premise that once we give our lives to Christ, he gives us a new, good heart. Heck, even the more conservative and sinlessness-driven John Piper's ministry is called Desiring God. We must listen to our desires. Yes, they may mislead us, but if we pay good attention to them, we will hear God speaking to us. Frankly, God speaks to us more through our emotions than through our intellect.
Holy is defined by sinlessness. Bridges states that holiness is "separation from impurity and moral evil." This is one of the biggest and most dangerous bad definitions in Christianity. A few months ago, I talked about how holy and sinlessness are not one in the same. Holiness can include sinlessness, but it is not defined by it. Rather, a better definition of holy is sacred, meaning set apart. Avoiding sin is one way to be set apart, but holiness is a lot more than that.
Granted, Bridges later says that holiness is in a broader sense "obedience to the will of God in whatever God directs," but by the content of his book, he clearly focuses on God's will being that we lead sinless lives.
One of the reasons this perspective can be dangerous is that it can lead us to assume that God dislikes us. Jonathan Brinks recently posted an article related to a video by Skye Jethani, exploring how God views us in the midst of sin. The answer: God loves us. When we forget that, our relationship with God becomes strained because we no longer trust him. But usually that's not our fault, but rather the fault of the Church.
Sinlessness is the evidence of salvation. Bridges states partway through his book, "The only evidence of salvation we have is a holy life." Based on his definition of holy, this would mean sinless. Besides the fact that no person will ever be sinless on earth (Bridges notes this), this idea is simply not biblical. He argues that the Holy Spirit helps us become sinless.
Yet in Galatians 5:22-23, Paul states the fruit of the spirit is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Do these correlate with sinlessness? Some do. But these indicate something much more than the absence of sin. They emphasize the presence of love. Frankly, most of these emphasize desire and emotion and not reason, contrary to Bridges earlier point about reason trumping emotion.
Finally, this brings us back to the idea of the role and motivation of factual certainty. It seems this whole book (and I would argue much of people's obsessions with sin) is focused on the need to be confident in their own salvation. This is definitely an understandable concern: We don't want to wonder if we'll be in Heaven. We want proof. So we look for it in various ways.
One of the ways is emphasizing a "pure," sinless life. Like the Pharisees, we can become self-righteous if we lead sinless lives, being certain of our salvation. But just like the Pharisees, it is at this time that we are the farthest from God, missing the true hope of salvation in a relationship with Christ.
January 16, 2025
“Our experience of His love is dependent upon our obedience” p. 154
This has been an extremely timely. I’m equally as energized about this book’s relevancy at this stage of my life as I am about revisiting it in future stages. I prayerfully believe that I will look back and be able to see how through continued discipline in communion with Christ and time studying His word, my knowledge and practice of holiness will have grown steadily through my life. Never arriving at, but always striving to be a greater reflection of Christ.
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:21
This has been an extremely timely. I’m equally as energized about this book’s relevancy at this stage of my life as I am about revisiting it in future stages. I prayerfully believe that I will look back and be able to see how through continued discipline in communion with Christ and time studying His word, my knowledge and practice of holiness will have grown steadily through my life. Never arriving at, but always striving to be a greater reflection of Christ.
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Matthew 25:21
August 2, 2025
Pg 118 “ sow a thought, reap an act
sow an act, reap a habit
sow a habit, reap a character”
sow an act, reap a habit
sow a habit, reap a character”
March 13, 2011
I recently had the opportunity to review The Pursuit of Holiness by Dr. Jerry Bridges. If you've read my reviews of several of his other books, you know that I really appreciate his writing. Dr. Bridges is able to communicate and practically apply biblical truth very effectively, with a humility and grace rarely seen. The Pursuit of Holiness is no exception. The book is definitely deserving of it's reputation as a "modern classic"!
While his book Transforming Grace emphasized God's grace in our Christian walk, The Pursuit of Holiness emphasizes our personal responsibility. When it comes to living a holy life, what is our responsibility, and for what do we rely on God? He explains:
"The title for this book comes from the biblical command, "Pursue holiness, for without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14, author's paraphrase). The word pursue suggests two thoughts: first, that diligence and effort are required; and second that it is a lifelong task. These two thoughts form a dual theme throughout this book. While seeking to set forth clearly and accurately God's provision for our holiness, I have deliberately stressed our responsibility, feeling that this is an emphasis sorely needed among Christians today. At the same time I have sought to emphasize that holiness is a process, something we never completely attain in this life. Rather, as we begin to conform to the will of God in one area of life, He reveals to us our need in another area. That is why we will always be pursuing-as opposed to attaining-holiness in this life."
A holy life is defined as "a life [lived] in conformity to the moral precepts of the Bible and in contrast to the sinful ways of the world." Why is it that holiness is such a struggle for most Christians? Dr. Bridges identifies three basic problems:
1. Our attitude toward sin is more self-centered than God-centered. We're more concerned about the personal effects of sin and being "successful" over it than we are about the fact that sin is offensive to God...that it grieves him.
2. We have misunderstood "living by faith" to mean that no effort at holiness is required on our part. Instead, we need to recognize that we do have a personal responsibility for our walk of holiness.
3. We do not take some sin seriously. We mentally categorize sins into those that are unacceptable and those which we can tolerate, rather than calling sin "sin"."
These three problems are expanded on and discussed in detail throughout the book. Dr. Bridges is clear that while holiness and obedience to God's commands is not a condition of salvation, it is a necessary part of salvation that is received by faith in Christ and is required for fellowship with God, our own well-being, effective service to God, and assurance of salvation. He also explains how joy in Christ both produces and results from this obedience.
The Pursuit of Holiness clearly lays out our responsibility to live a holy life without falling into the trap of legalism and an unbiblical performance-driven salvation. An excellent read for the newest convert and the seasoned believer alike.
Thanks so much to Navpress for providing a review copy to me. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more: http://homewithpurpose.blogspot.com/s...
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
While his book Transforming Grace emphasized God's grace in our Christian walk, The Pursuit of Holiness emphasizes our personal responsibility. When it comes to living a holy life, what is our responsibility, and for what do we rely on God? He explains:
"The title for this book comes from the biblical command, "Pursue holiness, for without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14, author's paraphrase). The word pursue suggests two thoughts: first, that diligence and effort are required; and second that it is a lifelong task. These two thoughts form a dual theme throughout this book. While seeking to set forth clearly and accurately God's provision for our holiness, I have deliberately stressed our responsibility, feeling that this is an emphasis sorely needed among Christians today. At the same time I have sought to emphasize that holiness is a process, something we never completely attain in this life. Rather, as we begin to conform to the will of God in one area of life, He reveals to us our need in another area. That is why we will always be pursuing-as opposed to attaining-holiness in this life."
A holy life is defined as "a life [lived] in conformity to the moral precepts of the Bible and in contrast to the sinful ways of the world." Why is it that holiness is such a struggle for most Christians? Dr. Bridges identifies three basic problems:
1. Our attitude toward sin is more self-centered than God-centered. We're more concerned about the personal effects of sin and being "successful" over it than we are about the fact that sin is offensive to God...that it grieves him.
2. We have misunderstood "living by faith" to mean that no effort at holiness is required on our part. Instead, we need to recognize that we do have a personal responsibility for our walk of holiness.
3. We do not take some sin seriously. We mentally categorize sins into those that are unacceptable and those which we can tolerate, rather than calling sin "sin"."
These three problems are expanded on and discussed in detail throughout the book. Dr. Bridges is clear that while holiness and obedience to God's commands is not a condition of salvation, it is a necessary part of salvation that is received by faith in Christ and is required for fellowship with God, our own well-being, effective service to God, and assurance of salvation. He also explains how joy in Christ both produces and results from this obedience.
The Pursuit of Holiness clearly lays out our responsibility to live a holy life without falling into the trap of legalism and an unbiblical performance-driven salvation. An excellent read for the newest convert and the seasoned believer alike.
Thanks so much to Navpress for providing a review copy to me. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more: http://homewithpurpose.blogspot.com/s...
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
November 24, 2016
I can't believe I've never read this before! What kind of Navigator am I? Of course I loved it. It's practical, it's convicting, it's uplifting, and it's something to read again and again. I loved his point about it takes just as much faith to be obedient as it does to claim promises. Sometimes I want to skip straight to the "victory" over something, sin, etc, and I forget that it's more about the daily steps of obedience.
I've read several books by Jerry Bridges, and I've heard him speak in person (and sat at the same lunch table as him, just putting that out there) and it's because of him o switched to the ESV Bible translation (although I still love the 1984 NIV, why did they have to change it?!) so I'm sure my 5 star rating was inevitable. But besides my obvious bias toward him, I still genuinely think this is a terrific book. Thank you to Elsa and Pat for sending it to me!
I've read several books by Jerry Bridges, and I've heard him speak in person (and sat at the same lunch table as him, just putting that out there) and it's because of him o switched to the ESV Bible translation (although I still love the 1984 NIV, why did they have to change it?!) so I'm sure my 5 star rating was inevitable. But besides my obvious bias toward him, I still genuinely think this is a terrific book. Thank you to Elsa and Pat for sending it to me!
January 8, 2022
This book was originally written in 1978, about a year before I became a Christian. I'm kind of sad that I didn't know about Jerry Bridges at that time - before I developed bad habits that have been difficult to overcome. Coming from basically a non-Christian home, I can't help wondering whether I would be a more faithful person now if I'd had his helpful, practical advice at that time. He's right up there with Elisabeth Elliot for telling it like it is. At one point, he suggests that in addition to immersing ourselves in the Word, we should regularly re-read classic Christian books to help motivate us to a holy and godly life. Although I doubt he had anything of the kind in mind when he said that, this will be one of those books for me.
Sept. 2019; Jan. 2022
Sept. 2019; Jan. 2022
July 22, 2020
Great book that clearly explains how to live out a holy life in a practical daily way. The book clears up a lot of myths about sanctification and shows how we have personal responsibility in our holiness. Discipline is key, and having a plan to obey God and sticking to that plan will help the Christian to grow in personal holiness. God rewards obedience and discipline and He will enable and empower us to overcome sin and disobedience.
February 11, 2021
I guess after all they hype and the way people talk about this book I expected it to be totally revolutionary and life changing. But it wasn't? It had some really good points. It was solidly based in the bible. For the most part it was an interesting read. I guess it's a pretty solid four stars all things considered. Will probably swing back through it sometime in the years to come because it's full of good reminders.
March 26, 2024
This is like a 4.5 star #roundingup. Unbelievable gospel truths that are beyond convicting. Tons of questions and practices that are super applicable. Only knock on this book is it is repetitive, but the content repeated is important and great reminders.
June 19, 2011
I waited far too long to read this book... but better late than never!
Jerry Bridges' now-classic book on holiness has instantly vaulted up my list of must-read recommendations. It is the perfect blend of biblical exposition and practical application, which treads the delicate balance between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility.
Drawing on a metaphor from the world of farming (a tactic borrowed from Christ's earthly ministry), Bridges teaches that holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian. Only God can make a seed grow, but the farmer must still plant, water, and harvest the crop. In the same way, only God can produce sanctification in the life of a believer, but each Christian has a responsibility to work at his own holiness. Man cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what man must do.
It is a constant temptation to pick one of two extremes, or to vacillate between them: Believing that salvation is up to me and that my works can merit salvation (legalism), or believing that because God is sovereign, it makes no difference what I do or how I live (antinomianism). A genuine pursuit of holiness avoids both of these opposite errors.
This was one of the most challenging books I've ever read, but also one of the most encouraging. It forced me to focus inward on my own sinfulness as I realized that, for all my progress since I became a Christian, I still fail every day to live up to God's standard of holiness. I am complacent in many of ways, treating casually the very sins for which Christ died. Yet I was also reminded of the power that is mine through union with Christ in the Holy Spirit. So often I make excuses for why I continue to give in to my desires, but the truth is that I am without excuse. I have the ability to resist sin, yet still I choose to sin.
For me, the greatest distinction made in the book was between "victory" and "obedience". It is common for Christians to speak of sin in terms of "victory" and "defeat". What we usually mean by this is that there are some sins over which God has not yet granted us victory. The implication is that God has not done enough to achieve our sanctification.
Instead, Bridges says, we must realize that Christ has already won the victory over every sin, and has already given this victory to his people ( 1 Corinthians 15:57 ). When I sin, it is not because sin has defeated me. It is because I am disobedient. It sounds so simple, but it rocked my world as I read it. This is a perfect example of why we need the Word preached to us, and to be taught by wise and Godly men. I already "knew" that Christ had died so that I could put my sins to death ( Colossians 3:5 ), but through the words of Jerry Bridges this lesson has begun to sink in as never before.
This is a book I know I will come back to again and again, and I hope you will, too.
Jerry Bridges' now-classic book on holiness has instantly vaulted up my list of must-read recommendations. It is the perfect blend of biblical exposition and practical application, which treads the delicate balance between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility.
Drawing on a metaphor from the world of farming (a tactic borrowed from Christ's earthly ministry), Bridges teaches that holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian. Only God can make a seed grow, but the farmer must still plant, water, and harvest the crop. In the same way, only God can produce sanctification in the life of a believer, but each Christian has a responsibility to work at his own holiness. Man cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what man must do.
It is a constant temptation to pick one of two extremes, or to vacillate between them: Believing that salvation is up to me and that my works can merit salvation (legalism), or believing that because God is sovereign, it makes no difference what I do or how I live (antinomianism). A genuine pursuit of holiness avoids both of these opposite errors.
This was one of the most challenging books I've ever read, but also one of the most encouraging. It forced me to focus inward on my own sinfulness as I realized that, for all my progress since I became a Christian, I still fail every day to live up to God's standard of holiness. I am complacent in many of ways, treating casually the very sins for which Christ died. Yet I was also reminded of the power that is mine through union with Christ in the Holy Spirit. So often I make excuses for why I continue to give in to my desires, but the truth is that I am without excuse. I have the ability to resist sin, yet still I choose to sin.
For me, the greatest distinction made in the book was between "victory" and "obedience". It is common for Christians to speak of sin in terms of "victory" and "defeat". What we usually mean by this is that there are some sins over which God has not yet granted us victory. The implication is that God has not done enough to achieve our sanctification.
Instead, Bridges says, we must realize that Christ has already won the victory over every sin, and has already given this victory to his people ( 1 Corinthians 15:57 ). When I sin, it is not because sin has defeated me. It is because I am disobedient. It sounds so simple, but it rocked my world as I read it. This is a perfect example of why we need the Word preached to us, and to be taught by wise and Godly men. I already "knew" that Christ had died so that I could put my sins to death ( Colossians 3:5 ), but through the words of Jerry Bridges this lesson has begun to sink in as never before.
This is a book I know I will come back to again and again, and I hope you will, too.
April 13, 2022
Pursuing holiness is not a choice. We are told often in scripture to do so and also told why; because He is holy. This book is not a how-to or a checklist but a needed reminder that we must pursue holiness if we are God’s children. Bridges says “We must correct, mold, and train our moral character“ just as an athlete trains. And God has given us everything we need to pursue holiness in His word. “It is hypocritical to pray for victory over our sins yet be careless in our intake of the Word of God.” Bridges helps us learn how to avoid and resist temptation by sharing tons of scripture and examples of how to apply it and states, “If we sin, it is because we choose to sin, not because we lack the ability to say no to temptation.” I’m sure I will need to re-read this often.
January 22, 2023
Greatly encouraged by this book. I want to remember how self control over your body is a mark of holiness. Acting upon every desire and craving that your body has is not acting in line with the spiritual discipline of self control. This made me think of the verse from 2 Corinthians “Hold every thought captive in obedience to Christ”.
March 4, 2020
Lovely and encouraging book about the steps and effort on our part that it takes to pursue holiness. There were parts of it that I found very convicting. And his biblical guidance on fighting the sins that hold the most power over us was very useful.
December 14, 2021
A good and needed reminder. Lots to be mindful of. (I maybe had some questions with the ‘Holiness and Faith’ chapter, but I’m not too sure).
“Holiness is not a series of do’s and don’ts, but conformity to the character of God and obedience to the will of God.”
“Holiness is not a series of do’s and don’ts, but conformity to the character of God and obedience to the will of God.”
March 7, 2022
I don't always agree with Bridges in the details, but he's sturdy when it comes to the basics. The big takeaway for me in this one was the reminder that hating my failures in fighting sin is not as important as hating to offend God's holiness.
Reader was fine.
Reader was fine.
September 23, 2022
This book changed my life. And by that I mean that my day to day life is truly different as a result of reading it. The book gives you practical points for change and leaves you saying, “I have work to do.”
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