Pursuing Holiness

From my Christian Momlogic blog:

I’ve just started reading “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges. I actually read the book while I was in college, but obviously not enough sunk in because I still struggle with the topic. So, I thought I’d re-read it and see what I can glean now that I’m a “grown up.”

In my life, holiness feels overwhelming and unattainable. My mind can’t completely wrap itself around the concept of “being Holy as He is Holy” (my paraphrase of 1 Peter 1:15, 16 ..which comes from Leviticus 11:44). I know what a sinner I am, so why would God ask for perfection when He knows it’s not something that can be attained while we’re on Earth? As a wife and mother how do I achieve godly holiness in my own life – and even more importantly, how do I help to develop holiness in my children?

The author of The Pursuit of Holiness (thankfully) helped me begin to think through these tough questions. He shares these three truths about holiness:

Truth#1: We must realize that sin is against God, not just a personal failure to do right.

Truth #2: We must re-think the concept of “living by faith.” We’re to do what God asks us to do, not just sit back and wait for God to take action.

Truth #3: We must take sin seriously.

This book has already profoundly affected the way I look at my daily life (and I’m only through the first chapter!). I’ve come to realize that despite the fact that we will never attain perfection in this world; despite the fact that we serve a loving, forgiving God; despite the fact that life is downright hard, we have no excuse to have a relaxed view of sin.

I’ll be sharing more as I read this book and (try to) learn and apply holiness in my life. I would challenge you to join me in reading ‘The Pursuit of Holiness’ – please let me know if you decide to do so and how holiness is a part of your daily life.