Obedience - Not Victory

 
          Here are more highlights from the book, The Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges.


          Chapter eight: Obedience - Not Victory

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                                   "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you
                                    will die;  but if by the Spirit you put to death the
                                    misdeeds of the body, you will live."
                                                                                 Romans 8:13


          God has made provision for our holiness and He has also given us a responsibility
     for it.  God's provision for us consists in delivering us from the reign of sin, uniting us
     with Christ, and giving us the indwelling Holy Spirit to reveal sin, to create a desire for
     holiness, and to strengthen us in our pursuit of holiness.  Through the power of the
     Holy Spirit and according to the new nature He gives, we are to put to death the mis-
     dees of the body (Romans 8:13).

          It is clear from this passage that God puts responsibility for living a holy life square-
     ly on us.  We are to do something.  We are commanded to assume our responsibility for
     a holy walk.


                                "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your
                                 earthly nature."
                                                                          Colossians 3:5

          This is something we are told to do.
                 

                               "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great
                                 cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that
                                 hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let
                                 us run with perseverance the race marked out for
                                 us."
                                                                             Hebrews 12:1


                              "Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil,
                                and he will flee from you."
                                                                            James 4:7


                             "Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless
                              and at peace with Him."
                                                                            2 Peter 3:14


          The clause make every effort addresses itself to our wills.  It is something we
     must decide to do.


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          We are responsible for living a holy life, but at the same time the Holy Spirit is
     given to us to help us to do so.

          Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says,


                                   "The Holy Spirit is in us;  He is working in us, and
                                     empowering us, giving us the ability ...  This is the
                                     New Testament teaching - 'Work out your own
                                     salvation with fear and trembling.'  We have to do
                                     so. 
                                  "But note the accompaniment - 'Because it is God that
                                    worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good
                                    pleasure!'  The Holy Spirit is working in us 'both to
                                    will and to do.'
                                  "It is because I am not left to myself, it is because I am
                                    not 'absolutely hopeless,' since the Spirit is in me, that
                                    I am exhorted to work out my own salvation with fear
                                    and trembling."


          We must rely on the Spirit in our putting to death the deeds of the body,
     but if we sin, it is because we choose to sin, not because we lack the ability
     to say no to temptation.

          It is time for us Christians to face up to our responsibility for holiness.
     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 stopped 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. 


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          We need to brace ourselves up and to realize that we are responsible for our
     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 responsiblilty and appropriate God's provisions will we
     make any progress in our pursuit of holiness.