Holiness and Faith

          Highlights from chapter fifteen of The Pursuit of Holiness, by
     Jerry Bridges.


          Though we often think of holiness in a more narrow sense of sepa-
     ration from impurity and moral evil, in its broader sense holiness is o-
     bedience to the will of God in whatever God directs.  It is saying with
     Jesus, "Here I am ... I have come to do your will, O God" (Hebrews
     10:7).

          No one can pursue holiness who is not prepared to obey God in
     every area of his life.  The holiness described in the Bible calls us to
     do more than separate ourselves from the moral pollution of the world
     around us.  It calls us to obey God even when that obedience is costly,
     when it requires deliberate sacrifice and even exposure to danger.

          Obedience to the revealed will of God is often just as much a step of
     faith as claiming a promise from God.  For example the writer of He-
     brews speaks of the Old Testament Hebrews who would never enter
     God's rest because they disobeyed (Heb.3:18).  Yet they were not able
     to enter because of their unbelief (Heb 3:19).

          Hebrews 11 tells us about heroes of faith who were said to be "still
     living by faith when they died" (v3).  The important point, however, is that
     they obeyed by faith.  And since obedience is the pathway to holiness --
     a holy life being essentially an obedient life -- we may say that no one
     will become holy apart from a life of faith.

          Faith is not only necessary to salvation, it is also necessary to live a
     life pleasing to God.  Faith enables us to claim the promises of God --
     but it also enable us to obey the commands of God.  Faith enables us to
     obey when obedience is costly or seems unreasonable to the natural mind.

          It takes faith to pursue such biblical values when the society around us
     is pursuing goals that are totally opposite.  This faith focuses on believing
     that God ultimately upholds and blesses those who obey Him, and who
     trust Him for the consequences of obedience.

          Noah's life is an example of this kind of faith:

                             "By faith Noah, when warned about things not
                              yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his
                              family.  By his faith he condemned the world
                              and became heir of the righteousness that comes
                              by faith."
                                                            Hebrews 11:7


          Noah's building of the ark may well be considered one of the greatest
     examples the world has ever witnessed of perseverance in a difficult duty
     of obedience.  For 140 years he labored because he heeded the warning of
     God and believed the promise of God.

          Abraham's life also illustrates the obedience of faith.  The call of Abra-
     ham consisted of two parts -- a command and a promise.  The commmand
     was to leave his fathers' house and go to a land God would show him.  The
     promise was that God would make of him a great nation and through him
     bless all the families of the earth.

          Abraham believed that both the command and promise came from God,
     so he obeyed the command and expected fulfillment of the promise.  It is
     recorded of him, "By faith Abraham ... obeyed" (Hebrews 11:8).

          The path of obedience in the pursuit of holiness is often contrary to
     human reason.  If we do not have conviction in the necessity of obeying
     the revealed will of God as well as confidence in the promises of God, we
     will never persevere in this difficult pursuit.

          We must have conviction that it is God's will that we seek holiness --
     regardless of how arduous and painful the seeking may be.  And we must
     be confident that the pursuit of holiness results in God's approval and
     blessing, when circumstances make it appear otherwise.

          A New Testament application of this spiritual principle is found in the
     words of Jesus,

                                "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,
                                 and all these things will be given to you as well."
                                                                       Matthew 6:33

          The command is to seek God's kingdom first.  The promise is that as we
     do, God will provide for our temporal needs.

                                                        **********

          Faith and holiness are inextricably linked.  Obeying the commands of God
     usually involves believing the promises of God.  One definition of faith might
     be "Obeying the revealed will of God and trusting Him for the results."

         
                                  "Without faith it is impossible to please God."
                                                                         Hebrews 11:6


          If we would pursue holiness we must have faith to obey the will of God
     revealed in the Scripture and faith to believe that the promises of God will
     then be ours.