Awe, Gratitude, and Fearing God (Bridges)

Psalm 130:3-4 goes like this: Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?  But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. (NLT) I really appreciate how Jerry Bridges reflected on these verses in The Joy of Fearing God: Here it is not the dread of divine wrath, but …

I Am His (Bridges)

This is a good little book on what it means for the Christian to find his or her identity in Christ: Who Am I? by Jerry Bridges. The following section from chapter six reminds me of the Heidelberg Catechism's first Q/A: We speak we speak often of the Lordship of Christ over our lives. Indeed, …

The Holy Spirit, Scripture, Prayer, and Holiness (Bridges)

Christians sometimes have an unclear idea what Scripture means when it calls us to holiness (Lev. 11:45, Eph. 1:4, 1 Pet. 1:15-16, etc.). What does holiness mean in our daily life? How can we grow in holiness? Jerry Bridges wrote some helpful things on this topic of Christian holiness. Here's one section of Bridges' book, …

Pride, Holiness, and the Holy Spirit’s Work Within (Bridges)

This morning I was re-reading parts of The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. Specifically, I was reading chapter seven where Bridges talks about help in the daily battle against indwelling sin. This is a helpful chapter for sure. I appreciate Bridges' emphasis on the Holy Spirit's work within us: As we grow in the …

Owned by Jesus (Bridges)

Several times in the New Testament we read that God's people are "owned" by the Lord. For example, Peter writes that Christians are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people of his own..." (NET; emphasis mine). The same theme also shows up in Titus 2:14, 1 Corinthians 6:20, and a …