From Jerry Bridges - The Pursuit of Holiness
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 [where it belongs!]
We may, in fact, be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey.
We have chosen to entertain lustful thoughts, or to harbor resentment, or to shade the truth a little.
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 responsibility and appropriate Go's provisions will be make any progress in our pursuit of holiness.
-- From The Pursuit of Holiness,
Chapter 8, by Jerry Bridges
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