My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)

Dear Friends and Members of IBC, In this week’s Word for the Week, I would like to share an extract from Jerry Bridges’ book, The Pursuit of Holiness. As we read this excerpt, let’s consider our own attitude towards living a life of holiness and question our own commitment to it. Allow the Lord to deepen our conviction, knowing that He graciously sustains us every step of the way. He has determined to finish His good work in us, to make us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. The apostle John said, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin” (1 John 2:1). The whole purpose of John’s letter, he says, is that we not sin. One day as I was studying this chapter, I realized that my personal life’s objective regarding holiness was less than that of John’s. He was saying, in effect, “Make it your aim not to sin.” As I thought about this, I realized that deep within my heart my real aim was not to sin very much. I found it difficult to say, “Yes, Lord, from here on I will make it my aim not to sin.” I realized God was calling me that day to a deeper level of commitment to holiness than I had previously been willing to make. Can you imagine a soldier going into battle with the aim of “not getting hit very much”? The very suggestion is ridiculous. His aim is not to get hit at all! Yet if we have not made a commitment to holiness without exception, we are like a soldier going into battle with the aim of not getting hit very much. We can be sure if that is our aim, we will be hit—not with bullets, but with temptation over and over again. Jonathan Edwards, one of the great preachers of early American history, used to make resolutions. One of these was, “Resolved, never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.” Dare we modern-day Christians make such a resolution? Are we willing to commit ourselves to the practice of holiness without exceptions? There is no point in praying for victory over temptation if we are not willing to make a commitment to say no to it. May we make such a commitment! May we pursue holiness, train ourselves for godliness, relying on the Holy Spirit each step of the way. God bless you James