abk4u: A series examining Christian authors who have shaped lives; trying to find ‘a book for you’
My bookshelf is too small-
-If it wasn’t for its solid construction (my father has great wood-working skills) the joints would have burst asunder long before this post was ever conceived.
I am starting to regret ever purchasing some of the books which adorn its shelves.
Not once, however, have I regretted the small investment I made in Jerry Bridges. It has paid me back in abundance!
Some might claim that all of the Navigator-staff-member’s books are, in fact, all very similar to one another. But- I hasten to ask- is that necessarily a bad thing? Jerry Bridges reminds us that there is something we need to hear every single day of our lives,
‘It is only the joy of hearing the gospel and being reminded that our sins are forgiven in Christ that will keep the demands of discipleship from becoming drudgery. It is only gratitude and love to God that come from knowing that He no longer counts our sins against us (Romans 4:8) that provides the proper motive for responding to the claims of discipleship.’
The Discipline of Grace
It cannot be denied that the central theme of every book penned by our subject’s hands is the good-old-fashioned, 
Jerry’s best known book is called ‘Pursuit of Holiness’.
In the preface to The Discipline of Grace, he states his greatest regret regarding PofH: no chapter was included explaining that increased holiness must be motivated by an ever increasing wonder and thankfulness for God’s grace. Otherwise ‘the spiritual disciplines that are intended to help you grow will become duties you think you must practise in order to maintain God’s favour.’
Without doubt, I can safely say that no other author I have read- excluding the writers of the scriptures themselves- have showed such a fantastic grasp at the magnitude of God’s grace. Indeed, if we were each gripped by a real understanding of what the Lord Jesus Christ gave-up and took-up in order to secure our salvation, we would also be writing book after book on the subject!
Bridges’ wonder and excitement at the gospel of unearned salvation (humanly speaking) does not detract from his earnest desire to serve God. Quite the opposite. That said, he accepts that God’s unconditional forgiveness does allow for the mistaken assumption that we can live without concern for discipline or purity or holiness:
‘This type of response is always a possibility. In fact, if our concept of grace does not expose us to that possible misunderstanding , then we do not thoroughly understand grace.’
He goes on to offer an answer to this apparent dilemma,
‘…the solution is to be so gripped by the magnificence and boundless generosity of God’s grace that we respond out of gratitude rather than out of a sense of duty. As Stephen Brown said, “The problem [isn’t] that we made the gospel too good. The problem is that we didn’t make it good enough.”’
Jerry is not oblivious to the great difficulty we all face in living lives holy and pleasing to the Lord- he has written 8 books on the subject after all! I like Jerry’s frank description of sanctification (becoming holy):
‘The pursuit of holiness requires sustained and vigorous effort. It allows for no indolence, no lethargy, no half-hearted commitment, and no laissez faire attitude toward even the smallest sins. In short, it demands the highest priority in the life of a Christian, because to be holy is to be like Christ- God’s goal for every Christian.’
The issue of small or ‘refined’ sins is one which Jerry Bridges takes very seriously.
In his book, Respectable Sins, he confronts ‘the sins we tolerate’. He points readers towards the Puritans. Those guys really took sin seriously. Here are 4 books written by Puritan authors:
- The Sinfulness of Sin*
- The Mischief of Sin
- The Anatomy of Secret Sins
- The Evil of Evils or The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin
*I actually followed Jerry Bridges’ suggestion and read this book. Serious stuff. Those guys understood that their sins were detestable in God’s sight.
In Respectable Sins, the author carefully examines the lives of Christian believers; he discusses why our understanding of sin is so diminished in comparison to former generations; he offers the remedy for our sinfulness and also points to the power of the Holy Spirit (vital in the transformation of our hearts and lives). We are given some simple directions- or aids- in the battle against sin. After this careful and useful introduction, Jerry looks at a number of specific issues: sins which have been ‘respectified’ (my term, not his!), iniquity wrapped up as ‘normal, natural behaviour’. I found this book a cutting, painful book. By highlighting how my sins were contrary to scripture, I experienced the words of Hebrews 4 for myself:
‘For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.’
(Hebrews 4:12-13 ESV)
I started this post by saying that I have no reason to regret investing in The Discipline of Grace, Respectable Sins, Trusting God and Is God really in Control. Because of the benefits received, I have further invested in Growing your Faith (my current bed-side book), The Gospel for Real Life and The Fruitful Life.
I would firmly encourage you to put aside some time, and pick up some Bridges! Invest an evening or two each week to one of his books. Be encouraged by his passion and amazement at God’s grace- may this cause you to worship God and to faithfully serve Him. That process is what Jerry calls, being….
…Compelled by Love
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