Preface
PREFACE
A farmer plows his field, sows the seed, and fertilizes and cultivates —all the while knowing that in the final analysis he is utterly dependent on forces outside of himself. He knows he cannot cause the seed to germinate, nor can he produce the rain and sunshine for growing and harvesting the crop. For a successful harvest, he is dependent on these things from God.
Yet the farmer knows that unless he diligently pursues his responsibilities to plow, plant, fertilize, and cultivate, he cannot expect a harvest at the end of the season. In a sense he is in a partnership with God, and he will reap its benefits only when he has fulfilled his own responsibilities.
Farming is a joint venture between God and the farmer. The farmer cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do.
We can say just as accurately that the pursuit of holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian. No one can attain any degree of holiness without God working in his life, but just as surely, no one will attain it without effort on his own part. God has made it possible for us to walk in holiness. But He has given to us the responsibility of doing the walking; He does not do that for us.
We Christians greatly enjoy talking about the provision of God, how Christ defeated sin on the cross and gave us His Holy Spirit to empower us to victory over sin. But we do not as readily talk about our own responsibility to walk in holiness. Two primary reasons can be given for this.
First, we are simply reluctant to face up to our responsibility. We prefer to leave that to God. We pray for victory when we know we should be acting in obedience.
The second reason is that we do not understand the proper distinction between God’s provision and our own responsibility for holiness. I struggled for a number of years with the question, “What am I to do myself, and what am I to rely on God to do?” Only as I came to see what the Bible teaches on this question, and then faced up to my own responsibility, did I see any progress in the “pursuit of holiness.”
The title for this book comes from the biblical command, “Pursue holiness, for without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14, author’s paraphrase). The word pursue suggests two thoughts: first, that diligence and effort are required; and second, that it is a lifelong task. These two thoughts form a dual theme throughout this book. While seeking to set forth clearly and accurately God’s provision for our holiness, I have deliberately stressed our responsibility, feeling that this is an emphasis sorely needed among Christians today. At the same time I have sought to emphasize that holiness is a process, something we never completely attain in this life. Rather, as we begin to conform to the will of God in one area of life, He reveals to us our need in another area. That is why we will always be pursuing —as opposed to attaining —holiness in this life.
In addition to my own personal Bible study on the subject of holiness, I have profited greatly from the writings of the Puritans —and those who followed in their school of thought —on the subject of holiness. On numerous occasions I have quoted directly from them and have so indicated in the appropriate footnotes. In other instances their phraseology has crept into my own manner of expression. This is particularly true of the writings of John Owen and of Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones of London, both of whose writings on this subject have been of invaluable personal blessing.
I do not profess to know all about this subject, nor can I claim all that much personal progress. Many times while writing this book I have had to first make application to my own life. But what I have discovered has been of invaluable help to me in my own pursuit of holiness, and I trust will be of help to all who read it.
To explore more fully the scriptural principles of holiness, which I studied in writing this book, I encourage the reader to work through the study guide that appears in the back of this book.
Finally, I want to express my thanks to Mrs. Peggy Sharp and Miss Linda Dicks, who patiently typed and retyped the various drafts of the manuscript.