Tom Branch - Roads of Faith

I am still trying to go over all the thoughts from the readings of the Pursuit of holiness from Jerry Bridges. I have the audiobook which I listed to maybe 5 times, and the book I read 1.5 times, and the one full time with the book went with the audiobook going at the same time so I stayed with the book. Then to take things up a notch I did the study guide too.

The study guide did give some great questions but some of them I thought were very misleading or the answers had nothing to do wit the questions. But I still saw great progress in the chapters.

It started early and asked for you to give an answer what holiness means to you. Here is what I wrote.

Holiness: becoming pure and without flaw in completeness or shalom, selfless as a part of a greater kingdom and world.

It reasked the same question near the very end.

Holiness: a total putting off of yourself second to God and doing his will against your own and holding to his promises and word. Not only removing of old self to seek new self in Christ, but to loose self in order to find Christ.

I can see how the answer got more developed over the course of the workbook. But here are more notes of what I took away from the book.

To seek him we must loose ourselves

One sin have a byproduct of many other sins

We should not say victory over sin, we are either obedient to his will or disobedient.

We are called to live holy and pure lives

We must rid our old habits and make room for them to never return

Those are the big points that got me while reading through it all. There were many more small ones but these are the main ones. But there are several scriptures that stood out as well. Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 6:18-19, Philippians 4:11-13, Colossians 1:9-11, John 5:39-40, Romans 6:19

Even the times I was upset at the questions I still would recommend getting it. It does get you thinking. This is not a how to solve all your problems book, or how to be that winning Christian book. For me it was a book that more clearly defined the road ahead. Helped give light to some of the darkness I was in regarding my sin. Its an opening book, not a closing one. It points you back towards Christ. For everyone I can imagine this book different.

Much like the neverending story, everyone who read (red not reed) it, read a different story. Depending on where you are in your walk, life, and sins, this book may have a different effect on folks.

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