Jerry Bridges in Singapore

Dr Jerry Bridges, senior staff on the Navigators USA collegiate ministry and author of the 20th century classic The Pursuit of Holiness is in Singapore for a couple of weeks. I went to hear him speak at the Navigators organised conference on Saturday, 30 August. The conference consisted of two messages based on two of his books, namely The Pursuit of Holiness and The Discipline of Grace. His messages were biblical, simple, clear and applicable, and left me with a new desire for a Gospel-centred exertion towards holiness.

The Christian online paper, the Christian Post, reported on this.

(1) Bible Specialist Vindicates Grace Doctrine at Holiness Lecture

Here's an excerpt:

"Some people believe that God’s approval does not have to be earned, he said, speaking on what constitutes a Biblically accurate definition of grace, but nothing could be further from the truth.

“God’s approval does have to be earned,” said the renowned author and teacher, correcting a prevalent misunderstanding on the part of many believers in the world presently. He was quick to restate, however, his belief that God has imputed both forgiveness of sins, through the passive obedience of Jesus Christ His Son, and His righteousness, through the active obedience of Christ to undeserving sinners who rather deserved His curse, but apart of and through that and the enabling power of God's Holy Spirit, there was an approval to be gained for the believers through their obedience to God’s moral commands in His Word."

Read the rest of it here; and

(2) Holiness Preacher Declares One Sin that 'Nails All of Us'

Here's an excerpt:

"Nobody can declare himself guiltless of such corrupt talk. As soon as we think of someone, we are inclined to find some negative thing to think or say about that person, he indicated.

Christians today regard such sins as murder, adultery and theft as somehow more sinful than those like lying, anger, unforgiveness, jealousy, and corrupt talk, but there is no such dual classification in the eyes of God, he noted.To God, sin is still sin, whether big or small. Cursed is the one who does not fulfill all the requirements of the law of God, as it says in the Epistle of Apostle Paul to the Galatians.In history, there has been and will only be one person who has never committed any sin: Jesus Christ, the sinless lamb of God."

Read the rest of it here.

His next open-to-the-public speaking engagement will be at St. John's St Margaret's Church, Friday, 12 September, 7:30pm with a message based on his latest book, Respectable Sins.

What an honour to listen to this senior saint of God - he's 79, has to be helped up to the stage, and has a slight hearing disability, but oh what a model to follow! May we be found preaching Christ till our very last breath..