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The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
Chapter 14Habits of Holiness
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Habits of HolinessRepeated acts of the consent of the will unto sin may beget a disposition and inclineableness of the will unto a proneness and readiness to consent unto sin upon easy solicitation. – John Owen
What did he say?
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Habits of HolinessModern English Equivalent
The more we sin, the more we
are inclined
to sin.
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Habits of HolinessRomans 6:19 (New International Version 1984, ©1984)
I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-
increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
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Habits of Holiness
Habits = Patterns
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Habits of Holiness•We developed habits of unholiness.•Now we must
develop habits of holiness.
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Habits of HolinessHave nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself
to be godly.1 Timothy 4:7 (New International Version 1984, ©1984)
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Principles of Forming Habits 1• Habits are developed and
reinforced by frequent repetition. (Pavlov’s dogs)
• Every yes to sin inclines us to sin.
• Every yes to God inclines us to God.
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Principles of Forming Habits 2
• No exceptions!• Exceptions reinforce old
habits and fail to reinforce new habits.
“Just this once” is a lie.
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Principles of Forming Habits 3
Discipline in all areas is required to ensure success in one area. A “small” bad habit weakens our will, so it
weakens us in every area.
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Principles of Forming Habits 4
Don’t be discouraged by failure. Failing does not make someone a failure. We become a failure when
we give up.
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It’s a quiz!
•List the four principles of forming habits.
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What can we learn from failure?
• What I learned from my failure• Four steps to help you move forward after
you fail & Reading Guide• Responding to Failure Bible Study• Books for people who fail