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Part One
For
someone to be disciplined, hard work and dedication are required. LeBron
James is a good example of that. In December 2012, he stayed after the game to
work out after a brutal loss by the New York Knicks. James stated, “[I] had to
get better.” Not too many people are going to stay at the basketball gym to
practice after a long hard game that was lost on the home court. However, if
one is disciplined enough that person will. It is the same mentality when it
comes to the spiritual disciplines. One must have to be able to sweat to reach
towards the goal, which is holiness.
Throughout Scripture, God’s people are commanded to be holy. 1 Peter 1:16 say, “Since it is
written, you shall be holy. For I am holy.” Christians know that they are not
holy on their own terms or in their own doing, but Christ’s blood makes them
so. In fact, it is God’s will for his people to be holy (1 Thessalonians 4:7).
Before an individual can understand this, he or she must grasp the meaning of
what a spiritual discipline is, which we will discuss in greater detail in Part Two.
Part Two: What are Spiritual Disciplines?
Every
person who professes the name of Christ should know what spiritual disciplines
are. Perhaps some may be participating in them, but may not know what they are
in their entirety. Donald Whitney, professor of Biblical Spirituality at The
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says, “The Spiritual Disciplines are
those personal and corporate disciplines that promote spiritual growth”
(Whitney, 1997, p.17). These practices include Bible intake, reading, praying,
fasting, serving, and evangelism, etc.
Christians
should be actively pursuing spiritual disciplines to grow in their knowledge of
God and to grow spiritually for the purpose of godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7 records
the reason to grow, which is holiness or godliness: “Have nothing
to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness.” This
is an imperative that Paul communicates to Timothy in this Pastoral Epistle.
There is a responsibility that believers must have to train themselves in
godliness, and spiritual disciplines help to assist in that process.
The
topic of spiritual discipline essentially means to discipline oneself for
spiritual growth just as an athlete trains and exercises extensively with a
particular purpose in mind. This should encourage believers to walk in a manner
that is worthy of the gospel and to fulfill their God-given purpose. For a more
clear and precise definition, Whitney writes again, “The Spiritual Disciplines
are the God-given means we are to use in the Spirit-filled pursuit of godliness”
(Whitney, 1997, p.17). So with that understood, let us look at
specific examples of the spiritual disciplines.
Part Three: Prayer
Prayer
is an essential element for spiritual growth. Prayer is the humble
communication in thought or speech to an object of worship expressing
supplication, thanksgiving, praise, confession, etc. A journey through the Bible
shows the Apostle Paul actively praying to God. Consider Philippians 1:3-4: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, for you making my prayer
with joy.” Colossians 1:3 is very similar: “We always thank God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you…” Throughout the New
Testament, Paul has a habitual practice of praying. He is much disciplined in
the area of prayer.
Christians
can learn from him and how he prays. The majority of the time he thanks God
first, then he thanks God for them second. His prayers are also filled with joy, which is an
element believers should be marked by. This is a exercise Christians should
be doing. If they are not, they are being prideful because they are not
being dependent on God and His word.
Prayer
is communication and dependence on the one true God. The Bible has quite a few
things to say about prayer. In fact, Jesus told His disciples to pray like
this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come, your
will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9-13).
According
to Richard J. Foster, “Prayer catapults us onto the frontier of the spiritual
life. Of all the Spiritual Disciplines, prayer is the most central because it
ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father…but it is the discipline of prayer
that brings us into the deepest and highest work of the human spirit” (Foster,
1988, p.33). This is why prayer is so significant to the daily life of the
believer. As Christians, we must be committed to prayer to grow spiritually and
communicate with the triune God. So are you being disciplined in this spiritual
practice?
Part Four: Reading the Bible
Why
should Disciples of Christ read the Holy Scriptures? The answer may be obvious,
but Christians should read the Bible for a few reasons. They should want to
know God because that is what eternal life is (John 17:3). They should go to
the word of God to get the God of the Word. It is important to read to give a
rational defense of the faith, but people who read His word ultimately need Him. By God’s
grace, He has revealed Himself through His word because He has taken the
initiative to make Himself known to sinners, which is the only way sinners
would know Him.
This
is critical because as individuals know God, they grow spiritually. They get to
know what God is like, what He likes, and what He hates. Essentially, they get
to know about God’s attributes. As redeemed creatures, it is our duty to read Scripture to know Yahweh. Consider the words of R. Kent Hughes, in his
Christian classic Disciplines of a Godly
Man: “You can never have a Christian mind without reading the Scriptures
regularly because you cannot be profoundly influenced by that which you do not
know” (Hughes, 1991, p.77). Reading God’s word is a crucial element towards
spiritual growth.
Jesus
Christ, the God-man, read the Hebrew Bible and was able to fight temptation when
tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4). He fought temptation with the word
of God; this is a model for how Christians need to deal with temptation. It is a constant struggle in the Christian life to fight sin. However,
since the Holy Spirit is living inside believers, they have the power to fight sin. We have God’s word. Really
think about that reality. We have God’s word! Let’s continue to pray and dive
into the text to get to know God.
Part Five: Heart-Shepherding
A shepherd is someone who leads, guides, and takes care of sheep.
The metaphor for believers is one who takes care of his or her own heart. The method
of doing that is to preach the gospel to oneself. Essentially, this sums up
the Christian life. The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. It encompasses
Christ suffering, God raising Him from the dead, and now He calls all men to
repent and believe. The good news of Christ deals with every issue of life.
A
person can benefit greatly and grow spiritually if they can have this event
understood in greater detail when trial and tribulations come into his or her life. We need a picture of Christ’s love for sinners, and we need to understand His work
to understand how it impacts us. Tedd Tripp writes, “The law of God is not
easy for natural man. Its standard is high and cannot be achieved apart from
God's supernatural grace. God’s law teaches us our need of grace” (Tripp, 1995,
p. xx). An individual taking care of his or her heart is imperative in order godliness to grow.
The
nature of the heart is deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus said, “What
comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of
a man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:
20-23). Believers are prone to sin because of their heart disposition from
birth. Because of this, contemplating on the wondrous cross is needed for growth
in the Christian life.
Proverbs
4:23 records the biblical command of guarding one’s own heart because out of
it flows the spring of life. John Macarthur writes, “The heart is the
depository of all wisdom and the source of whatever affects speech, sight, and
conduct” (Macarthur, 2005, p.702). No one graduates from the spiritual
exercises. This is a lifelong adventure in which we are
depending upon the Holy Spirit. We all need Him to help us pray, read Scripture,
and shepherd our hearts.
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