"For the Purpose of Godliness"

Back when I spent a year at OBU I was in a small group Bible study, one of many that met every week. The groups were very small, usually only about four or five, and were formed during the week before the semester started. They were led by two students usually a year or two older than the others. These two leaders were to become a strong influence in my life over the next year; especially one ― Joshua Greever. He became a spiritual mentor to me and opened my eyes to many aspects of theology and life I had never thought about before. I owe much of my love and respect for the Church Fathers and giants of Christian faith to him. Anyway, we began studying through a book called Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney. Going through this book with my small group of only three other people was an amazing experience, and I grew spiritually in an exponential way through the study. I have been thinking a lot about this book over the past few weeks, and I decided to pick it up and go through it again. Each chapter in the book covers a different spiritual discipline, and my plan is to go through a chaper per week, practicing each discipline and building on the other disciplines as I go. And I'd like to share my experiences ― the struggles and the successes ― with you all. Perhaps it will inspire others to take the journey with me.

"Ours is an undisciplined age . . . We need the rugged strength of Christian character that can come only from discipline." [V. Raymond Edman in The Disciplines of Life]

There is a basic attitude toward discipline in our world today, and that attitude is often wrong. This attitude says that discipline is drudgery. However, all that is needed to actually make this a true statement is a simple insertion of a few words. A correct statement would read: "Discipline without direction is drudgery." When discipline becomes dreadful it is often because of a lack of direction. What is the discipline really working toward? When practicing any discipline, we must always keep in mind the ulitimate goal of our discipline. It is the same with spiritual disciplines. Unfortunately the real, practical value is often not realized or it is unclear.

We must remember this: The final goal of all of the spiritual disciplines is conforming to Christlikeness (look at Rom. 8:28 and 1 John 3:2). This is the final goal, but there is work to be done until we reach this goal. We must actively continue to grow. We cannot simply sit around and wait for Christlikeness to come to us, we have to pursue it (look at Heb. 12:14). Discipline is the method that we must use to grow until we reach the final goal (look at 1 Tim. 4:7). Think of this: the spiritual disciplines change from drudgery to delight when we remember the goal. The importance of keeping this goal ― the goal of conforming to Christlikeness ― in mind is paramount.

There are three major things God can use to change us and make us more Christlike. First, He uses people ― both friends and enemies ― to chage us. Second, circumstances in our lives change us. Third, the spiritual disciplines change us. Unlike the other two, however, the spiritual disciplines work from the inside out. While we can act out the spiritual disciplines, we are acted upon by the other two ways God can use to change us. Also, ulike these other two ways, we can choose our level of involvement in the spiritual disciplines.

We must always remember that while we are allowed a measure of choice in our practice in the spiritual disciplines, growth in holiness is a gift (look at these verses: John 17:17, 1 Thess. 5:23, Heb. 2:11), and they are a way which we can place ourselves before God to allow him to work in us. By practicing the spiritual disciplines we place ourselves in God's path, and they are a way we can seek him. Consider this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

"I must take care above all that I cultivate communion with Christ, for though that can never be the basis of my peace ― mark that ― yet it will be the channel of it."

In practicing and cultivating the spiritual disciplines in ourselves, we must take Christ as our ultimate example. We must follow his stregth of character. We must pursue God and holiness purposefully. Whitney says that "those who only learn accidentally and follow incidentally are not true disciples." People who are undisciplined may be a "mile wide" spiritually but they are only an "inch deep."

Spiritual disciplines have been practiced by God's people ever since Biblical times. Consider these giants of the Christian faith: Augustine, Maritn Luther, John Calvin, John Bunyan, Jonathan and Sarah Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, and George Muller. These Christian thinkers and reformers, arguably some of the most Godly people in Church history, were also some of the most disciplined. Let us follow their example.

As I ended this first chapter in the book I was struck by two ideas Whitney presents. First, talent or giftedness without discipline is worthless. Christians are given "spiritual gifts," things that are part of their nature and that when used make them most effective in the kingdom of God. But these gifts are no good if we simply sit on them and do nothing. We must cultivate them. A person may have a natural aptitude for playing the piano, but unless he sits down and practices regularly he will not be any better than those who have little or no talent at playing the piano. I was also struck with the idea that there is actually freedom through discipline. This can be most clearly seen, again, in the example of a musician. After he has disciplined himself to practice his instrument, the musician will become proficient at it. After this he will be free to play whatever he wishes and even write his own music. This freedom only comes through discipline though. If we remember this principle in practicing the spiritual disciplines we will realize that they will make us free to commune with God on a deeper level and free to develop in holiness.

These are my first thoughts while reading through the first chapter of this book. Over the next few months, I will be trying to apply the various spiritual disciplines that Whitney discusses in his book. Wish me luck.