If Disciplines Bring Delight, Why Are They Called Disciplines
In yesterday's comments thoughts were exchanged about the lack of sense involved in some of our life choices. It doesn't make sense that we choose lesser joys over greater joys, but we do. We choose sin over the Savior. We choose to nibble at the table of the world rather than to feast on God. We choose the gifts over the Giver.
I believe it was John Calvin who said: "Most often the evil in our desires is not in what we want, but that we want it too much." What this can mean is that ironically, the things that distract us from God and from a fulness of delight in Him often are not Satan's tricks but God's gifts: family, fun, food, friendship, and more.
John and Charles Wesley's mom, Susannah, was a wise woman of God to whom they would go for advice. So once John wrote his mother and asked her to define sin for him. Her response is apropos:
Mrs. Wesley did not see sin exclusively in terms of bad things. She saw it from the vantage of the heart. Sin happens when we choose something that dulls our affections for God. Sin happens when we treasure or desire anything more than God. What this means is that in our quest for more of God, we can be distracted by things good and things bad; things innocent and things vile; things sent by the enemy and gifts given by the Father.
This is why the means of grace which bring so much delight have to be called disciplines. Prayer, Bible meditation, diligent hearing and application of pastoral preaching, evangelism, fellowship, fasting, Communion, and all the other oases of grace in which we can find such joy are seldom visited with much effect because a thousand mirages divert our attention. The Christian has to stay focused, fixed, resolute, yes, disciplined.
If you doubt the discipline motif, I remind you of such texts as 1Timothy 4:7--"Train yourself for the purpose of godliness." Then there's 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Paul uses words like: discipline, pummel my body, keep it under control, exercise self-control. Then there's Philippians 3:13, 14. Pressing for maturity in our joy in God requires that, like marathon runners, we forget what we have done or now feel, and press on toward the prize.
The point is clear: because spiritual graces and duties are so counter-intuitive, so counter-cultural, and so counter the flesh, we need to be spiritual Olympians. There is need for daily Olympic-intensity discipline to stay the course and go hard after God. Both things that are vile and things that are innocent can steal our hearts away. We must keep our heads in it all and keep our hearts. Friends, we must go hard after God. We must discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness and Godwardness.
But let me close with this: live in the light and life and grace of the gospel. Our disciplines will never be perfect, or even close. Our habits will never attain God's standard. Our life of devotion will always be heart-breakingly deficient.
I remind you of a few gospel thoughts: your spiritual disciplines do not merit or cause or increase or maintain the love of God for you. You are loved in Christ because of His righteousness. The Father's love for you doesn't increase when you do your devotions, and it doesn't decrease when you don't. He loves you based on the fact that you stand in the record and righteousness of the One who "did devotions" perfectly, and credited His perfect devotion to your account. God sees you as one who leads the perfectly disciplined and Godward life, because you wear the righteous robe of the One who did.
Now then, knowing how we are so loved by God, let us discpline ourselves in the means of grace so we may love Him more in return.
I believe it was John Calvin who said: "Most often the evil in our desires is not in what we want, but that we want it too much." What this can mean is that ironically, the things that distract us from God and from a fulness of delight in Him often are not Satan's tricks but God's gifts: family, fun, food, friendship, and more.
John and Charles Wesley's mom, Susannah, was a wise woman of God to whom they would go for advice. So once John wrote his mother and asked her to define sin for him. Her response is apropos:
"Whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscience, [whatever] weakens your reason, [whatever] obscures your sense of God, [whatever] increases the authority of your body over your mind and will, that to you is sin."
Mrs. Wesley did not see sin exclusively in terms of bad things. She saw it from the vantage of the heart. Sin happens when we choose something that dulls our affections for God. Sin happens when we treasure or desire anything more than God. What this means is that in our quest for more of God, we can be distracted by things good and things bad; things innocent and things vile; things sent by the enemy and gifts given by the Father.
This is why the means of grace which bring so much delight have to be called disciplines. Prayer, Bible meditation, diligent hearing and application of pastoral preaching, evangelism, fellowship, fasting, Communion, and all the other oases of grace in which we can find such joy are seldom visited with much effect because a thousand mirages divert our attention. The Christian has to stay focused, fixed, resolute, yes, disciplined.
If you doubt the discipline motif, I remind you of such texts as 1Timothy 4:7--"Train yourself for the purpose of godliness." Then there's 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Paul uses words like: discipline, pummel my body, keep it under control, exercise self-control. Then there's Philippians 3:13, 14. Pressing for maturity in our joy in God requires that, like marathon runners, we forget what we have done or now feel, and press on toward the prize.
The point is clear: because spiritual graces and duties are so counter-intuitive, so counter-cultural, and so counter the flesh, we need to be spiritual Olympians. There is need for daily Olympic-intensity discipline to stay the course and go hard after God. Both things that are vile and things that are innocent can steal our hearts away. We must keep our heads in it all and keep our hearts. Friends, we must go hard after God. We must discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness and Godwardness.
But let me close with this: live in the light and life and grace of the gospel. Our disciplines will never be perfect, or even close. Our habits will never attain God's standard. Our life of devotion will always be heart-breakingly deficient.
I remind you of a few gospel thoughts: your spiritual disciplines do not merit or cause or increase or maintain the love of God for you. You are loved in Christ because of His righteousness. The Father's love for you doesn't increase when you do your devotions, and it doesn't decrease when you don't. He loves you based on the fact that you stand in the record and righteousness of the One who "did devotions" perfectly, and credited His perfect devotion to your account. God sees you as one who leads the perfectly disciplined and Godward life, because you wear the righteous robe of the One who did.
Now then, knowing how we are so loved by God, let us discpline ourselves in the means of grace so we may love Him more in return.
Labels: Spiritual disciplines
posted by Tim Shorey at
11:06 AM
2 Comments:
Thank you for this post Tim! So good... and what a finish!
There is a new work of grace taking place in my heart, and in our family of late. After many dry years, the cross is coming back into focus-- God is so patient. Thank you for your part in this brother. I think I'm ready to seriously take up some of the "disciplines" once again.
We are being ministered to by Sovereign Grace music as well. This morning on my drive in, I was deeply moved by "A Debtor to Mercy." (Bob Kauflin) Beautiful melody, wonderful words.
Musing on your recent thoughts concerning the spiritual disciplines reminded me of something Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said: "How often do we hear about the discipline of the Christian life these days? How often do we talk about it? How often is it really to be found at the heart of our evangelical living? There was a time in the Christian church when this was at the very center, and it is, I profoundly believe, because of our neglect of this discipline that the church is in her present position. Indeed, I see no hope whatsoever of any true revival and reawakening until we return to it."
For those reading this blog, might I recommend as a follow-up and reinforcement to Tim's counsel, "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Donald S. Whitney. It is perhaps the best resource available, certainly in our day, on the spiritual disciplines and their importance and practice from a Biblical perspective.
Thanks Tim for your teaching and for modeling the truth for us. You serve us well in helping us to be better followers of the Savior. You indeed exemplify the Biblical mandate to "practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Tim. 4:15-16)."
Thanks.
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