The Role of Discipline in the Christian Life
Introduction
The role of discipline in the Christian life cannot be overlooked if one is to have a proper view of growth in godliness. Discipline is not drudgery nor is it legalism. Discipline for the sake of godliness aims to become like Christ. Discipline for the sake of godliness is not withdrawing from the world for the pursuit of godliness. Pursuing godliness apart from being a follower of Christ who is committed to making disciples is not what the Apostles taught. Jesus in Luke 9:23 taught that a disciple must come to Jesus, learn from Him, and take up one’s Cross. In other words a disciple is one who comes to Christ, engages the process of sanctification and goes out and makes disciples. Discipline without the goal of becoming like Christ is futile! This highlights the reason why the role of discipline in the Christian life is so important. Holiness is not an option in the process of evangelism but is an integral part of being a disciple of Christ.
The role of discipline in the Christian life
1st Timothy 4:6-15 is about how Timothy should be shaped by the Gospel. Both paragraphs in this section (vv.6-10 and 11-16) open with a call for Timothy to speak certain truths to the congregation. The focus is on how Timothy, by his teaching and lifestyle, can help the church preserver in the face of false teaching.
Dr. Donald Whitney said, “The spiritual disciplines are the God-given means we are to use in the Spirit-filled pursuit of godliness.” Throughout the History of the Church the men and women God has used the most have been those who are godly. Godliness is not a suggestion as Paul says in 1st Timothy 4:7 believers are to train themselves for the purpose of godliness.
God uses accountability to sharpen off the dross of our lives (Proverbs 27:17). God will use our friends, family, neighbors and fellow church members to sharpen our lives into Christlike living; sometimes the Lord even chooses to use our enemies, and critics. The Lord also uses our parents, children, spouses, co-workers, customers, teachers, and pastors… God changes us through these people.
The Lord also uses situations and circumstances to bring about a change in our lives (Romans 8:28). Financial pressures, physical conditions, even the weather are used in the hands of Divine Providence to stimulate His elect toward holiness.
Discipline for the sake of itself is not helpful. When an athlete trains for an event he does so to further his goals of becoming a champion. With this analogy in mind the same is true in the believer’s walk with God. Discipline for the sake of discipline is not profitable for the Christian unless his pursuit is Jesus. No person by their own self-discipline will become holy for growth in holiness is a gift from the Lord (John 17:17; 1 Thess 5:23, Hebrews 2:11).
Spiritual disciplines are the means God uses in the life of the believer to grow in godliness. Spiritual disciplines are God’s grace for the believer they are not the object of grace. Spiritual growth is only possibly because of Jesus who is the object, and where the content of our faith, comes from. The means of grace is the work of the Holy Spirit who changes believers from the inside out, and to this end the Holy Spirit uses spiritual disciplines to conform the believer to Christ. Charles Spurgeon said, “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.”
Paul was teaching Timothy in 1st Timothy 4:6-15 about the importance of being shaped by the Gospel. His words to Timothy in 1st Timothy 4:6 are not a suggestion they are a command. Holiness is not an option for those who claim to be children of the Holy One (1st Peter 1:15-16), so neither are spiritual disciplines, a means of grace, an option for the believer.
Proverbs 23:12. The purpose of discipline is to get us to discipline ourselves. The expectation of discipline is the offer of Jesus in Matthew 11:29. The same is true of the offer of discipleship by Jesus in Luke 9:23. To be a disciple is to learn and follow Jesus. Learning and following require discipline for those who only learn and follow whenever they feel like it; they are not true disciples. The heart of discipleship is confirmed by Galatians 5:22-23 which says that spiritual self-discipline (self-control) is one of the most evident marks of being Spirit-controlled.
By neglecting the spiritual disciplines we face the danger of bearing little fruit for God’s glory. Every believer has spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). The presence of spiritual gifts does not mean that one will be fruitful. The only way natural gifts are developed is through discipline and the same is true with spiritual gifts; if one wants to bear fruit for God then they must discipline themselves for the purpose of godliness.
The purpose of spiritual disciplines is not to lead us into legalism but into growth in God’s grace. The final reward of spiritual disciplines should be what motivates us rather than the promise of “being a better person”. In spiritual disciplines there is freedom from self-centeredness, in disciplines such as worship, service and evangelism. Freedom of godliness is the freedom to what God calls for in Scripture, and the freedom to expression of character, qualities of Christ, brought forth through our own personality. This kind of freedom is the reward or result of the blessing of God upon our engagement of the spiritual disciplines.
Conclusion
Discipline for the sake of discipline is unprofitable. Discipline must have direction and the object of that pursuit should be the goal of godliness. A disciplined Christian is not a joy killer but a joy pursuer. The disciplined Christian delights himself/herself in the Lord. To pursue Jesus one has to delight in Him. Sadly, too often, discipline is viewed as a “ball-in-chain” rather than an opportunity to delight oneself in the Lord. When the Christian life is viewed as a set of rules and regulations, joy is eliminated. When this happens confusion ensues. When discipline in godliness is removed from joy in Christ all that is left is the pursuit of misguided obedience. Obedience in Scripture is tied to the work of the Holy Spirit (John 14-15).
The Holy Spirit is at work in the believer to convict them of sin but also to point them to the Truthfulness and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. Since the Holy Spirit is not a joy killer but the source of the believer’s joy in Christ, it goes to reason that for the Christian, to live without joy is impossible. The command of Psalm 37:4, “To delight oneself in the Lord” is not an option. The joy of the Lord truly is our strength. Discipline for the sake of godliness apart from joy is not profitable but burdensome. Many people today associate discipline with legalism but that is not the case. Discipline is tied to godliness, which is tied to the pursuit of joy. The whole goal for the Christian is to delight oneself in the Lord and by doing so one will find joy in the Lord. One cannot delight in something without finding joy. One cannot obey the Lord without understanding why they need to be obedient. Obedience to Christ must be grounded in the understanding of joy with the goal of godliness which results in becoming like Christ. Without this understanding the Christian life will become a set of rules, but with understanding the role of discipline, tied with joy, the believer will live with increasing victory over sin because they delight in Jesus who is victorious over sin and death.
Whitney, Donald, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado: NavPress, 1991), 17.
C.H. Spuregon, “Peace by Believing,” in Metroploitan Tabernacle Pulpit (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1864; reprint, Pasenda, TX: Pilgrim Publications, 1970), vol.9, page 283
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