Being Conformed thru Discipline part 3

"Discipline Without Direction Is Drudgery"

“We do not want to be beginners.  But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners all our life!” Thomas Merton

The word for discipline in the New Testament is  "Gumnasia" = To Exercise Discipline… note to exercise, and the word gym in the Greek word gumnasia.  We must exercise the spiritual disciplines if we are to get stronger, be in shape in Jesus. The disciplines are NEVER an end to themselves, but rather they put me in a place to see and be with Jesus.  Conisder…

Luke 18:35f As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Luke 19:1f Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny

himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

“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.” Charles Spurgeon

There is a Danger in neglecting the Spiritual Disciplines and then atrophy will set in. Rather there is a Freedom in Embracing the Spiritual Disciplines

2 Peter 1:6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness

The Spiritual Disciplines are the “Door to Liberation.” Richard Foster

“Freedom and discipline have come to be regarded as mutually exclusive, when in fact freedom is not at all the opposite, but the final reward, of discipline.” Elizabeth Elliot

There is an Invitation to All Believers to Enjoy the Spiritual Disciplines

 “My central aim is that we can become like Christ by doing one thing—by following Him in the overall style of life he chose for Himself.  If we have faith in Christ, we must believe that He knew how to live.  We can, through faith and grace, become like Christ by practicing the types of activities He engaged in, by arranging our whole lives around the activities He Himself practiced in order to remain constantly at home in the fellowship of His Father.” Dallas Willard

Next time the Spiritual Disciplines to consider for our lives in following Jesus.