THE EASY YOKE OF THE DISCIPLINED LIFE

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A Research Paper Presented to Dr. Coy Roper and the faculty of Heritage Christian University Florence, Alabama

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As a Requirement for a Masters of Arts in Biblical Studies: New Testament

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by

Scott Lambert May 2004

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 II. KNOWING GOD, WALKING WITH HIM, AND BECOMING LIKE CHRIST . . . . 4 A. Knowing God and Walking With Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 B. Becoming Like Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 C. The Sanctified Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 III. JESUS CALL TO THE DISCIPLINED LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 A. Follow Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 B. The Need for a Disciplined Life . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 IV. PAULS CALL TO THE DISCIPLINED LIFE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 A. Train Yourself to be Godly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 B. Mortify the Flesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 C. The Imitation of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 V. THE LIFESTYLE OF JESUS IN THE GOSPELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 VI. THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS AND THE APOSTLES CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 A. Fasting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 B. Simplicity and Frugality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 C. Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 D. Solitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 E. Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 F. Bible Study and Meditation .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 G. Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 H. Submission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 VII. WARNINGS AND THE NEED FOR BALANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

VIII. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 WORKS CITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

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I. INTRODUCTION

The church of Jesus Christ has long recognized that Jesus came not only to offer justification for the sins of mankind but to offer a way for His followers to be sanctified or made holy, both forensically and practically. Thus, the Doctrine of Sanctification is ever before the church as a call to grow in holiness. Therefore, the Christian life is experienced as one of gradual growth into the likeness of Christ. This is the goal of discipleship, namely, to become like the Master. Yet, as researchers view statistics, as church leaders observe their congregations, and as Christians consider their own lives, apparently something is missing, for often the church does not sufficiently differ from the culture around it. If one believes the Bible, then he/she must affirm that Christians can change in their moral lives. But, in order to do so, discipleship must be embraced as a psychological reality and life-driving principle in the life of the Christian. Christlikeness must be an attainable goal, as 2 Corinthians 3:18 so boldly proclaims! Yet, if it is, then exactly what does it mean to be like Christ, and how does one go about doing it? For some reason, the constant flow of rhetoric within the various churches concerning sanctification is failing to produce the fruit of holiness in the practical lives of the membership. This writer believes that virtually the entire evangelical community has unintentionally over several centuries come to deny itself the tools available for true

growth in the Christian life and for being able to live in the easy yoke of discipleship. As will be discussed throughout this paper, when the Apostle John writes, Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:6), he intends that statement to be taken literally, not just metaphorically.1 In other words, disciples of Jesus Christ are called to embrace the very lifestyle of Jesus. Thus, intentionally ordering ones life as Jesus ordered His with the help of the indwelling Spirit -- will help the modern Christian come to enjoy the abundant life of holiness that Jesus enjoyed. Unfortunately, in the name of salvation by grace alone through faith alone, the evangelical church has seemingly become paranoid about anything that could be construed in any way as pursuing good works in connection with ones salvation.2 Paul was adamant about the doctrine of salvation by faith and taught much concerning it, yet it must be recognized that the idea of salvation is a complex and multi-faceted concept. When Jesus came to save us from our sins, He was doing more than just providing some kind of abstract, technical, formality of justification as eternally important as that truth is! Rather, He also came to save His people in the sense of helping them learn how to live in practical terms, providing both teachings and examples of how to live in and grow in holiness or sanctification. All of this gets confused by those who have come to overly emphasize the justification aspect alone. Therefore, it is the purpose of this paper to explore whether or not Christians are

All biblical quotes in this paper will be taken from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.
1

This started with the Reformation overreaction against the works righteousness of the Roman Catholic Church, and has become galvanized into the evangelical consciousness over several centuries.
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called to follow Jesus in the very examples of His daily lifestyle, as they strive to grow in holiness as disciples of Christ. The New Testament will be examined for evidence calling for the church to embrace the lifestyle of Jesus, both in consideration of His daily life examples and His teachings on the Spiritual Disciplines. Furthermore, the teachings of the Apostle Paul and other biblical and extrabiblical writers will also be explored. This writer believes that for the individual Christian to realize, in his/her daily life, the abundant life Jesus promised and to enjoy the gift of the easy yoke of discipleship, he/she must come to walk as Jesus did. Through embracing what is called the disciplined life by intentionally exercising the Spiritual Disciplines, the church (while avoiding legalism) should actively and purposefully do the things Jesus, Paul, and the early Christians did as they came to know God, walk with Him, and become like Him.

II. KNOWING GOD, WALKING WITH HIM, AND BECOMING LIKE CHRIST A. Knowing God and Walking with Him Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:22, 24). Noah was a righteous man and he walked with God (Genesis 6:9). Yahweh commanded Abraham, I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless (Genesis 17:1). I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people, declared the Lord of Israel (Leviticus 26:12). The Apostle John writes, Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:6). Jesus Christ repeatedly invites any and all who will come to Him, Follow me. The calling is colossal; the experience is inexpressible; the prize is precious. The quest to know God and walk with Him is the greatest journey upon which a man will ever venture. As Augustine proclaimed, O Lord, Thou hast created us for Thyself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.3 Thankfully, finding ones rest in Thee refers not only to the hope of heaven, but to the promise that one can know and walk with God in this life! Jesus assured His followers in John 14 that He would not leave them as orphans. He would come to them, in that the Father would send another Counselor, the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, Jesus assured His disciples in the same passage that they would come to realize His promise when I am in my father, and you are in me, and I am in you
3

Saint Augustine, Confessions, Book One.

(John 14:20). Jesus pledge corresponds with God the Fathers promise to never leave or forsake His people, a promise first proclaimed in Deuteronomy 31:6 and later reaffirmed in Hebrews 13:5. Similarly, Jesus Himself promised, I will be with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). All of this is the language of intimacy and relationship. Yet, even with all of the personal relationship with Jesus talk that permeates the Christian community, many still wonder if one can really come to know God in a personal way. Impossible! some might say, God is transcendent. But He is also immanent. God is other than. But He also walked the earth as a man and remains with and in His people through His Holy Spirit. Thus, the Bibles writers declare the impossible, possible. Man can know God and walk with Him! The Transcendent, Eternal, Spirit God is a God of relationships; and, Jesus often spoke in terms of such intimacy, concerning both His relations with His Father and with His disciples.4 Similarly, James speaks of Abraham being called Gods friend (James 2:23), and Exodus 33:11 declares, The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul contrasts those who know God with those who do not.5 Paul also speaks of how Christians come to know Christ (Ephesians 4:20). Are such statements to be taken figuratively or literally? Can one truly know God through Jesus Christ? Indeed, there must be some sense in which the child of God can actually know his/her Father -- not just simply know things about Him but truly know Him in the intimacy of a father/child relationship. Christs intimacy with the Father: John 10:30, 38; 14:10; 17:5; 22-23; et al. Christs intimacy with His disciples: John 13:1; 15:9; 15:13; Galatians 2:20; et al.
4 5

Galatians 4:8-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Titus 1:16.

Furthermore, a most interesting connection is made in the aforementioned Ephesians 4 passage between coming to know Christ and ones moral transformation, which brings a natural transition to the second point. Not only can one come to truly know and walk with God through faith in Jesus Christ, but in doing so he will be fundamentally changed through moral transformation. Thus, Paul speaks of being transformed by the renewing of your mind, which is coupled with the call to offer your bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). In Colossians 3, Paul teaches about moral transformation in light of resurrection hope, where Christians are commanded to put to death and rid yourselves of sin by put[ting] on the new self, which is being renewed in the image of its creator. He also makes other equally remarkable statements, speaking of Christ being formed in you (Galatians 4:19) and proclaiming how we are being transformed into [Christs] likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). Speaking of the ultimate and final transformation of Gods children at the end of time, the Apostle John teaches that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). In light of this promise, John urges his readers to purify themselves here in this life (v. 3). If such statements are true, then one can actually come to know and/or experience God in a truly relational way this side of heaven, and, through this relationship, a man or womans character and spiritual sensitivities can in fact be transformed and grown in some dynamic and substantive way in this life. Thus, spiritual development and moral change must be possible. But, is moral transformation practical? And, if it is, then how does one do it? Is moral transformation unto holiness purely the work of the Holy Spirit, or is there some role for the Christian himself to play in cooperation with the Spirit? 6

Many have undertaken to find the answers to these questions, while many more simply relegate themselves to the belief that, even though these concepts are attractive, they are far too idealistic and simply unattainable in this life. Sadly, too many Christians throw up their hands and declare that striving to come to know God is too difficult and substantive long-term moral change is simply too hard to actualize. R.C. Sproul, speaking of his own life quest for positive change, stresses how a sustained effort over a short period of time can bring dramatic results. But for long-lasting, indeed permanent, results the effort must be sustained without ceasing. So it is with spiritual attainment. We can shed sinful habits and desires momentarily after a brief exhilarating experience. But without sustained spiritual discipline, moments of spiritual achievement give way to ongoing failure. Authentic spirituality remains elusive.6 Others make similar statements, framed in all sorts of imagery. Donald Whitney speaks of how many people are spiritually frustrated: Prayer threatens to become drudgery. The practical value of meditation on Scripture seems uncertain. The real purpose of a discipline like fasting is often unclear.7 Richard Foster blames the problem, in part, on an age of general spiritual shallowness, as he writes, Superficiality is a curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.8 John Ortberg speaks of being disappointed with himself for his R.C. Sproul, The Souls Quest for God (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), 9.
6

Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1991) 16.
7 8

Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperSanFransisco, 1998), 1. 7

lack of holiness, even to the point of being disappointed with his lack of disappointment;9 yet, he has come to believe he can be changed through spiritual metamorphosis.10 Ortberg and others argue that this morphing comes through training rather than simply trying.11 The sentiments vary but the cry remains the same: people seem disappointed, floundering, and confused in their Christian walks of faith, often settling for less than they ought. They desire a relevant, life-changing, soul-building relationship with Christ that will lead them to be like Him -- but mediocrity prevails. Can one know God and walk with Him? And in doing so, can one in some way become more like Jesus Christ? What does it even mean to be like Christ? And how does one ever get there? Furthermore, can a Christian train in some sense, as Ortberg suggests, in order to experience the moral change and spiritual growth he so desperately desires, so as to be like Christ? This paper answers that question affirmatively.

B. Becoming Like Christ The rhetoric of becoming more like Christ pervades the churchs prayers and preaching. But what exactly do people mean by it? In what ways do they wish to be like Christ? And how does one do it? What does the process look like? How can one go about growing in Christ? Are there any practical steps a Christian can take to promote John Ortberg, The Life Youve Always Wanted (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), 13-16.
9

Ibid., 22-24. Ortberg builds upon Pauls use of metamorfou^sqe in Romans 12:2 in his promotion of morphing.
10 11

Ibid., 45-62.

spiritual formation? How is a believer empowered to pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14, NASB), to flee immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18), to purify ourselves perfecting holiness (2 Corinthians 7:1)? Are there any specific things a Christian can do to train his faculties by practice (Hebrews 5:14, NRSV) or to train [himself] to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7)? Certainly there are. And these questions are answered in resolution of the question posed earlier: What does it mean to be like Christ? This paper will show how one can come to know God, walk with Him, and grow in the likeness of Christ by truly coming to live as Jesus lived, not just in attitude or disposition but in the overall lifestyle Jesus Christ embraced. In other words, if one will intentionally (though never legalistically) do the things Jesus did in His everyday life, he will come to know Jesus secret for living and will grow to be like Him.12 Jesus repeatedly called others to Follow Me. Follow Him how? In every way. To be like Christ, to live in Christ, to follow Him, to walk with Him, the Christian must not only believe in Jesus in some abstract way, but he must obey His teachings, embrace His attitudes, and follow His examples. To follow Jesus as His disciple does not mean one simply applies a few principles from Jesus life to his own life; rather, to follow Jesus Christ means to live as He lived.13 To come after Jesus means to embrace His It must always be remembered that in emulating Christs life in ones own life, a disciple of Jesus is trying to apply Jesus lifestyle and attitudes to his/her own life situation in culturally and contextually appropriate ways. For example, a female follower of Christ is not seeking to become masculine. One does not have to wear tunics and sandals. Literal foot washing may not be necessary in the modern church.
12

Dallas Willard qualifies what it means to embrace the lifestyle of Christ and to be His disciple, And as a disciple of Jesus I am with him, by choice and by grace, learning from him how to live in the kingdom of God. This is the crucial idea. That means how to live within the range of Gods effective will, his life flowing through mine. Another important way of putting this is to say that I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he
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overall lifestyle and take His teachings seriously and literally, not explaining either away as being too difficult or too idealistic. Thomas a` Kempis called it the imitation of Christ. The ascetics called it the disciplined life. Others call it the sanctified life. Some speak of maturity. Others, discipleship. Still others, new life. These are all good and biblical descriptions. Whatever one calls it does not matter as much as whether one takes it seriously and lives it. Jesus said, I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10, NRSV). So, to this author, it is simply the abundant life. And what a journey of grace, growth, and glory this LIFE is.

C. The Sanctified Life The concept of holiness, and growth in it, is one of the most important topics in the Bible for the practical life of the Christian. So, before examining Jesus own life and His calling for His followers, it seems wise to briefly explore the theological foundation underlying this subject of spiritual formation in practical holiness, which is expressed in the theological terminology of The Doctrine of Sanctification. The basic concepts of sanctification are quite simple and should be readily understood by every Christian. Sanctification is commonly defined as the setting apart or making holy of a believer or object by God for service to God. It combines the concepts of dedication, ritual purity, separation, and moral cleanness.14 Furthermore, the great theologians of the church have would live life if he were I. I am not necessarily learning to do everything he did, but I am learning how to do everything I do in the manner in which he did all that he did (italics added). This quote appeared in The Christian Century, April 22-29, 1998, pp. 430-439 and is adapted from The Divine Conspiracy (see note 28). Walter Elwell, ed., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 1984 ed., s.v. Sanctification, by R. E. O. White.
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discovered in the Bible a two-fold nature of sanctification; these two elements may be thought of as objective or formal and subjective or moral sanctification. First, Jesus Christ, through His justifying work on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, has set apart and made holy the believer in the sight of God. This is an objective fact in the sense that it is beyond the Christian himself -- it is a declaration of innocence and holiness on the believers behalf by God. Therefore, the believers holiness is a positional and formal reality. Again, one is set apart and declared to be holy by God, much as the concept is found in the Old Testament.15 A second understanding of sanctification is also found in Christian doctrine as the subjective, progressive working of Gods grace within the believers life, in which both God and man cooperate in mans becoming more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.16 This idea of moral transformation unto spiritual maturity is the most common understanding of sanctification in Christian thought. Technically, it is the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer who is bringing about the sanctifying work of God in the believers life.17 Therefore, it must be Gods will that His people grow in practical holiness, which is supported by the following verse: For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29, italics added). The believers conformation into

Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941), 527. See also: Emery Bancroft, Elemental Theology (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publishing, 1996), 286-287.
15 16

Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), 753. 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18; etc.

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the likeness of Jesus Christ is part of Gods eternal plan for the salvation of His children. Therefore, Gods desire is for His people to be holy, not just in a positional or technical sense, nor simply in eternity, but in their practical everyday lives on earth. Of course, the most obvious evidence of the Spirits sanctifying work in the everyday life of the believer is the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5. Yet, while God is active in bringing His people to holiness, this life-long journey of growth must be pursued whole-heartedly by the Christian in cooperation with Gods indwelling Spirit, for it should be the active desire of the believers heart to become more and more like Jesus. After all, the Christian is called to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:23-24). Grudem points out both a passive role, whereby the believer yields himself to Gods sanctifying work, and an active role, whereby the believer diligently strives for holiness.18 The Apostle Paul notices the reality of this shared working of God and man in his charge to the Philippians, Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13, NRSV). Specifically how the Holy Spirit guides the believer in spiritual formation is a question of debate. The concepts range from Gods audible speaking to people, to the Spirits imperceptible but active guidance, to a total denial of the Spirits direct work

Grudem, 754-755. A survey of any variety of reputable systematic theology books will help the reader come to a fuller understanding of The Doctrine of Sanctification, a more detailed explanation of which is beyond the scope of this paper.
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within the believer. Those from the charismatic camp might argue that the Spirit guides them by speaking directly to them or through the still small voice of Elijahs experience (1 Kings 19:12). On the other side of the spectrum, some from the Churches of Christ might declare that the Holy Spirit does not work directly in any way whatsoever in the believers life, thus relegating the role of the Holy Spirit in sanctification to the inspiration of the Scriptures alone. They would argue it is solely the believers responsibility to strive after holiness through obedience to the Bible. Various middle positions are held by Reformed believers and others, whereby the Holy Spirit is active in helping the Christian through illumination of the Scriptures and direct, but not overwhelming or even perceivable, guidance.19 The Bible is clear in that, in some sense, the Christian comes to grow in holiness through the indwelling of and cooperation with the Holy Spirit. After all, the Bible makes repeated claims that the Holy Spirit does indeed indwell and assist the Christian.20 Furthermore, if one couples the fact of the indwelling with the teaching that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), he/she can affirm both the activity of the Spirit in the believers life and the power of the word of God in guiding one to maturity. This writer believes in both the active working of the Holy Spirit (if primarily through the Scriptures) in the life of the Christian, as well as the Christians need to diligently strive to apply the teachings and embrace the lifestyle of Jesus Christ. The role of the Holy Scriptures in the practical life of the disciple of Christ will be See Sproul chapters 2-4 for an excellent explanation of the Reformed views of the primacy of Scripture and the doctrine of divine illumination.
19 20

John 14:17; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2 Timothy 1:14; et al.

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discussed later in this paper. For now, one can savor the words of the Psalmist, who declares the blessed man to be he whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:2-3a). Suffice it to say that the word of God is a source of life.21 Of course, the shared symbolism between the Psalmists statement and Jesus words in John should not be lost: Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive (John 7:37-39). Indeed, the work of the Holy Spirit in the believers life is experienced inseparably, if not exclusively, in connection with the Holy Scriptures.

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:23)
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III. JESUS CALL TO THE DISCIPLINED LIFE A. Follow Me Whether a casual reader or a diligent student of the Bible, one cannot help but notice the repeated call of Jesus Christ Follow me.22 From Jesus own injunctions to come after me and follow me, to His stressing of obedience,23 to the Apostles own teachings concerning following Jesus example (1 Peter 2:21) and the need to walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:6), Christianity is clearly built upon the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. And, certainly, many churches give much attention, if in rhetoric alone, to helping equip and encourage people to become more like Jesus. Yet, people ask, What exactly does it mean to follow Jesus and be like Him? Are Christians simply to obey His teachings and try to emulate His attitudes of love and compassion? Or, is there more? These questions lead to others: What about following Jesus example? What does Jesus mean when He says, Take my yoke upon you (Matthew 11:29), and how does one deny himself and take up his cross daily (Matthew 16:24)? And, specifically, what was Jesus trying to teach when He washed the disciples feet, saying, I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you (John 13:15)? The answers to these questions will help one gain a practical understanding of how to progress in the holiness of Christlikeness. Still, for some inexplicable reason, the answers seem elusive. Perhaps Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21; and parallels. Also: John. 1:43; 10:27; 12:26; 21:19, 22.
22 23

Matthew 28:20; Luke 6:47; Luke 11:28; John 14:15, 21, 23; et al. 15

the reason the easy yoke remains unrealized is because the answers are all too obvious. Maybe the problem is they seem to demand too much. For, while most churches probably believe they are helping people grow in Christ, this author suspects that, if asked, the majority of Christians would readily admit that the call to true discipleship and holiness is going unrealized and unenjoyed in their lives. After all, the bar seems so high, the way too difficult, the demands too extreme. The true goal seems out of reach. The teachings of Jesus are deemed too idealistic, and, therefore, will not come to practical realization in my life. And, while His lifestyle was good for a prophet or a Suffering Servant, many feel God could not really expect a 21st century Christian to live like that, could He? This appears to be the attitude of frustration, stagnation, and/or mediocrity that many Christians have adopted. The abundant life goes unenjoyed. Christianity must offer something substantially better and profoundly nobler for its adherents than what many of them are currently experiencing. Or does it? It seems as if many Christians are settling for less, because more seems out of reach -- the narrow way appears too difficult. G. K. Chesterton aptly stated, Christianity has not so much been tried and found wanting, as it has been found difficult and left untried.24 So what is missing? Where is the easy yoke? Can the sanctified life actually be experienced and enjoyed, not in attaining absolute perfection, but at least to some meaningful degree? Where is this abundant life Jesus promised? Is it in heaven alone, or is the abundant life available now? Can a lover of God truly know Him, walk with Him, and come to be like Him, here and now? The answer must be, Yes. But how then is it done? Furthermore, in light of Jesus words in Matthew 11, Take my yoke upon you,
24

Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York: Harper Collins, 1988), 1. 16

and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (vv. 29-30), it would seem reasonable that the way of the wicked should be the one considered more burdensome than the easy yoke of the disciple. After all, Proverbs 13:15 does proclaim, the way of the transgressors is hard (KJV). Yet, for many people, the Christian life is considered more difficult and burdensome than is the way of the world. Some Christians even join King David in feeling like the sinful are free to prosper, while the redeemed feel hopelessly burdened (Psalm 73). Christians are not living in the realization of their victory in Christ Jesus and enjoying the life of freedom He promised. Dallas Willard, in dealing with Jesus statement about the easy yoke, sums up the impotence and confusion many Christians feel: In all honesty, most Christians probably find both Jesus statement and its reiteration by the author of 1 John (5:3) to be more an expression of hope or even a mere wish than a statement about the substance of their lives. To many, Jesus words are frankly bewildering. We hear them often quoted, because the idea they express is obviously one that attracts and delights, but there seems to be something about the way we approach them, something about what we think it means to walk with Christ and obey Him, that prevents most of us from entering into the reality which they express. The ease, lightness, and power of His Way we rarely enjoy, much less see, as the pervasive and enduring quality of our streetlevel human existence. So we do not have the strength we should have, and Jesus commandments become overwhelmingly burdensome to us. In fact, many Christians cannot even believe He actually intended for us to carry them out. So what is the result? His teachings are treated as a mere ideal, one that we may better ourselves by aiming for but know we are bound to fall glaringly short of.25 So how does one come to experience the light burden and easy yoke of following Jesus?

25

Ibid., 2. 17

Is there some way to follow Jesus and appropriate the blessings of the Christlike life beyond simply trying to obey Jesus commandments in some abstract, compartmentalized, and isolated way, especially in a culture and time as distant from Jesus as today? The fact is, there are aspects of Jesus life and/or teachings that modern Christians are missing the blessings of. Sanctifications change is a practical goal and not just the abstract ideal of theologians or the rhetorical ideal of preachers. Christians are free to pursue the new life Jesus offers and live it in abundance! The Apostle John gave this charge: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:6). Johns context is the believers obedience to Jesus commands, which often seem overly burdensome and beyond actualization. But, as stated earlier, John is saying that in order to follow Jesus and successfully obey His teachings one must actually walk as Jesus did. In other words, Jesus Christ is calling His followers to embrace the very lifestyle He lived in order to experience the freedom and fellowship with the Father He enjoyed. This writer has come to believe that in order to appropriate the power of the easy yoke and light burden, one must actually follow Jesus Christ in His overall manner of life. Furthermore, Jesus and the Evangelists have left an example for Christians to follow from Jesus overall daily lifestyle. Thomas a` Kempis concurs in the opening lines of his famed The Imitation of Christ, writing, We are admonished to follow His teachings and His manner of living, if we would truly be enlightened and delivered from all blindness of heart.26 Thomas a` Kempis, The Imitation of Christ (New York: Doubleday, 1989), 31. (italics added)
26

18

B. The Need for a Disciplined Life True Christians dream of living a holy life of knowing God and walking with Him. They want to follow Jesus. And they want to be like Him, at least at certain points in time -- points of temptation, difficulty, or decision. But can one think or act as Jesus would at such points in time without preparing the way He prepared and living the way He lived all of the rest of the time? It appears that only in religion do people actually try to find success in such an abstract and dislocated way. Dallas Willard writes, The secret of the easy yoke is simple, actually. It is the intelligent, informed, unyielding, resolve to live as Jesus lives in all aspects of His life, not just in the moment of specific choice or action.27 Everyone, other than a child, realizes that incredible effort must be expended behind the scenes before one can enjoy success in any significant area of endeavor. Endless examples could be given, but consider the following suggestion: A young man is impressed with the unmatched fighting style of the late martial arts master Bruce Lee, and he aspires to be like Lee. But, is the young man willing to live and train as Lee did? Bruce Lee rigorously trained eight or more hours a day, throwing countless thousands of punches, dissecting the mechanics of the moves, practicing slowly and intentionally so as to train for speed through muscle memory, diligently studying all forms of the martial arts, etc. Furthermore, he lived as a vegetarian, meditated often, and contemplated philosophy. Such an overall lifestyle of disciplined training is absolutely mandatory in
27

Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 10. 19

order to even approach the greatness of a fighter like Bruce Lee. Other examples are possible. Excellence in athletics, musicianship, scholarly studies, artistry, etc., all require a lifestyle of complete devotion to the endeavor at hand. True excellence in any field demands ones fullest commitment, coupled with a level of training and discipline that will ensure success. Certainly, becoming a student and following ones master in a given field is the very definition of discipleship. How then does one expect to be like Jesus without truly living as Jesus lived in the very foundational aspects of His life? One cannot. What He did, seemingly by nature as the sinless and perfect God/man, can only be accomplished by His disciples through His help and their committed exercise unto godliness (1 Timothy 4:7, KJV). So it is that devoted disciples of every era have given themselves wholly to Jesus by taking on His yoke of training and picking up their cross and following Him -that is, by embracing the lifestyle of Jesus through what have come to be known as the Spiritual Disciplines. Grudem states, The New Testament does not suggest any shortcuts by which we can grow in sanctification, but simply encourages us repeatedly to give ourselves to the old-fashioned, time-honored means of Bible reading and meditation, prayer, worship, witnessing, Christian fellowship, self-discipline and self-control.28 John Ortberg confesses, If Jesus practiced solitude, silence, prayer, simple living, submission and worship on a regular basis, the only way for me to become more like Him is to arrange my life as He arranged His. Again, for Ortberg, ones entering into

28

Grudem, 755.

20

intentional acts of spiritual discipline that allows him/her to be morphed into the likeness of Christ. In other words, it takes great dedication, determination, intentionality, perseverance, practice, commitment, and training to experience this change that Ortberg calls morphing. Clearly, the path of discipleship in any area of life is one of learning, training, striving, failing, trying again, imitating the master, practicing, perfecting, exercising, etc. Why would being a disciple of Jesus be any different? 29 The Apostle Paul, as will be discussed more fully later, speaks of disciplined spiritual exercise in his exhortation to Timothy, telling his young apprentice, Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (1 Timothy 4:7b-8). Or, as the NASB translates it, Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. The context makes it clear that Paul is speaking of the need to train oneself in godliness with all of the dedication and discipline of athletic training. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul pursued spiritual training for himself, as is witnessed by his statements concerning his own strict training in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Throughout church history, many godly men and women, some in healthy ways and others to the ill-health of extremes, have persevered in exercising themselves unto godliness. They have embraced the disciplined life. For Thomas a` Kempis and others,

29

John C. Ortberg, Jr., One Minute Maturity, Leadership XII (Spring, 1991): 26-27.

21

pursuing the imitation of Christ brought them to experience the easy yoke of Christian discipleship. Yet, what began as an absolute necessity for the early church as a whole -namely the radical guarding of ones holiness through spiritual discipline in the face of a pagan society -- later turned into the individual pursuit of the few, as the monastic orders rose in response to a compromised Constantinian church.30 Unfortunately, within a few centuries after Christ the church embraced the world, was accepted into the main stream of society, and lost much of her holiness. The disciplined life and the pursuit of holiness became confined to the monastery. A thousand years later, because of the abuses of mysticism, monasticism, and the works righteousness of Roman Catholicism, and, in part, because of the overreaction of the Protestant Reformers against such things, the modern Protestant churches came in time to all but abandon the Spiritual Disciplines as a practical means to spiritual maturity. The proverbial baby was thrown out with the bath water. According to Willard, through an overemphasis on grace and the prevalence of a doctrine of sin management, the Protestant churches in general have stripped their people of the means by which they can come to experience the easy yoke of Jesus calling to follow Him in true discipleship.31

Dallas Willard argues that Paul did not teach more concerning the specifics of the Spiritual Disciplines, as such, because he assumed the first century Christians were walking in them. The passing references he does make seem to require no further explanation, as if Timothy and the Corinthian church knew well to what he was referring. (Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 95.)
30

The concept of a doctrine of sin management, in contrast to an actual, substantive, practical, daily-relevant new life, is one of the main points of Dallas Willards book, The Divine Conspiracy, specifically chapter 2. This book marks the last installment in a trilogy on Christian discipleship, of which The Spirit of the Disciplines is the second. Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998), 35-59.
31

22

If Willard is right in proclaiming that Jesus did not simply come to provide forgiveness of sins in some abstract or legal way, but rather also came to deliver the practical kingdom reign of God into the lives of His followers in this present life, then there is much to be learned from how Jesus lived in His everyday manner of life. In order to experience the abundant life of Christ, there must be a way to reemploy the Spiritual Disciplines without being dragged into the burden of legalism, the abuses of works salvation, or the subjectivism of mysticism.

23

IV. PAULS CALL TO THE DISCIPLINED LIFE The Apostle Paul clearly saw the need for intentionally pursuing a life of spiritual discipline. He framed his teachings in the symbolism of both athletics and the mortification of the flesh in coming to the imitation of Christ. Paul seemingly realized all too well the struggle that exists within the believer in his/her quest for holiness, and he offers much teaching concerning the battle for personal holiness.

A. Train Yourself to Be Godly First, exercising his popular athletics theme, Paul speaks in First Corinthians concerning the need to live a disciplined life of spiritual training: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

This passage clearly demonstrates that Paul believed in and practiced deliberate training for spiritual ends. Similarly, Paul called Timothy to Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (1 Timothy 4:7b-8).32 Apparently, Paul believed strongly in the purposed ordering of ones life around a planned lifestyle of The word translated train in Pauls exhortation to Timothy is the Greek word gumna'zw, a form of the word gumnasia, from which English derives gymnastics.
32

24

spiritual exercise the disciplined life. The terminology disciplined life is used in this paper because of the negative bias presupposed upon the concept of asceticism. Yet, a healthy level of selfdenial is partly what is being promoted here, as witnessed in Jesus and Pauls lives and teachings.33 The early church also recognized the need for some degree of ascetic selfdenial for the purpose of training. According to Okholm, Asceticism is derived from the Greek word a}skhsiV which in pre-Christian usage referred to exercise, practice, or training for some aspired goal, such as that undertaken by an athlete or soldier. Early patristic sources use the word with reference to spiritual exercise or training to attain Christian perfection.34 By the late AD 300s, for instance, John Cassian among others had produced literature that detailed this process of discipline, often using the metaphors of steps on a ladder or stages in a journey.35 Again, the call to the disciplined life was seemingly passed from Jesus to Paul to the early church as a means of train[ing] yourself to be godly. Again, this writer is not, in any way, promoting or affirming the extreme ascetic practices of the early church heretics, the mystics of the dark and middle ages, the Okholm suggests the following in advocating a healthy asceticism: Asceticism must be seen as a response to Gods call and therefore to Gods offer of enabling grace to live the Christian life. As a step of faith in obedient submission to Gods will, Christian asceticism conversely involves a renunciation of the self the daily exercise of bearing ones cross. This is done in the knowledge that one is sharing in the life of the author and perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2; Mark 8:34). And it is done in hope. He goes on to proclaim healthy asceticism to be a part of the process of salvation, specifically sanctification, and discusses how self control leads to freedom, and freedom to the edification of the church. Okholm, Asceticism, 173-174.
33 34

Ibid., 173. Ibid. 25

35

monastics, or any modern legalists. But neither their abuses nor the dangers of legalism negate the good and needed role that embracing a disciplined life offers in attaining to spiritual maturity and Christlikeness. Like Paul, the writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews, in his section on discipline, also employs the athletic training motif, encouraging Christians to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1f). A most interesting parallel concept from this same chapter in Hebrews is that not all Christian discipline is self-produced, as in addition to ones own efforts in the spiritual disciplines, God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10). So, not only does the Christian seeker of holiness discipline himself, but his Heavenly Father also trains him to be holy through discipline. Whitney reminds the disciple of Jesus Christ that God Himself does play a role in subjective sanctification: So on the one hand, we recognize that even the most iron-willed self-discipline will not make us more holy, for growth in holiness is a gift from God (John 17:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 2:11). On the other hand, we can do something to further the process. God has given us the Spiritual Disciplines as a means of receiving His grace and growing in Godliness. By them we place ourselves before God for Him to work in us.36 Whitney is just reaffirming what the Apostle Paul reminded the Philippian church of concerning the Christians cooperation with God in coming to maturity, as was previously mentioned from Philippians 2:12-13.

36

Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life, 18.

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B. Mortify the Flesh Second, Paul calls the Christian to the mortification of the flesh. The term mortification comes into English and Christian usage through the Latin Vulgates translation of Colossians 3:5, where Paul commands the Christian to put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly (NRSV).37 Here, Paul further develops the teachings of Jesus Christ, who Himself called His disciples to self-denial and selfsacrifice: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it (Luke 9:23f). Paul, like Jesus, knew that one must die to sin and self in order to live a new life in Christ (Romans 6:2-4). Reid clarifies this truth, writing, The Christian life is inseparable from this mortification of sin which the apostle boldly expresses as being crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20; cf. 5:24). However, mortification is not to be regarded as a goal of the Christian life but only as a practice made necessary in view of the flesh.38 Certainly, Pauls teachings about beating his body (1 Corinthians 9:27) and the fact that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24, NAS95) open themselves up to many questions. Paul uses the word translated flesh eighty-eight times in his writings according to the King James Version; of course, there are a variety of contexts in which the word is

David J. Atkinson and David H. Field, eds., New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995) s.v. Mortification by M.A. Reid, 610.
37 38

Ibid.

27

used. For theological clarity, and because of the difficulty people have with the word, the translators of the New International Version abandoned it nearly altogether, only using flesh thirteen times in Pauls writings in favor of sinful nature, earthly nature, natural selves, etc. Okholm explains the Greek word sa'rx (sarx): The word flesh is often misunderstood as referring to something inherently evil or as a part of the human being which contains, and is at odds with, the soul (ideas influenced by Hellenistic thought).39 Rather, the word refers to the whole person and earthly life in its totality; it is the aspect of humans which binds them to the whole created order and it distinguishes the creature from God, emphasizing the frailty, limitations, and mortality of human existence.40 These definitions are rather neutral. On the other hand, Paul uses the idea of the flesh and the struggle the Christian encounters with himself in such a way as to suggest that being in the flesh is somehow antagonistic to ones spiritual health and maturity. Pauls point seems to be that it is not the flesh itself that is evil, but, rather, limiting oneself to the fleshs lusts and desires in an unrestrained way and trusting human resources and efforts apart from God that is the problem. This is exactly Pauls personal position in Philippians 3:2-9, where he rejects the self-willed achievements of humanly declared greatness in order to know Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own. Okholm elaborates, saying, Paul further develops the ethical

David J. Atkinson and David H. Field, eds., New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995) s.v. Flesh by D.L Okholm, 382.
39 40

Ibid.

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dimension of sarx by arguing that, when we orient our lives around sarx, it becomes a power (opposed to Gods Spirit) that shapes us and enslaves us. Flesh (designating the whole person) becomes the willing instrument of sin, such that we disobey God in every area of our lives.41 It is important to note that Paul does not tie ones struggle with sin and ones flesh to the Greek philosophical idea that the material world is inherently evil (thus ones own physical body is evil) and only ones spirit is good. This specific misunderstanding led to the dualism that fueled various heresies in the early church, from the Gnostics of the second century through the extremists of the ascetic movements during the centuries that followed. Certainly, the deep philosophical complexities of the relationship between ones physical existence as a person and the idea of an eternal soul that is at war with sin inside that physical body are somewhat beyond the scope of this paper and will continue to be debated until the Lords return. Dallas Willard writes at length concerning the redemption and salvation of the entire self and the link between ones physical body and ones spiritual self, a connection that he makes in a way that does not allow the separation of the two.42 For instance, he states, The spiritual and the bodily are by no means opposed in human lifethey are complimentary. We here explicitly disown and condemn any suggestion to the contrary, because it is the spiritual life that makes possible fulfillment of bodily existenceand Ibid., 383. Okholm points to the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21 as an example of his point.
41

Willards entire book, The Spirit of the Disciplines, deals with inseparable interconnectedness between ones physical existence and ones spiritual redemption, especially chapters 3-6.
42

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hence human existence.43 If Willard is right, then Paul is not in any way trying to teach some form of self-hatred, as one might assume through a surface reading of Paul; rather, Paul is simply recognizing the spiritual struggle that exists between self-will and selfish lusts and the full life and newness of life that Jesus Christ seeks to give in the easy yoke of following Him. Paul speaks often concerning the war that is raging within himself and within all people who pursue holiness, and he sums up the struggle well in Galatians: Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want (5:16-17, NRSV).44 For Paul, pursuing a self-willed, self-directed, self-empowered, self-satisfying, selfish life is what he calls sow[ing] to your own flesh. He reminds his readers, If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit (Galatians 6:8, NRSV). Throughout Pauls writings, the antithesis of living in the Spirit is living in the flesh.45 Therefore, when he speaks of mortifying the flesh, he is simply speaking of putting to death sin in ones life, so that the freedom of a Spirit-filled life can be cultivated and enjoyed. Of course, it is not simply that easy. There is a strange and enduring war that is being waged within the believer -- a war that can only be properly engaged in a disciplined life.

43

Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 75. Paul speaks in similar terms in Romans 7:7-25. Galatians 5; Romans 8; etc.

44

45

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Willard sums this section up well: The conflict between flesh and spirit is the experience of all who begin the spiritual life by the influx of Gods life-giving word. Sometimes the conflict is long, sometimes short. This is where the spiritual disciplines come in. The disciplines of the spiritual life, rightly understood, are time-tested activities consciously undertaken by us as new men or women to allow our spirit everincreasing sway over our embodied selves. They help by assisting the ways of Gods Kingdom to take the place of the habits of sin embedded in our bodies.46

C. The Imitation of Christ Finally, Paul calls upon his readers to follow his example in the imitation of Christ.47 Philippians chapter three offers a most powerful example of Pauls striving to know Christ and the power of His resurrection (3:10, italics added). Paul realizes that he has not already attained his goal nor has he been made perfect, but he press[es] on (3:12). His active striving is reiterated in verses 13-14. Paul, then, encourages his readers to join with others in following my example and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you (3:17). Paul frames this entire section concerning his hope for heaven in the ongoing struggle of spiritual formation, contrasting those whose citizenship is in heaven with those whose god is their stomach and whose mind[s] [are] on earthly things. What example and pattern is he speaking of? Certainly, he is referring to the commitment he and others have in forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.
46

Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 86.

Meye offers a thorough handling of the subject of imitation and example-following in his article The Imitation of Christ: Means and End of Spiritual Formation. Robert P. Meye, The Imitation of Christ: Means and End of Spiritual Formation, in The Christian Educators Handbook on Spiritual Formation, eds. Kenneth O. Gangel and James C. Wilhoit (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), 199-212.
47

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press[ing] on toward the goal to win the prize (3:13f). Specifically, the section begins by declaring Pauls desire to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, and becoming like Him in His death. Paul is encouraging his reader to join him in the imitation of Christ. Paul makes many references to following the godly examples of others and learning from their deeds, attitudes, and lifestyles, often employing terminology like imitate, example, pattern, and model.48 The verses in footnote forty-eight certainly introduce a variety of contexts and emphases, but the point is made that the idea of following the lifestyle examples of Christ, Paul, and other saints is firmly rooted in New Testament teaching. Simply stated, all Paul wanted was to know Christ and be like Him, and he exhorts his brothers and sisters in Christ to pursue the same goal.

The New Testament offers various teachings, using several different words, to promote the importance of following positive examples. For instance, see: John 13:15; 1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1; Ephesians 5:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 7; 2 Thessalonians 3:7, 9; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7; Hebrews 6:12; 13:7; James 5:12; 1 Peter 5:3.
48

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V. THE LIFESTYLE OF JESUS IN THE GOSPELS.49 If one accepts the proposition that in order to follow Jesus in the freedom of the easy yoke he/she must come to intentionally exercise the disciplines of the spiritual life, the question still remains, Are the Classical Spiritual Disciplines of prayer, fasting, study, meditation, solitude, simplicity, worship, and service, etc., truly found by command or example in the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ? One must look to the Gospels in order to determine whether Jesus employed the Spiritual Disciplines in His own life, and whether He taught the need for implementing the Disciplines as part of taking up ones cross and following Him in the easy yoke of Christian discipleship and holy living. In light of the modern churchs hypersensitivity against works and, by extension, though not correctly, the Spiritual Disciplines,50 it must be pointed out from the start that Jesus of Nazareth was not a true ascetic, at least not in the way the term came to be negatively defined.51 Unlike John the Baptizer, most of the other prophets, and many This section will simply deal with various aspects of Jesus lifestyle as recorded in the Gospels. His teachings on the spiritual disciplines will be dealt with in chapter VI.
49

This bias against the disciplined life is due primarily to the overemphasis on salvation by faith alone through grace alone. It might be said that the modern conservative Protestant churches have come to focus their teaching almost entirely upon justification to the neglect of regeneration. Willard discusses this topic at length, and with an eloquence far beyond this writers ability to communicate, in The Divine Conspiracys second chapter on the Gospel of Sin Management, as referenced in note 31.
50

Okholm comments that while the concept of asceticism in its purity speaks of ones exercise, practice or training for some aspired goal (see the quote for note 34), asceticism is not highly valued by most contemporary people. [it] has often been associated with a dualism that disparages the body in relation to the soul. Of course, he is speaking of the abuses of ascetic practice by the monastics and mystics of church
51

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other religious leaders in world history, Jesus did not actively practice extreme ascetic self-denial. He was accosted often by His critics for not keeping the prescriptive traditions of ascetic behavior His contemporaries practiced, like legalistic fasting, ceremonial washings, and the traditional Sabbath rituals.52 But, short of asceticisms extremes and legalisms works, there are things about Jesus lifestyle example that would point His disciples of today to the disciplined life. The devoted exercise of the Spiritual Disciplines in seeking a holy life, not in some forced or legalistic way but simply as part of abundant living in Christ, does not necessarily force one to embrace the extremes of asceticism. Yet a certain level of self-denial and tempering of the fleshly lusts is indeed a significant consideration for one seeking to live a truly sanctified life of devotion and service to God.53 The Spiritual Disciplines as found in Jesus lifestyle example in the Gospels will now be addressed (in no specific order of importance). To begin with, one of the more controversial and least understood acts of spiritual exercise will be discussed: fasting. There is no record that Jesus fasted regularly, at least not according to the traditions of the

history, whose extreme ascetic pursuits tainted forever the otherwise good word and effectively banished the disciplines from the Christian life. David J. Atkinson and David H. Field, eds., New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995) s.v. Asceticism by D. L. Okholm, 173-174.
52

Matthew 9:14-17; Luke 5:33-39; Luke 7:34; etc.

To further elaborate on the section above concerning the Apostle Pauls teachings about the mortification of the flesh, Okholm comments: Asceticism must be seen as a response to Gods call and therefore to Gods offer of enabling grace to live the Christian life. As a step of faith in obedient submission to Gods will, Christian asceticism conversely involves a renunciation of the self the daily exercise of bearing ones cross. This is done in the knowledge that one is sharing in the life of the author and perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2; Mark 8:34). And it is done in hope. (Asceticism, 173-174)
53

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period, and He was openly criticized because of it.54 The Bible says Jesus and His disciples came eating and drinking, unlike the disciples of John the Baptizer and the Pharisees.55 Of course, the context in these passages is the formal ritualistic prayers and fastings that were traditionally popular in Judaism of that era. Jesus did fast on special occasions, such as during His period of temptation in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. Jesus fast was not a mere ascetic exercise of self-denial, for as with the Old Testament Prophets, Jesus fasted when faced with a time of intense spiritual need.56 One must also assume that Jesus did fast on the Day of Atonement, which was commonly recognized as the only commandment in the Law of Moses calling for fasting.57 Furthermore, the Bible shows limited and special fasts were entered into by the ancients in times of repentance58 or when coming to seek the will of God in special circumstances.59 Interestingly, it is often inferred that Jesus was weak and vulnerable during His

Fasting is discussed first because the subject flows directly out of the previous mention of asceticism and Jesus conflicts with the Pharisees, conflicts that were tied to the legalistic traditions, one of which was closely regulated fasting.
54 55

Matthew 11:19; Luke 5:33; 7:34.

Curtis C. Mitchell, The Practice of Fasting in the New Testament, Bibliotheca Sacra 147, No. 588 (Oct.-Dec., 1990): 456.
56

Leviticus 16:31; 23:27-32; Numbers 29:7. Keil and Delitzsch well explain the terminology of denying oneself (NIV) or afflicting ones soul and its connection to fasting in ancient Hebrew thought. C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, Publishers, 1996), vol. 1, The Pentateuch, trans. James Martin, 590-591.
57

1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 21:27; Joel 1:14; Ezra 10:6. (Note: God does command a fast in Joel 2:12 in the context of a call to repentance.)
58 59

Exodus 34:28; Luke 4:2; Acts 9:9; Acts 13:2f; Acts 14:23.

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temptation because it is mentioned in both the Matthew and Luke pericopies that He was hungry after fasting. However, it is that Jesus needed to fast (as well as spend time in solitude and prayer) for spiritual strength during His battle with Satan in the wilderness. Maybe it is that herein lies part of the secret of fastingnot that it is used simply to deny and discipline the flesh but rather to focus oneself upon the Father in order to be greatly strengthened spiritually. This would fit well with the fastings exhibited on special occasions in the Old Testament, in contrast to the regular ritualistic fastings of the Pharisees. Again, a lifestyle example of Jesus fasting is present in the Gospels. More will be offered on His teachings concerning fasting in the next chapter. Furthermore, it is clear that Jesus lived a very simple lifestyle, plainly renouncing the materialism of His day. Jesus seemingly had no house, nor lands, nor many earthly possessions. In speaking of His frugality, Jesus said, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). Though Jesus does not seem to require that His followers forsake all possessions, He does challenge would-be disciples to be willing to forsake all.60 Similarly, Jesus does not leave an example that all believers must be itinerant preachers, but one must be willing to allow such a calling to be placed upon his life. Again, Jesus in no way demands the legalistic requirement of poverty among His people, but He does offer both the personal example of frugality and simplicity of lifestyle. Two of the most obvious considerations from Jesus lifestyle concerning the Spiritual Disciplines are His commitments to prayer and solitude in holy living. Prayer

60

Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 9:57-62; 12:33.

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and solitude are considered together because they seem to have been connected in Jesus life. While the writers of the Gospels could have pointed out many things from Jesus daily life, they actually record very few details concerning His daily activities. Yet, there are repeated references to the fact that Jesus spent much time in prayer, often while seeking seclusion or solitude. For instance, Mark 1:35 states, Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. In Luke 6:12, Jesus is said to have spent all night in prayer. Also, Luke 5:16 mentions that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.61 Jesus prayed!-- often while seeking the privacy of solitude. Furthermore, it may be that meditation should also be seen in this context of extended prayer. Several other inferences can be made concerning the Spiritual Disciplines from Jesus abundant life. For instance, dedication to worship was a high priority for Jesus, for as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read (Luke 4:16; italics added). Also, Jesus was apparently dedicated to the study of Gods word, as by age twelve He was able to enter the Temple to engage the Rabbis with questions (Luke 2:41ff). Certainly, Scripture intake or Bible study is likely the most important of all spiritual disciplines, as will be argued later. Yet, since Jesus is the living representation of the Scriptures and their eternal Author, there are not as many lifestyle examples to draw from concerning His studying of the Holy Scriptures. Also, Jesus humble acts of service to others can go without comment, since He was ever involved in ministries of compassion and service to humankind; He even expressed the very purpose

61

Also see: Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:46; Luke 6:12; 9:18; 22:41.

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of His ministry in terms of such service in Luke 4:18f. Another area of Jesus life that could fall under consideration for the disciplined life is that of celebration, as Jesus certainly enjoyed social gatherings such as dinner parties and weddings, etc. Lastly, Jesus lived a life of submission and obedience to both God and man.62 The church has historically interpreted the aforementioned areas of Jesus daily life as of importance, and rightly so since these observations about Jesus lifestyle found their way into the narrative. From such examples the ancient church formulated the Spiritual Disciplines, which for centuries were commonly practiced by the church in very intentional ways -- if at times even to extremes. The modern church recognizes these examples from Jesus lifestyle but does little to implement them in any purposeful way into the lives of individual Christians. The obvious question is: In order to follow Jesus and live by His holy example, should not one deliberately implement these important aspects of Jesus lifestyle into his/her own life? The answer must be, Yes. While many Christians recognize the need to employ at least a few of the Spiritual Disciplines, it seems as if most do not give themselves fully enough to them to experience their power to radically change their lives in bringing them to know God, to walk with Him, and to enjoy moral transformation into the likeness of Christ. Besides the indwelling Spirit and the Bible, there is power for living in godliness through diligently taking up the lifestyle of Jesus. John, while writing in the context of living in obedience, plainly states, This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:6). The abundant life Jesus came to bring grows from a

62

Luke 2:51; John 14:31; 15:10; Philippians 2:8.

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combination of the hope-filled positional truth of justification coupled with the kingdom among you reality of living in the power of Jesus actual lifestyle. In order to experience the easy yoke, one must walk as Jesus did.

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VI. THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS AND THE NEW TESTAMENT CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES Maintaining the same sequence as in the section on Jesus lifestyle above, while not claiming that such a sequence establishes an order of importance and stressing that they all should be kept in appropriate balance, the teachings of Jesus concerning the various Disciplines will now be discussed. Furthermore, the additional teachings of the Apostle Paul and other ancient and modern writers will also be considered.

A. Fasting Beginning with Jesus teaching on fasting, Mitchell points out plainly that the subject of fasting was not a central issue in the teachings of Jesus. He never commanded fasting or propounded any detailed regulations concerning the practice.63 Yet, while Jesus did not specifically command His followers to fast, He apparently assumed they would, and He did offer instruction concerning the emphasis and manner of fasting. For instance, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus addresses the traditional three pillars of Judaistic piety: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting (Matthew 6:1-18). In this particular passage Jesus gives priority to prayer, which is discussed for nine verses in contrast to three verses each for the others. Jesus does, at minimum, affirm fasting by saying in transition, When you fast. . . , implying that He assumed that fasting would continue to Curtis C. Mitchell, The Practice of Fasting in the New Testament, Bibliotheca Sacra 147 (Oct.-Dec., 1990): 457.
63

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be a part of the disciples religious practice. Also, while Jesus was very critical of the hypocrisy of those who fasted for show (Matthew 6:16), He goes on to tell His disciples how they should properly fast. They should do so privately. According to Mitchell, the mentioning of washing their faces and anointing their heads (v. 17) has nothing to do with hygiene or cosmetics; rather they mark the joyousness of the occasion.64 While that may be, this writer sees a contrast drawn by Jesus between those who allow their appearance to degrade -- even physically altering their appearance through make-up or the like so as to look piously haggard -- and those who fast in private and keep themselves fresh looking as they celebrate their fast. Fasting is not for others to see but is a very beautiful and private matter to be enjoyed in the intimacy of relationship and communion between the child of God and his/her Father (v. 18).65 Therefore, ones motives in fasting become all-important. And it is motives that Jesus is addressing in Matthew 6. Fasting is not primarily concerned with religious formality, ritualism, or even the buffeting of the flesh for disciplines sake alone. Rather, while fasting is useful in helping temper ones lusts, its ultimate goal is not about the flesh and its lusts; instead, when used correctly, fasting is a tool to bring one closer to God.66 One must be careful, though, for it is very easy to get caught up in a kind of works
64

Ibid., 459.

While the private spiritual journey utilizes fasting as a tool of growth, especially in special circumstances, there is in the Bible also the use of public or national fasts in the life of Israel: Leviticus 23:26-32; Joel 2, Ezra 8. See page 35 above.
65

It should be noted that while fasting is usually thought to be limited to going without food for a set period of time, the depriving of oneself of other things in the material world could be considered fasting as well. For instance, limiting any other area of distraction or fleshly focus could indeed help one direct his/her attention toward God. Abstaining from television watching, recreation, sex (1 Corinthians 7:5), Internet surfing, etc., could all be
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legalism when fasting, a tendency which needs to be kept in check at all times. Again, fasting is not so much about self as it is about improving ones relationship with God. Richard Foster argues this point well: Fasting must forever center on God. It must be God-initiated and God-ordained. Like the prophetess Anna, we need to be worshipping and fasting (Luke 2:37). Every other purpose must be subservient to God. Like that apostolic band at Antioch, fasting and worshipping the Lord must be said in the same breath (Acts 13:2). . . . John Wesley declares, First, let [fasting] be done unto the Lord with our eyes singly fixed on Him. Let, our intention herein be this, and this alone, to glorify our Father which is in heaven. . . .67 Furthermore, Jesus mentions in Luke 5 that while His disciples did not fast regularly while with Him, the day would come when His disciples would once again fast. They had no need to fast regularly while Jesus was in immediate fellowship with them, though after His departure they would need to be strengthened once again through fasting. Jesus seems to promote fasting more in the context of ones personal faith journey than as a part of the ritualistic rites of religious observance, which called Jesus into conflict with the works-based religionists of His day.68 The Luke 5 passage, coupled with Jesus single personal example of fasting and the various examples of fasting from the Old and New Testaments previously noted, brings this writer to believe that there is a place for fasting in the Christian life. But fasting is only to be used during special times of seeking Gods guidance: for specific incorporated into a fast.
67

Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 54-55.

The difference of emphasis is clear when one compares Jesus teachings of Matthew 6:16-18 with passages like Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39; Luke 7:33-35; etc. Isaiah 58 offers a most interesting rebuke concerning the true purpose of fasting, as the Lord through the prophet rejects the usefulness of ritualistic fasting.
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major decisions, for strength during extraordinary circumstances, for repentance, etc. Thus, it is this writers opinion that fasting should not be placed in ones regular routine of training or exercise, and certainly should not be considered a regular weekly rite; this view runs contrary to historical practice and even seems to conflict with the early churchs reported regular fasting practices.69 The teachings and examples of the Bible seem to place fasting in a category of special observance, not regular convention. Concerning the continuation of fasting among the followers of Jesus Christ in the early church, Pierce Johnson writes, Apparently the first Christians fasted every Friday to commemorate Good Friday. . . . Fasting was assumed among the first Christians.70 Yet, again, the New Testament record of the early church in Acts shows the church fasting only for special purposes and not as a part of ritualism (13:2-3; 14:23). According to modern writers, there are various purposes for fastingall of which ultimately draw one closer to God and further help develop the likeness of Christ in the believer. Foster points out that beyond focusing ones attention upon God, under which all other benefits and emphases are secondary, the believer is blessed in various ways through fasting. For instance, fasting helps reveal what things ultimately control the believer: We cover up what is inside us with food and other good things, but in fasting, these things will surface. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately. Jewish Christians apparently followed the Jewish custom of fasting and prayer on Mondays and Thursdays until around the end of the first century when Wednesdays and Fridays were observed. Also, from the second century on, two intensive fast days were observed in preparation for Easter. Walter Elwell, ed., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 1984 ed., s.v. Fast, Fasting, by R. D. Linder. . 70 Pierce Johnson, Fasting as a Modern Discipline, Religion in Life XLIV, No. 3 (Autumn, 1975): 331-332.
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Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fearif they are within us, they will surface during fasting.71 Furthermore, fasting reminds us that we are sustained by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4), rather than by worldly provision. Also, fasting is most often used to focus ones self upon prayer and Bible study. Foster says, Therefore, in experiences of fasting we are not so much abstaining from food as we are feasting on the word of God. Fasting is feasting!72 In stressing the value for the church, Johnson points out that fasting is characterized by waiting, listening, sensing, a gentle mindfulness to detail, and, surprisingly, a thankfulness for being alive.73 Much space has been given to fasting in this paper, not because it is of more importance than the other disciplines (actually it is probably one of the lesser important ones), but because it is one of the least understood and least employed of the Classical Disciplines in the modern church.74

B. Simplicity and Frugality In a Western culture filled to the brink of self-destruction with time-conscious, performance-minded, success-seeking, driven, materialistic, greedy, anxious, heart-

71

Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 55. Ibid. Johnson, 333.

72

73

For more information about fasting, Dr. Anthony J. Fischetto offers a good general handling of the subject both from a biblical and a historical/medical perspective. Anthony, J. Fischetto, Transformed: Intimacy with God (Shillington, Pennsylvania: Alpha Omega Counseling Center, Inc., 2000), 155-170. Also see: Arthur Wallis, Gods Chosen Fast (Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: Christian Literature Crusade, 1971); and David R. Smith, Fasting: A Neglected Discipline (Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: Christian Literature Crusade, 1969).
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attack-waiting-to-happen slaves of prosperity, it is certainly the case that anyone seeking to live a sanctified life must deal seriously with Jesus teachings on simplicity of life and materialism. It seems as if many, if not most, people are psychotically committed to finding security and fulfillment in the abundance of their wealth, possessions, and success. Rich and poor alike are enslaved by the love of money, in spite of the fact that the Bible declares the love of money to be the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). The Western world today lives in an untold bounty of material comforts; yet this is an age of unprecedented addiction, dysfunction, and rebellion against God. People are healthier and richer than ever before, yet dissatisfaction and lack of contentment reign. Today is an age of endless opportunities and vast complexities, even for the common man. Opportunities for good and evil abound. Information bombardment comes in never ending waves, conflicting and confusing people into a dreamy dumbness. So, not knowing what else to do, people simply run even faster and work even harder. The performance treadmill continues to speed up as it throws people off in despair and failure. Everyone glances at each other with that knowing but helpless look. They know something is wrong and they claim they want out, but they are not willing to look the fool, or endure the thought of losing, or entertain the notion of having missed out on reaching their full potential. The fear of failure leads them to leverage more and more of their fleeting energy and sanity against the consequences. At least, the knowing looks of their peers give them the reassurance that we are all in the same boat. Or, to paraphrase Ecclesiastes 7:29, God has made man simple, but we have grossly complicated things. Living a simpler life is an attractive fantasy, but can it truly become a reality? It 45

can and it must, if one is to follow Jesus in the abundance of life that comes with the easy yoke of discipleship. Richard Foster believes that simplicity must be an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.75 Indeed, the pursuit of any Spiritual Discipline must seek to first address the condition of ones heart before it can ever manifest itself outwardly. If one attempts to change only the outward appearance in any area of life without first dealing with his motivations of heart, then he will surely realize but the shell of legalism or evil of idolatry. Concerning the inward genesis of a simplified life, Foster comments further: Simplicity begins in inward focus and unity. Experiencing the inward reality liberates us outwardly. Speech becomes truthful and honest. The lust for status and position is gone because we no longer need status or position. We cease from showy extravagance not on the grounds of being unable to afford it, but on the grounds of principle. Our goods become available to others.76 The only way to bring this inward reality is to seek first the kingdom of God in all things (Matthew 6:33). The kingdom of God must be ever before the disciple as the determining force of priorities and motivations in life. According to Foster, everything hinges upon keeping the first thing first.77 In doing so, one will be able to gain a proper perspective of heart and attitude that will enable him to come to know the freedom of the simple life. His anxiety and fear will diminish as he comes to live in an awareness and appreciation of the grace and will of God in every area of life. Specifically, if what

75

Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 79. Ibid., 80. Ibid., 86.

76

77

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we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess freedom.78 In Matthew 6, when Jesus says, Do not worry about your life. But, seek first [Gods] kingdom, He is establishing the point Foster builds upon -- namely, God will provide for His children so they can, therefore, be free from their attachment to things and can use what they have freely to serve God and their fellow man. However, becoming detached from ones materialistic securities and worldly concerns in no way demands that one renounce all possessions and embrace a vow of poverty. Idolatry is just as strong among misers as it among extravagants they are, as it is said, just opposite sides of the same coin. Therefore, an inward attitude of simplicity frees us from concern and involvement with a multitude of desires that would make it impossible for us to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God (Micah 6:8). It makes it possible for us to concentrate upon that one thing needful, the good part Mary chose (Luke 10:42).79 Yet, try as one may to discuss simplicity of life as an inward attitude that frees people from unhealthy attachments to material security and self-sufficiency, one cannot help but return again and again to issues concerning money. On that subject, Richard Foster uses very strong language in saying, Jesus declared war on the materialism of His day.80 It is commonly recognized that Jesus had more to say concerning materialism and

78

Ibid., 88. Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 169. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 82.

79

80

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money than any other single subject, which stresses its importance for the Christian life. The Bible, from beginning to end, repeatedly speaks against the exploitation of the poor, the selfish accumulation of wealth, the attitude of self-sufficiency, and the idolatry of money. Jesus says, Blessed are the poor. Then, marking as a negative attribute the general self-sufficiency of the rich, He proclaims, Woe to you that are rich. There is also the oft-used eye of the needle comment of Mark 10, where Jesus challenges the self-sufficient young ruler to sell all he has in order to come and follow Jesus. Furthermore, Jesus stresses the grip that wealth can have on people in the Sermon on the Mount, stating, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Of course, the Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12 is most telling in that the man is condemned for hoarding his wealth in an attitude of selfishness; he is not condemned for having had a good year of abundant crops. The teachings concerning stewardship and the dangers of wealths self-sufficiency are endless and run right through the teachings of the Apostles as well.81 Jesus teachings on covetousness and the love of money are as clear as they are challenging, especially to a people as materially blessed (so-called) as is the Western world today. Jesus expects His followers to live in a simplicity of mind and devotion to God that will allow them to free themselves from the slavery of materialism. There is an inward simplicity to the Spirit-filled life that will lead to an outward manifestation of

81

1 Timothy 3, 6; Hebrews 13:5; James 5:1-6; Ephesians 5, 1 Corinthians 5; etc.

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simplicity -- the discipline of frugality. It is all about priorities. Whether a Christian is rich or poor, material concerns will not be his/her master. Yet, to keep the extremes of interpretation in check, Foster is quick to point out that God intends that we have adequate material provision. . . . Forced poverty is evil and should be renounced. Nor does the Bible condone extreme asceticism. . . . Asceticism and simplicity are mutually incompatible. . . . Asceticism renounces possessions. Simplicity sets possessions in proper perspective.82 Also, Willard dedicates an entire chapter to the question Is Poverty Spiritual? where he argues for the appropriate use of wealth in good Christian stewardship.83 Jesus teachings in Matthew 6 are as profound as they are simple. The discipline of simplicity is focused upon developing a mindset that will allow the believer to seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of the kingdom as his/her primary pursuit in life. Again, a legalistic or unbalanced view of simplicity resulting in self-inflicted poverty can turn this pursuit of the kingdom into a type of self-righteous idolatry. One must keep the first thing first. Jesus Christ is the Creator of the physical world, and He believes that all that He created is good.84 Jesus, again, was not an ascetic, but He kept all things in their proper perspective -- He lived frugally, was a good steward, and taught His followers to do the same. Seek first the kingdom of God! The Apostle Paul voices his singular first focus on Gods kingdom in

82

Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 84. Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 193-219. John 1; Colossians 1; Hebrews 1; Genesis 1:31; 1 Timothy 4:4.

83

84

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Philippians by proclaiming, But whatever was to my profit I now consider a loss for the sake of Christ. I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. One thing I do I press on toward the goal (3:13f). Later, in the same letter, he declares the freedom of the simple life: For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength (4:11-13, italics added). American Christians in particular must deeply search their souls in an effort to grow in a godly perspective on materialism and stewardship. Jesus lived simply, inwardly and outwardly (as did Paul), and He expects His people to do the same.85 Simplicity and frugality both lead one to the abundant life and easy yoke of discipleship.

C. Prayer Along with Bible study, prayer is arguably one of the two most important disciplines for the Christian life. Prayer should be seen in the company of solitude and meditation, as it was in Jesus life and teaching.86 As was previously mentioned, Jesus is For further reference, Donald S. Whitney has dedicated an entire book to the practical pursuit of simplifying ones life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Donald S. Whitney, Simplify Your Spiritual Life: Spiritual Disciplines for the Overwhelmed (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2003).
85

Meditation should also be seen as tied closely to the study of Gods word. All of the Spiritual Disciplines are intertwined and should not be handled in a compartmentalized or legalistic way. The battle against legalism and against losing the true meaning and goal behind the Disciplines becomes a great challenge for many. Yet, the Spiritual Disciplines, while intentional and planned, should come to be exercised in a natural and unforced way.
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recorded as having spent much time in prayer: in the morning (Mark 1:35), in the evening (Mark 6:46f), all night (Luke 6:12), and in solitude (Luke 5:16). He, also, had much to say in teaching about this all-important subject. Jesus, stressing the general importance of prayer, spoke a parable to His disciples about persistence in prayer, telling them they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). In Luke 11:9f, He encourages them to, Ask seek and knock. Also, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly told His disciples, And when you pray But when you pray And when you pray, (Matthew 6:5, 6, 7), moving on to instruct them how to pray in verses 913. The context of this teaching particularly stresses the importance of inner sincerity, as well as the private and intimate nature of prayer. After teaching His disciples to go into your room, close the door, and pray (Matthew 6:6), Jesus goes on to give them a model to follow. Furthermore, it is most interesting that in the parallel section in Luke 11, the disciples ask Jesus, Lord, teach us to pray (v. 1), which puts prayer directly in the realm of a Spiritual Discipline, both as an act to be performed and as something to be learned, exercised, and perfected. In the first section of each of the model prayers (Matthew 6:9ff; Luke 11:2ff), Jesus emphasizes both the immanence and transcendence of God in stating, Father, hallowed be your name. . . . He proclaims the immanence of God by speaking in terms of relationship, calling God Father, and the transcendence of God in stressing the hallowed reverence due Him. Edward Thornton, in his thought-provoking article on Lukes model prayer, greatly stresses the relational nature of this prayer of the heart. He argues that Jesus teaches both the importance of the inner, meditative prayer of the

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heart, as well as the outward verbal prayer.87 To Thornton, it is in this inner meditative prayer that one comes to the experience of being home in the One in whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28; RSV).88 Apparently, Jesus Christ enjoyed His deepest fellowship and communication with the Father in prayer, and, thus, it is argued that the disciple should do the same. Foster begins his section on prayer with similar thoughts: 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. Meditation introduces us to the inner life, fasting is an accompanying means, study transforms our minds, but it is the Discipline of prayer that brings us into the deepest and highest work of the human spirit. Real prayer is life creating and life changing. Prayersecret, fervent, believing prayer lies at the root of all personal godliness, writes William Carey.89 Furthermore, the Apostle Paul stresses the importance of prayer, encouraging Christians to, devote yourselves to prayer (Colossians 4:2) and pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Christians are not only commanded to pray, but they are privileged to do so. And there are many passages that stress the privileged nature of Christian prayer, which again presumes the intimate and relational quality of prayer. For instance, the Hebrews writer reminds the Christian of his/her unhindered access to the Father, stating, Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence and let us draw near to God (Hebrews 4:16, 10:22). Paul even reminds the Christian that when he does not know what to say or what to ask for, the indwelling Holy Spirit will Himself pray on his Edward E. Thornton, Lord, Teach us to Pray, Review and Expositor LXXVI, No. 2 (Spring, 1979): 222ff.
87 88

Ibid., 221. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 33.

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behalf (Romans 8:26). Prayer is a divine privilege and a discipline to which the Christian should give himself with all diligence.90 There are numerous accounts of the giants of church history spending many hours in prayer at the start of each day or at periods throughout the day. Luthers three hours a day, Wesleys claiming, God does nothing but in answer to prayer, and the famed Praying Hyde of Indias six times a day in secret prayer are all examples of the dedication of those who earnestly seek holiness in their lives. Foster has profoundly stated, For these, and all those who have braved the depths of the interior life, to breathe was to pray.91 Or, as Charles Killian would say, Prayer shouldnt be restricted to a certain length of time or time of day. It encompasses the totality of life.92 May the church today join with the disciples of Jesus who said, Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1).

D. Solitude As mentioned at the outset of the section on prayer, solitude and meditation often accompany prayer in ones deepest level of personal relationship with God. However, this writer thinks it appropriate to offer a separate handling of solitude since most Christians probably do not often consider pursuing solitude as a Spiritual Discipline, even though Jesus Christ often sought solitude and encouraged His followers to as well.93 Taking time For more practical help with praying, one can refer to Donald Whitneys Simplify Your Spiritual Life, pages 76-92, or for a more involved study see: Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992). 91 Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 34.
90

Charles Killian, Spiritual Disciplines for the Undisciplined, Leadership XIV, No. 4 (Fall, 1993): 51.
92 93

Matthew 6:6; 17:1; Mark 6:31; Luke 9:10.

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to be alone is very important for the disciplined life. Willard suggests that the normal course of day-to-day human interactions locks us into patterns of feeling, thought, and action that are geared to a world set against God. Nothing but solitude can allow the development of a freedom from the ingrained behaviors that hinder our integration into Gods order. He argues that it is the many distractions of life and ones ingrained habits that often hinder him from dealing with the core issues that plague his soul. So in one sense solitude can seem to be dangerous. 94 Willard quotes Louis Bouyer, stating, Solitude is a terrible trial, for it serves to crack open and burst apart the shell of our superficial securities. It opens out to us the unknown abyss that we all carry within us [and] discloses the fact these abysses are haunted.95 If such is the case, then solitude can be invaluable in helping the Christian truly deal with the inner hauntings that destroy the Spirits work within Him. Furthermore, it becomes obvious that only through intense prayer and fellowship with Christ in solitude can one survive and grow in holiness. Jesus Christ Himself, before His temptation and leading up to His Passion, found great strength in the prayerfulness of solitude, and so did the Apostle Paul who sought solitude in the quiet years of preparation after his conversion (Galatians 1). The purpose of solitude then is to quiet oneself in order to pray, meditate, and listen. It is in solitude that the child of God may quiet himself enough to be still, and know that [Yahweh is] God (Psalm 46:10). Solitude, or retreats into seclusion, should be limited in duration. One cannot

94

Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 160. Ibid., 161.

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advocate a permanent, monastic-type retreat, for disciples of Christ are called to service in the church and the world. Foster warns of the need for balance between fellowship and solitude; echoing Dietrich Bonhoffer he writes, One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair. He concludes, We must seek out the recreating stillness of solitude if we want to be with others meaningfully. We must seek the fellowship and accountability of others if we want to be alone safely. We must cultivate both if we are to live in obedience. 96 Therefore, solitude, coupled closely with prayer, is to be used as a temporary escape from the world so as to prepare one for ministry in the world.

E. Worship To worship is to experience Reality, to touch Life. It is to know, to feel, to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community. It is breaking into the Shekinah [Glory] of God, or better yet, being invaded by the Shekinah of God, preaches Richard Foster.97 If God is God, then He is to be praised simply for who He is! And if God is the benevolent Father God, then He is to be praised both for who He is and what He has done! The worship of God is assumed in the Bible. The way one worships or the form that worship takes is important, but less important than whether one consciously and sincerely worships or not. The reason this can be said is that after all of the incredible detail concerning the outward forms of
96

Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 97-98. Ibid., 158.

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worship in the Old Testament system, the New Testament in turn has virtually nothing prescriptive to say about the form worship is to take. It seems that, as with so many other things Jesus fulfilled and spiritualized, worship itself is now set free from the bondage of form to the creative sincerity of the heart. Forms remain important, simply as a means to bring one to a state of worship, but not as an end in themselves. Nevertheless, the worship of God must take a primary place in the life of His child, both privately and in community. Worship cannot be taken lightly or for granted. Indeed, it must be entered into intentionally, preparedly, and regularly -- which makes it a Spiritual Discipline. Jesus not only worshiped faithfully, He also taught of the importance of worship for His disciples. If God is to be of first importance in ones life, as the Greatest Commandment affirms, 98 then the Christian will diligently seek to praise and glorify God the Father through His Savior Son. The natural spiritual desire of humankind throughout history is to worship, whether in truth or in the delusions of idolatry. Much of the Law of Moses was focused upon the sacrificial worship system which pointed to its own fulfillment in Jesus Christ and the churchs worship of God the Father through faith in Christ. Furthermore, Jesus rebuked Satan in Matthew 4, proclaiming, For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only. Jesus later spoke of worshipping God in spirit and in truth, stressing the inner nature and importance of sincerity in worship, rather than emphasizing traditional formality (John 4:24). Still later, in the teachings of the Apostles, one reads that a persons entire life is to be worship to God (Romans 12:1); and clearly the context here is one of holiness and sanctification rather than corporate liturgy. Finally, the Bible closes with the angel reminding the
98

Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28. 56

Apostle John to Worship God! alone (Revelation 22:9). Endless other references could be given, for it seems self-evident that God is to be worshipped. Even creation itself can be said to worship God, as the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). The Spiritual Discipline of Worship should include both corporate worship and ones ever-present lifestyle of worship. While Whitney does not deny the value of personal, generalized worship, he argues the primacy of corporate worship: God reveals Himself more clearly in congregational worship than in nature. God is glorified more in congregational worship than in private worship. Congregational worship is more edifying than private worship, as in it others are edified and unbelievers can perceive Gods presence. God can be experienced in unique ways in congregational worship. Jesus regularly participated in congregational worship. Congregational worship is more like heaven.99 He goes on to challenge those who find themselves more drawn to or fulfilled in private worship than in corporate worship. While he makes many good points, his presupposition in the chapter seems to be that people find private worship more fulfilling than public worship; therefore they are often tempted to forsake the assembling of [themselves] together (Hebrews 10:25). This writer would contend just the opposite, as it seems that people are far more drawn to the formality of corporate worship, no matter how dynamic or dead it may be. The contention of this writer is that people need to learn to live in and enjoy the continual worship of the ever-present kingdom of the heavens among them. It is only out of a life lived in daily awareness of God and continual worship to God that one can come to truly appreciate and engage in the congregational worship of the Lords assembled saints. Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996), 75-82.
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As far as worship being a Discipline of the spiritual life is concerned, Whitney elsewhere explains how worship is both an end and a means in spiritual formation: Worship is a Spiritual Discipline insofar as it is both an end and a means. The worship of God is an end in itself because worship is to focus on and respond to God. There is no higher goal than focusing on and responding to God. But worship is also a means in the sense that it is a means to godliness. The more truly we worship God, the more we become like Him.100 The point he goes on to make is that people are molded by and become like what they focus their hearts and minds upon; so, if one hopes to become like God, then he/she will need to consciously focus his/her heart upon God which, simply speaking, is worship. Richard Foster outlines several considerations as he discusses a life of worship as an ordered way of acting and living that sets us before God so He can transform us.101 It is significant that two of the Apostle Pauls most notable references to worship both fall within the larger context of spiritual formation and moral renewal. In Ephesians 5, Paul commands the Christian to be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (vv. 18-21). This mention of Spirit-filled worship directly follows an extended section of teachings having to do with ones coming to be like Christ in holiness. Similarly, in Colossians 3:16, Paul exhorts his readers to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with

100

Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 94-95. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 166.

101

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gratitude in your hearts to God. Again, this is another reference to worship coming at the end of an extended section of teaching concerning moral renewal and spiritual growth in Christ. Therefore, one must conclude that worship plays a vital role in ones coming to experience the sanctified life of holiness and the abundance of new life in Christ. Willard sums up the meaning and purpose of worship well when he writes, In worship we engage ourselves with, dwell upon, and express the greatness, beauty, and goodness of God through thought and the use of words, rituals, and symbols. We do this alone as well as in union with Gods people. To worship is to see God as worthy, to ascribe great worth to Him. In worship we are met by God Himself, our thoughts and words turn to perception and experience of God, who is then really present to us in some degree of His greatness, beauty, and goodness. This will make for an immediate, dramatic change in our lives.102 Worship is a Spiritual Discipline that helps Christians come to know Christ, walk with Him, and become like Him.

F. Bible Study and Meditation Along with prayer, Bible study is one of the two most important of all the Spiritual Disciplines. From Moses exhorting the people in the Shema to impress the Law upon the hearts of their children, to the extraordinary Psalm 119 anchoring the center of the Bible, to Ezras dedication to study and teaching of Torah, to Jesus as the Word become flesh with His extensive preaching ministry, to Pauls confidence that All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful, to Johns warning at the end of Revelation against adding to or taking away from the words of his prophecy, the Holy Scriptures
102

Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 177-178.

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stand as the God-chosen tool for communicating His will to the people of His creation. Even though God did speak through the preaching of the prophets and in a very special way through His Son as a living representation of His will, He also inspired the written record of the working out of His mighty will for passing on to posterity. Both the study of Gods word for understanding and the memorization of Gods word for spontaneous life application are vitally important in the life of the believer. Thus, Proverbs proclaims: My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:1-6). The Psalmist concurs, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:11). The study of Gods word in spiritual formation is paramount. The importance of knowing and applying Gods will through study of the Bible was also expressed by Jesus: To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31f). Furthermore, Jesus knew the power of the word of God as a testimony to Gods having worked out His plan, which culminated in Christs earthly ministry. For example, on the road to Emmaus Jesus taught the disciples: Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself (Luke 24:27). Jesus, also, when He was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4, spoke of how the word of God is the fundamental source of life and strength for Gods people, using Moses statement from Deuteronomy 8: Man does not live on

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bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD (Deuteronomy 8:3). Endless other examples could be offered from the Living Word, Jesus Christ, in support of the importance of knowing Gods word. It is a given that in order to know Gods word, one must study it. The Apostles also stressed the importance of studying the Scriptures for growing in holiness, spiritual maturity, and kingdom usefulness that is, Christlikeness. For instance, Paul wrote to Timothy, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). And, again, the word of Paul to the Romans further illustrates the need to study Gods word, when he emphasizes that the Christian is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). Ones mind can only be renewed through study, meditation upon what is studied, and then application of the newly discovered truth or insight. Eternal truth can only be ascertained from Holy Scripture, and all temporal truth must be filtered through and molded by Gods eternal truth. Study, leading to intellectual and moral renewal, is mandatory in coming to know Gods good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:3). Richard Foster states, Many Christians remain in bondage to fears and anxieties simply because they do not avail themselves of the Discipline of study. They may be faithful in church attendance and earnest in fulfilling their religious duties, and still are not changed. He goes on to clarify that he is not talking about those who merely go through the motions religiously but earnest believers who truly want to walk with Christ yet never take up this central tool that God uses to change His people: study. 103 When it
103

Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 62. 61

comes to spiritual renewal, growth in holiness, being changed into the likeness of Christ -whatever one wishes to call it -- nothing can take the place of the purposeful study and application of Gods word. When one reads the Bible he/she is reading the very mind of God and wielding the instrument of life change, the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). The word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), and it is the tool God uses to change lives. Any person must recognize that whatever he fills his mind with is what will ultimately direct his path. Ones overall worldview, his understanding of right and wrong and good and evil, his priorities and motivations, etc., are all greatly influenced by the thought patterns that are ingrained within his psyche. Each and every area of thought will be influenced and changed by what one spends his time studying and thinking about. Anthony Fischetto speaks well to this thought in his chapter entitled, The Penetrating Word. He reminds the reader of just how pervasive the flow of knowledge is in the modern world, but the problem is that most of it is not from the mind of God. Satans influences continually contaminate our thinking.104 Certainly, there is a bombardment of information in Western culture today through television, radio, the news media, the Internet, the public school system, etc., and much of it is openly hostile toward the word of God and the presuppositions of the Christian worldview. Even in the name of helping people, many of the self-help and pop psychology books and seminars are founded in humanism rather than the revealed truth of biblical theism. Therefore, as one seeks to

Anthony J. Fischetto, Transformed: Intimacy with God (Reading, PA: Alpha Omega Counseling Center, Inc., 2000), 171.
104

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know the truth in order to be set free, he/she must take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). The only way to do this is to give oneself to the diligent study of Gods word. A regular, systematic, thoughtful program of Bible study and memorization is vital to ones spiritual growth and moral transformation. This cannot be overly stressed! Much of the impotence of Christianity in the private lives of individuals and in the culture as a whole is due directly to the fact that people do not know Gods word, because they do not study it.. Sadly, the church is not immune to this problem. Both private study and group study are important; and, within the group, both open discussion and specialist-led lectures are needed. Of course, the study of the Bible itself should be of first importance, for it alone is the authoritative word of God, but there is also a place for devotional study in the writings of godly men. Meditation is tied to study, but it is a little different. Study is far more analytical than meditation. Meditation is more of a devotional exercise of the mind, whereby one dwells on a word or concept in an effort to better appreciate or apply it to his/her life. Biblically speaking, meditating upon Gods word is the deliberate reflection, concentration, absorption of who the Bible reveals God to be, what He demands of His people, and what He says about who human beings are and what they are like, etc. Meditation helps one take what he studies a word, a phrase, a concept, a verse, a story, etc. -- and focus it with greater attention and affection both in worship to God and in striving to be changed into the likeness of Christ. Fischetto suggests both the supernatural and natural benefits of meditation, including: greater intimacy with God, improved relationships, greater sense of hope and joy, moral and spiritual transformation,

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increased faith, reduced stress, improved health in general, better patience, etc.105 Again, prayer, meditation, solitude, and study all work together in the disciplined life to bring about the intellectual transformation of the mind that will make possible the moral transformation of the heart.106

G. Service Jesus offers numerous teachings that accentuate the need for humble service in the kingdom of God. He reminded His disciples over and over again, He who wants to be first must be slave of all (Mark 10:44).107 Jesus Himself was ever involved in acts of service to others: healing the sick, washing His disciples feet, fulfilling His Fathers mission for Him, obedience, etc. Christ plainly taught His disciples that they were to be servants, and He offered Himself as the perfect example of a servant leader, saying, I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22:24-27). Therefore, in following His example all Christians are expected to be active in Christian service. Furthermore, the Hebrews writer reminds the church that they are saved to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14). Notice the emphasis on being saved in order to do good
105

Ibid., 42-43.

Donald Whitney in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life offers two full chapters on what he called scripture intake, suggesting excellent practical suggestions for incorporating the word of God into ones life.
106 107

Also see: Luke 10:25ff; John 13:14; 21:16; Galatians 5:13; 6:2, 10; Ephesians 6:7;

etc.

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works, and not being saved by ones good works. Paul confirms this truth in Ephesians 2, where he proclaims the doctrine of salvation by faith and not by works. But he concludes his teaching: For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). As representatives of God in this world, His people are called to be servants servants of one another, servants of mankind in general, and servants of God. Fortunately, God has gifted each of His children for service within the body of Christ.108 In spiritual formation, being a servant to others, in all kinds of ways, helps one become more like Christ, who was Himself a servant. Voluntary servitude helps teach humility and selflessness, and offers an avenue for God to channel His blessings of love and mercy to His people and to the world.

H. Submission Likewise, submission and obedience are to characterize the Christians life in a significant way.109 Jesus said to the Father both in the model prayer and in the agony of the garden, Your will be done. (Matthew 6:10; 26:39). In Philippians 2, Paul, in calling the brethren to submit to one another in humility, cites the perfect example of submission in Jesus Christ, Who, being God, did not consider equality with God [the Father] something to be held on to, but emptied Himself, taking the very nature of a servant and being made in human likeness. And, being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8, the
108

Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12.

For submission, see: Romans 6:13ff; 13:1ff; Ephesians 5:21ff; Hebrews 12:9; 13:17; James 4:7. For obedience, see: Matthew 7:21ff; 12:50; John 7:17; 14:23; Acts 5:29; etc.
109

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authors translation). Jesus Christ lived a life of submission to God, to His parents, and to mankind. He came to do the Fathers will. He came not as one to be served but as one to serve. He even offered Himself over freely to the authorities who would have Him put to death. Christ offers the perfect example of what it means to live in submission and obedience. For the Christian, then, the call to obedient submission to God (James 4:7), to respectful submission to church leaders (Hebrews. 13:17), to mutual submission with brethren and in marriage (Ephesians 5:21ff), and to peaceful submission to the governing civil authorities (Romans 13:1) clearly shows the overall attitude of humility and respect for authority that allows one to live in the freedom of the kingdom of God. The upsidedown nature of the power structure in Gods kingdom, where the greatest among you will be the servant of all, offers an unnatural challenge to the redeemed but slowly changing sinner who continues to struggle with pride and selfishness. Therefore, the idea of needing to train oneself or discipline oneself in an active and conscious way to voluntarily submit to others becomes apparent. Yet, the church works best when the members submit themselves to the rule of their elders, who in turn lead as humble servant leaders. Marriage works best when the wife submits herself to her husband, while he in turn loves her and gives himself up for her (Ephesians 5). Finally, friendships thrive and people live at peace with their governing authorities when they willingly submit themselves humbly to others. In actively embracing submission, the Christian can finally come to experience the freedom of not having to get his/her own way and can begin to overcome pride and selfishness, which in the mind of this writer are the genesis of all sin.

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VII. WARNINGS AND THE NEED FOR BALANCE Because of the fear of legalism, the Evangelical community as a whole has avoided promoting the Spiritual Disciplines with the level of intentionality and purposed training that this paper suggests is necessary for substantive spiritual growth. Nevertheless, there does need to be a word of warning, for human beings do have the tendency to turn good, helpful practices into fetters of legalism and works righteousness. Jesus countless confrontations with the Pharisees over their legalistic tendencies can go without elaboration. And the Apostle Paul certainly was well aware of legalisms destructiveness, even in his own life, as he was one who was wanting to draw closer to Christ, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3:9). The point can never be overstressed that people are saved by faith and not by the merit of their works. The righteousness that benefits the Christian is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is imputed to the believer by faith. Yet, the tendency people have is to try to add to what Christ has done on their behalf, but there is nothing to add. Still, over the centuries, those seeking to know God, walk with Him, and become like Christ have done all sorts of things, some mild and some radical, in an effort to contribute something of their own to Christs free gift of salvation. Certainly, the Roman Catholic Church in particular has been guilty of a poor theological foundation in promoting a legalistic works

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righteousness system, and Catholic mysticism has been a problem for over a millennium. But, many, if not all, believers have the tendency to veer off into legalism, both individually and corporately, if they are not careful. Thus, most Protestant churches have come to embrace a system of Grace Alone by Faith Alone that is in itself an overreaction against the Roman churchs works salvation system. And in doing so, the Protestant churches have, out of fear of legalism, underemphasized the need people have to actively train yourself to be godly. A most interesting point is that Paul, when encouraging Timothy to engage in training unto godliness, offered his instruction directly in the context of having just warned his protg about legalism (1 Timothy 4:1-5). Even though Paul warned Timothy about the dangers of legalistic teachings and actions, he immediately tells Timothy to train yourself to be godly. There can be no question that Paul means a literal, intentional, physical, deliberate, athletic-type of spiritual training he specifically says so (1 Timothy 4:7-8). Furthermore, Pauls own statements about his personal training in the disciplined life in 1 Corinthians 9 are also framed on either side by teachings concerning legalism and Christian freedom. Again, no one is more aware of legalisms danger than Paul, yet he seems to clearly promote an active routine of the Spiritual Disciplines. Obviously, one must enter into the disciplined life with great care and sensitivity, so as to not fall into the trap of works righteousness. Foster warns: Somehow the human species has the extraordinary knack for taking the best teaching and turning it to the worst ends. Nothing can put people into bondage like religion. The Disciplines are for the purpose of realizing a greater good. In and of themselves they are of no value whatever. They have value only as a means of setting us before God so that he can give us the liberation we seek. The liberation is the end; the Disciplines are merely the means. They are not the answer, they only lead to the Answer. We must clearly understand this limitation 68

of the Disciplines if we are to avoid bondage. Not only must we understand, but we need to underscore it to ourselves again and again so severe is our temptation to center on the Disciplines. Let us forever center on Christ and view the Spiritual Disciplines as a way of drawing close to his heart.110 In no way is this paper written to promote self hatred of the body through a misunderstood definition of asceticism, nor is it written in any way to affirm as acceptable the self-willed working of specific outward religious activities in an effort to bolster ones position before God. Yet, the paper does argue that within the framework of Jesus Christs teachings and life example, and the teachings of the Apostles and others, a model of life is offered that will promote spiritual growth unto holiness. The active pursuit of the Spiritual Disciplines is vital if one desires to walk as Jesus did. Yet, they must be entered into cautiously, with the goal clearly set before ones eyes at all times, and with a sense of balance, so as to not fall into the trap of the devil in making the acts an end unto themselves and not just a means to the end. The Spiritual Disciplines are simply tools given by God to help promote spiritual and moral transformation through acts of training, exercise, and self-discipline. All Christians must beware of legalisms allure.111

110 111

Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 110-111. Luke 12:1; 12:15; 20:46; Philippians 3:2; Colossians 2:8; 2 Peter 3:17. 69

VIII. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS Many Christians already participate to some degree in the Spiritual Disciplines. They go to church, sit in Bible class, worship, pray, do nice things to help others, and sometimes even pause in a thoughtful way. So, in promoting the need for the Spiritual Disciplines in the life of the believer, this writer is not attempting to reinvent the wheel or cast the Christian afloat into an unfamiliar sea. But many Christians must admit that there is often a going-through-the-motions, compartmentalized, ritualistic, traditiondriven sense about their spiritual life that is somewhat less than what they would hope for. The point is that if the Christian will consciously apply himself in a more intentional and dedicated way to the things he is already doing, then he will come to see positive change in his life. And if from there he will gain the encouragement to take his efforts to the next level of exercising the Spiritual Disciplines with all the energy an athlete gives to his preparation, then the Christian will really begin to come to know God, walk with Him, and experience the transformation into Christs likeness that he longs for. There are no hard and fast rules to obey or systems to follow. There may even be other areas of activity that can be embraced as Spiritual Disciplines that this paper has not mentioned. Furthermore, the journey of the disciplined life will take on different dynamics for each one who enters into it. Yet, the trip will lead him to the abundant life. To borrow once again from Foster: The classical Disciplines of the spiritual life beckon us to the Himalayas of the Spirit. Now we stand at

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timber line awed by the snowy peaks before us. We step out in confidence with our Guide who has blazed the trail and conquered the highest summit.112 As the writer of this paper continues into his early stages of this exciting journey of walking as Jesus did, he hopes that this introduction to the Spiritual Disciplines from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and others will offer encouragement to those who desire to truly grow in the likeness of Christ. May God bless those who truly strive to walk as Jesus did. Through prayer, Bible study, meditation, fasting, simplicity, solitude, service, and submission, may the child of God come to know and experience the freedom of the light burden and the easy yoke of living as Christs disciple. Follow Him!

112

Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 201. 71

WORKS CITED

Augustine. Confessions. Bancroft, Emery. Elemental Theology. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publishing, 1996. Berkhoff, Louis. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1941. Elwell,Walter A., ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1984. Fischetto, Anthony J. Transformed: Intimacy with God. Reading, PA: Alpha Omega Counseling Center, Inc., 2000. Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998. ______________. Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992. Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994. Johnson, Pierce. Fasting as a Modern Discipline. Religion in Life XLIV (Autumn, 1975): 331-337. Killian, Charles. Spiritual Disciplines for the Undisciplined. Leadership XIV (Fall, 1993): 48-53. Mitchell, Curtis C. The Practice of Fasting in the New Testament. Bibliotheca Sacra 147 (Oct.-Dec., 1990): 455-469. Ortberg, John C. One Minute Maturity. Leadership XII (Spring, 1991): 26-31. _____________. The Life Youve Always Wanted. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997. Sproul, R.C. The Souls Quest for God. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992. Thornton, Edward E. Lord, Teach us to Pray. Review and Expositor LXXVI (Spring, 1979): 219-239. 72

Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1991. Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998. ____________. The Spirit of the Disciplines. New York: Harper Collins, 1988.

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