The Place of Personal Discipline

          More highlights from The Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges.


                                          "Have nothing to do with godless myths and
                                           old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be
                                           godly."
                                                                              1 Timothy 4:7


          The way to obtain godliness is through Christian discipline.

          Paul says we are to train or discipline ourselves to be godly.  The figure of speech
     he uses comes from the physical training that Greek athletes went through.  Paul also
     said,
                                       "Everyone who competes in the games goes
                                        into strict training."
                                                                               1 Corinthians 9:25

          He said this was an attitude of his life, and one that each Christian should have
     (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).


          To pursue holiness, we must correct, mold and train our moral character.
     Discipline toward holiness begins with the Word of God.

          Paul said,
               
                                       "All Scripture is God-breathed  and is useful for
                                         teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in
                                         righteousness."
                                                                           2 Timothy 3:16


          Jay Adams says, "It is by willing , prayerful, and persistent obedience to the require-
     ments of the Scriptures that godly patterns are developed and come to be a part of us."
                                                                         (Godliness Through Discipline)

         We read in Scripture,

                                         "You were taught ... to put off your old self ...
                                           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 4:22-24


          Discipline toward holiness begins then with the Scriptures -- with a disciplined plan
     for regular intake of the Scriptures and a disciplined plan for applying them to our daily
     lives.

          Here our occupation with the Holy Spirit is very clear.

                   The Spirit wrote the Scripture .......................We learn the Scripture.................
     ......The Spirit brings to our mind what we learn.............We apply what He brings to mind.

          As we seek to apply his Word to daily situations, He will work in us to strengthen us.
     But we must respond to what the Holy Spirit has already done if we are to expect Him to
     do more.

                                                        **********

         We need a planned time each day for reading or studying the Bible.  Every Christian
    who makes progress in holiness is a person who has disciplined his life so that he spends
    regular time in the Bible.  There is simply no other way.

         
         A disciplined intake of the Word of God not only involves a planned time, it also in-
     volves a planned method.  Four categories:
                    
                            1. Hearing the Word taught by our pastors and teachers (Jer.3:15).

                            2. Reading the Bible ourselves (Deuteronomy 17:19).

                            3. Studying the Scriptures intently (Proverbs 2:1-5).

                            4. Memorizing key passages (Psalm 119:11).


          But if we are to pursue holiness with discipline, we must do more than hear, read,
     study, or memorize Scripture.  We must meditate on it. 

          God said to Joshua, just as he was assuming leadership over Israel,


                                         " Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your
                                           mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may
                                           be careful to do everything written in it."
                                                                                 Joshua 1:8


          Just as you need a plan for regular Bible reading or study, so you need a plan for
     applying the Word to your life.
           As you read or study the Scriptures and meditate on them during the day, ask
     yourself these three questions.


                                1. What does this passage teach concerning God's will
                                    for a holy life?

                               2. How does my life measure up to that Scripture,
                                   specifically where and how do I fall short?
                                   (Be specific; don't generalize).

                               3. What definite steps of action do I need to take to obey?


          The most important part of this process is the specific application of the Scripture to
     specific life situations.

          Structure training in holiness is a lifelong process.  So a necessary ingredient of
     discipline is perseverance.  Our sinful habits are not broken overnight.  Follow through
     is required to make any change in our lives, and follow through requires perseverance.


          Jonathan Edwards resolved, "never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my
     fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be."

          A verse of Scripture I (Jerry Bridges) often use in the face of failure with my own
     sins is Proverbs 24:16:

                                    "For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises
                                     again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity."


          The person who is discipling himself toward holiness falls many times, but he
     doesn't quit.  After each failure he gets up and continues the struggle.  Not so with
     the unrighteous.  He stumbles in his sin and gives up.  He has no power to overcome
     because he does not have the Spirit of God at work in him.


                                                   **********


          As we progress in holiness, we come to hate sin (Psalm 119:104) and to delight
     in God's law (Romans 7:22).  We see the perfection of God's law and the rightness
     of all He requires of us. 

          We agree that "his commands are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3), but are "holy,
     righteous, and good" (Romans 7:12).  But during all this time we also see our own
     inner corruption and our frequent falls into sin, and we want to give up.

          This we dare not do.  If we would succeed in our pursuit of holiness we must
     persevere in spite of failure.