PERSONAL HOLINESS
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES, OR DISCIPLINES, ARE PATHS GOD HAS GIVEN US FOR THE CARE OF OUR SOULS
“Superficiality is the curse of our age. The desperate need today is not for more intelligent or gifted people, but for deeper, more holy people.” [1] The care of the soul and developing godly character is largely a solitary enterprise. It is rarely accomplished by attending church, Bible studies, being involved in a ministry or any number of other good activities or endeavors alone. We have the examples of Jesus and other great men and women of faith, who cared for their souls – the inner self, by the use of spiritual exercises. When they practiced these spiritual exercises, their inner character was shaped by the Holy Spirit, and that character poured out in transformed and holy living.
The Bible provides no complete list of these spiritual exercises (or disciplines), but they are generally broken into two categories: The Inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study; the Outward Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service.
The purpose for the disciplines is the total transformation of the person. They aim at replacing old, destructive and unkind habits of thought and action, with new life-giving habits and attitudes – personal holiness. Personal holiness is more than the absence of sin and the presence of good works in our lives. It is the inner desire to be like Christ in this life. The Bible warns us that holiness isn’t simply a good target, but, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14
The Inward Disciplines help us focus our attention on God. By them, we are able to understand the deeper things of God, fill our mind with the words of God and communicate with God. The Outward Disciplines help shape how we live. Living out these Outward Disciplines is essentially putting into practice that which we’ve learned from first exercising the Inward Disciplines. If we are healthy in our inner selves, we are significantly more likely to be holy, or virtuous in our outward living. On the other hand, if we begin with the Outward Disciplines, we risk legalism.
Why the need for spiritual exercises? In Mega Concept No. 15 (Temptation) we will address the issue of habitual sins and their power over us, unless we’re seriously committed to stop sinning. The Bible is quite clear that there are things we must not do, must not touch, and must not think. However, willpower alone will never succeed in dealing with sin in our lives. The change within us is God’s work, not ours. Righteousness is a gift from God and the disciplines are a means of receiving his grace to change ourselves. Spiritual disciplines are spiritual exercises which prepare our hearts to both understand and do the will of God. Whatever good harvest comes from our lives ultimately comes from God because it is he who is the source of all our giftedness and righteousness.
As an example, a farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain. He cultivates, plants, waters, and weeds and the natural forces of the earth take over, causing the plants to grow. Spiritual disciplines are the "cultivating and preparation of the ground" part. Weeding is the “stop sinning" part. The disciplines are frankly the most important part of the entire process, for one can weed thoroughly and still have no harvest without the preparation of the ground, sowing and watering.
While there is the danger of legalism in the exercise of any of the disciplines, it is also safe to say that it is nearly impossible for someone to be a serious follower of Jesus without the disciplines, especially regular, serious, individual, Bible study and prayer. They are called disciplines precisely because they require discipline. They do not come naturally.
One obvious obstacle to exercising these disciplines is that for the most part, they are a lost art. The Bible gives little instruction on “how to” because Jews regularly fasted, prayed, meditated, took times of solitude, and so forth. It was a normal part of their life and culture, not something that had to be taught. Modern Christianity has bought into the lie that deep spirituality is unrealistic, and has substituted any serious quest with one-page devotionals, Christian radio, weekend conferences and the one-hour worship service. Our lives are too busy to do serious “soul work”. Because this is the new “norm," serious followers of Jesus will need to move beyond that standard by examining and imitating the lives and habits of men and women who were aflame with divine love for God. (See the Study and Application section at the end of this Mega Concept for a list of recommended reading.) Knowing God – a lifetime passion to know the heart of God and the commands of God and obey them – is the will of God.
Note: See the Appendix at the end of this Mega Concept for a brief outline and explanation of each spiritual discipline.
Gal. 6:8; I Tim. 4:7, 8, 11, 12; Matt. 6:1, 2, 5, 16, 19; Heb. 12:14; Col. 3:12
- The author acknowledges the generous use of ideas, paraphrases, and quotes from Richard J. Foster's Celebration of the Disciplines (New York: Harper San Francisco).