What Are Spiritual Disciplines?

"Train yourself for the purpose of godliness, for bodily training is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things." (1 Timothy 4:7b–8a)

Every Christian wants to grow. Few know how. We pray when crisis hits. We read the Bible when guilt compels us. But sporadic effort does not produce godly men and women. Paul told Timothy to train himself for godliness, and he used an athletic metaphor for a reason. Athletes do not stumble into victory. They train. So must we. Scripture gives us specific practices for that training. They are called spiritual disciplines.

What Are Spiritual Disciplines According to the Bible?

Spiritual disciplines are the biblical activities that Christians practice to train themselves for the purpose of godliness in accordance with 1 Timothy 4:7. There are a variety of spiritual disciplines described in Scripture, and they can be organized into three main categories.

Bible Intake: Hear God's Word, Read God's Word, Meditate on God's Word, Memorize God's Word, Apply God's Word.

Prayer: Personal prayer, Corporate prayer, Fasting, Journaling, Silence and Solitude.

Corporate Gathering: Fellowship, Worship, Baptism, The Lord's Table, Encouragement, Rebuke, and Correction.

What Is the Goal of Spiritual Disciplines?

The goal of spiritual disciplines is to cultivate godliness. The purpose is not to gain a right standing with God. The imputed righteousness of God is appropriated wholly by the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not practice spiritual disciplines for personal satisfaction, although we do reap many blessings. The goal is godliness, and nothing less.

Are Spiritual Disciplines Activities or Attitudes?

Spiritual disciplines are activities, not character qualities. They are things that we do, even though the goal of the discipline is not doing but being.

The Bible commends and commands the Christian to partake in certain activities that lead to Christian growth and godliness. The activities that are explicitly stated in Scripture are the means for our growth in Christlikeness. We do not need to engage in activities that are not described in Scripture to deepen our knowledge and worship of our God.

It is also important to note that spiritual disciplines are activities that are derived from the gospel.

As Donald Whitney writes, "Spiritual disciplines are those personal and interpersonal activities given by God in the Bible as the sufficient means believers in Jesus Christ are to use in the Spirit-filled, gospel-driven pursuit of godliness, that is, closeness to Christ and conformity to Christ." (Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 9)

Who Powers the Spiritual Disciplines?

God does. Our progressive sanctification is wholly empowered by Him.

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

Just as salvation is a monergistic work of God, though God works through the means of gospel preaching, our pursuit of godliness is enabled by God's power alone through the means of spiritual disciplines.

Why Are Spiritual Disciplines a Means and Not an End?

The Christian's ultimate goal is not the successful completion of spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are a means, not an end. The final destination we are targeting is godliness. We can define godliness as "closeness and conformity with Christ."

Godliness, as denoting character and conduct determined by the principle of love or fear of God in the heart, is the summing up of genuine religion. There can be no true religion without it: only a dead "form" (2 Tim 3:5). The term is a favorite one in the Pastoral Epistles. The incarnation is "the mystery of godliness" (1 Tim 3:16).^[1]

We cannot be godly without the practice of spiritual disciplines, but we can practice the spiritual disciplines without being godly. A man or woman must come to spiritual maturity through discipline. Godliness comes through discipline.

How Do Spiritual Disciplines Produce Change?

God uses three catalysts to conform His people to the image of Christ: people, circumstances, and spiritual disciplines.

People. God can use both good friends and enemies to sharpen us to be more like Christ. "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17)

Circumstances. In His providence, God will use every situation and circumstance to conform us to be more like Christ. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Spiritual Disciplines. Spiritual disciplines differ from the first two in that when God uses them, He works primarily from the inside out. When He changes us through people and circumstances, the process works mainly from the outside in.

Spiritual disciplines also differ from the other two in that God grants us a greater measure of choice regarding involvement with them. We often have little choice regarding the people and circumstances God brings into our lives. We can decide whether we will read the Bible or fast today.

"For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." (Colossians 1:29)

The desire and the power for spiritual disciplines are produced by the grace of God. But Christians themselves must practice the spiritual disciplines.

Does the Bible Command Spiritual Disciplines?

Yes. The verb "discipline" in 1 Timothy 4:7 is in the imperative. This is a command, not a suggestion. The pursuit of godliness through spiritual disciplines is not optional but compulsory.

"Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." (1 Timothy 4:7b NASB)

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29)

"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" (Luke 9:23)

How Did Jesus Model the Spiritual Disciplines?

Jesus commands His disciples to practice spiritual disciplines. He is also the perfect model of these disciplines. Jesus was the most disciplined man who ever lived. He was also the most joyful.

We need to focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ as we practice these spiritual disciplines. We also need to depend on God's supply of grace and mercy through faith as we practice them.

Are Spiritual Disciplines Personal or Corporate?

The Bible prescribes both personal and interpersonal disciplines. Personal spiritual disciplines can be practiced alone, like personal Bible reading and personal prayer. Interpersonal spiritual disciplines are to be practiced with others, like corporate Sunday worship service at a local church. Both are important.

Christians should worship God privately, but they should also engage in family worship at home and public worship with other Christians in the local church.

As an example, Jesus went to pray alone (Matthew 4:1; 14:3; Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42), but He also went to the synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16).

Do Spiritual Disciplines Bring Freedom or Bondage?

Spiritual disciplines should not be burdensome. They should not be viewed as bondage. Spiritual discipline without purpose is drudgery. Spiritual discipline with the purpose of godliness brings joy and freedom.

Discipline is the price we must pay for freedom. Freedom is our reward. There is freedom in being able to quote Scripture. There is freedom from spiritual lethargy through fasting. There is freedom in doing what God is calling us to do through Bible intake.

"And knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness." (2 Peter 1:6)

As Donald Whitney writes, "The bridge between Spirit-empowered self-control and godliness is perseverance. Occasional self-control results in occasional godliness. But self-control with perseverance results in more consistent Christlikeness. True godliness requires a lifetime of perseverance." (Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 19)

Bibliography

• Mathis, David. Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016.
• Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Revised and updated ed. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2014.