dis-ci-pline - is both the verb to teach or train (What Christ seeks to do in us), and a noun meaning a branch of study (Our branch of study being, learning of, and following in, Christ's ways.) It may seem a difficult thing, but it is a gift of grace given us by God, to draw us closer to Himself.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;
for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Our source to discover Christ is found in the sufficient and inerrant body of scripture. This is where we are to go to seek wisdom and find the pattern for our lives.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Our life is to be about renewing our minds, bringing our thinking, will and every aspect of life into conformity and submission to God’s will.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We must know what the gospel is, believe it, and make our life match that belief. Do not become jaded by this world, the gospel is ever a beautiful and wonderful mystery. It is the only possible source of godliness...In this unimaginable gift!
John 3:14-17 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
sub-mis-sion - Not a popular notion in the world today to be sure, but it is plainly modeled by Christ and indeed explicitly directed too.
Philippians 2:1-11 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When we make our lives gospel centered in word AND deed, every day choosing God's way over our own desires, submission is the natural and joyful result.
James 4:7-10 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Hebrews 12:9-11 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Luke 9:23-25 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"
Are we being disciples? Really? Or has the world corrupted our thinking, and have the current modes of doing things altered our understanding? What teachers are we listening to? Are they pointing us to the God of scripture? Are we ever more in awe of His grace and the Gospel of Christ when we read/hear them?
God IS, He is knowable, God has given His inspired, inerrant, infallible sufficient Word. We can know and believe with boldness, confident we have His instructions for our lives. Jesus IS our teacher!
Beyond knowing... are we DOING? Doing what we see in scripture. Do our actions reflect the gospel? Are we submitting our desires to His revealed will? Let us not get caught up in what the world says we should do. Let us look to scripture for our guide...to do God's things in His ways. Let's make our actions in life be what God would have us do, and in that we will point others to our Savior!
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