pursuing godliness .part one.

We aren’t merely to wait for Holiness, we are to pursue it.

So how is it then that we become like Christ, how can we grow to be more like him? The answer is found in 1^st Timothy 4:7 “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”. As Christians, we must discipline ourselves using the Spiritual Disciplines and this is how we pursue a godly life. When we remember this, disciplining ourselves becomes a delight rather than drudgery. “The Spiritual Disciplines are the God-given means we are to use in the Spirit-filled pursuit of Godliness” - D.S. Whitney. Jesus Christ disciplined himself for the purpose of godliness, so if we desire to be Christ-like, we must live as Christ did – Christ not only expects these spiritual disciplines of us, but he modeled them for us throughout his life.  If you want to get real, we all know of professing Christians who seem to have little fruit and power being poured out in their lives – the cause of this may likely be the fact that these people are so spiritually undisciplined. Always remember *It takes sacrifice to succeed*

First of all, one of the main Spiritual Disciplines would be reading God’s word as we should. I think it’s fair to say that MANY Christians – especially young people – struggle with this one .We look at third-world countries where there is a church, a body of believers, and not one person there owns a bible or has read the word of God. Missionaries are amazed at how ‘misled’ or ‘confused’ these believers are because of the fact that they aren’t being guided by biblical truths. It’s one thing to be unfamiliar with Scripture when you don’t own a bible; it’s another thing when you have a bookshelf full. “No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute for it. There is simply no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture”.

Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Much of the faith we need for day-to-day living comes from hearing the Word. We are called to worship God constantly, in everything we do, but the ongoing worship of God CANNOT be separated from the Word of God. We HAVE to discipline ourselves to hear the word of God – through church, small groups, personal devotion time etc.

“How often do we face problems, temptation and pressure? EVERY DAY! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance and greater encouragement? EVERY DAY!” – John Blanchard.

“A man can no more take in a supply of Grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.” – DL Moody

In our society, a huge reason many Christians struggle with reading the word as they should is.. well.. it’s laziness. However, tape-recorded versions of the Bible have proven that you can get through the ENTIRE book in 71 hours. The average person in Canada watches that much TV in two weeks... guilt trip!!!! SO the reason so many professing Christians complain (or sadly, are content) with not having any fruit or power in their lives is because they settle for a poor quality intake of hearing, reading and studying God’s Word... therefore they severely restrict the main flow of God’s sanctifying Grace towards them. “Let the word break over your heart and mind again and again as the years go by, and imperceptibly there will come great changes in your attitude and outlook and conduct.” – Geoffrey Thomas.

With reading, hearing and studying the Word of God, we also find other Spiritual Disciplines such as: memorization, meditation and application. We have to always remember that when Scripture is stored in our mind, it is available for the Holy Spirit to take and bring to our attention when we need it most. However, if we aren’t hearing, reading or studying Scripture as we should, we have no weapon in our hand when we face questions of our own or from others, when we face trials, when we face anything... “When the Holy Spirit brings a definite verse to mind, it’s an illustration of what Ephesians 6:17 can mean when it refers to “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” A pertinent scriptural truth, brought to your awareness by the holy spirit at just the right moment, can be the weapon that makes the difference in a spiritual battle” – DS Whitney.

*Until scripture is hidden in our hearts – it isn’t available to use with our mouths*