Attitudes of the Heart - Self-Discipline

It is not uncommon to hear preachers and evangelist exhort Christians to “surrender” to God or to “lay it all on the altar.” These phrases are not bad or unbiblical per se, but they tend to paint a picture of a passive approach to spiritual growth. The Apostle Paul (who was clearly “surrendered to God” Gal 2:20) used much different language in describing how a Christian should live out his discipleship.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. What is Paul comparing our spiritual walk to?Q. v26. What else does he compare it to in verse 26?[/su_box]The Corinthians were thoroughly familiar with sporting events as their city was host to the Isthmian games, an Olympic-style sporting event held each year before and after the Olympics. The average Corinthian would have been very familiar with the discipline and stamina required for a man to succeed at the games. Paul uses their familiarity with sporting events to help them understand the discipline required to grow in the Christian life. He compares himself to a runner in a race who has a prize in his sights or a professional boxer who makes contact with each of his blows.[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. v29. How did Paul’s self-discipline affect his relationship with his physical body?Q. What was his motivation for bringing his body into subjection?[/su_box]The phrases “discipline my body” and “keep it under control” literally mean to “subdue” or “make a slave.” In Paul’s mind, in order to be a spiritual success it required that he become the master of his own flesh and its desires and not the other way around.Paul understood that personal discipline and spiritual growth were connected. What fleshly tendencies do you think we must control if we are to be a spiritual success?

Self-Discipline – A Mark of Discipleship

An integral part of self-discipline is the idea of “self-denial.” We live in a society where self-denial has given way to indulgence and instant gratification. There is no need, in our affluent society, to go without or to deny ourselves anything. But that should not prevent the Christian from practicing self-denial. The disciplined Christian will learn to deny himself pleasures and indulgences, not only to protect his spiritual walk, but to ensure that he is in constant control of his flesh and that his flesh is not in control of him. This denial of self is a mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. What did Jesus say that a man should do to “self” if he desired to be His disciple?[/su_box]

Galatians 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. What is a characterstic of those who “are Christ’s?”[/su_box]

Romans 13:13-14 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. How should “putting on Christ” affect the way we treat our flesh?[/su_box]To be a disciple of Christ one must be willing to crucify himself. To give his life, his own desires and his own priorities over to the control of Jesus Christ. Giving over control to Jesus Christ is not an act of passivity. It involves the constant, day-by-day subjection of our bodies to our control as we are lead by the Spirit of God. Consider below, some motivations for Self-Discipline.

Motivations for Self-Discipline

1. Seeking The Best

A lot of Christians spend their lives trying to find the fine line between liberty and sin. They want to get as much enjoyment out of this sinful world as they can without falling full-on into sin. Once they find that line they spend the rest of their lives in the precarious position of trying to balance the world with Christ. Paul had a different perspective. He not only abstained from out-and-out sin, but also avoided anything that had even the potential to control or hinder him.

1 Corinthians 6:12-13 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13 "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"--and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. What is true about “all things?”Q. v12. What is not true about all things?[/su_box]It is true that the Christian will be forgiven of every sin when he sincerely repents (1 John 1:9). However, this is not a license to sin (Rom 6:1-2, 1 Peter 2:16). The question that all Christian’s should be asking themselves is not “is it wrong”, but rather “is it beneficial to my spiritual growth.” This question raises our concern regarding spiritual life to a whole new level. It is deciding that although something is not necessarily sinful, it is not best for me. Paul was willing to forsake all (Php 3:8), if it meant that he would gain a greater knowledge of God and experience the power of his resurrection (Php 3:10). Like the olympic runner, he was running to win and would not allow anything to hold him back, even if it was not technically sinful.Paul’s desire to discipline himself and to avoid anything that might hurt his spiritual life is a great mark of spiritual maturity. Whereas the spiritually immature often conform to the prevailing standards of a church out of obligation, the spiritually mature willingly limit their liberty in order to protect the precious relationship they have with their Lord. Paul’s motivation for self-discipline was not to please people, to fit in, or to earn God’s favour, but to ensure that he would not become a spiritual failure. True self-discipline starts in the heart. It is motivated by sincere desire to live a life close to God and to encourage others to do the same.Self-discipline is a matter of having right priorities. God is first; which is why our first concern is our spiritual walk. Second in our priority list are fellow Christians and last is self. Therefore, we deny ourselves in order to please God and to encourage the brethren. An undisciplined life puts self first and everything else last. It violates our relationship with God and discourages the brethren. It is selfishness to its core.Consider next, we should exercise self-discipline in order to encourage our fellow believers.

2. Encouraging Fellow Believers

1 Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up.

[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. In this passage Paul repeats what he has already said in 1 Cor 6, but adds a phrase. What else should we take into consideration when deciding whether or not something is right to take part in? [/su_box]Paul not only exhorted the churches to build up one another (Rom 14:19; Rom 15:2; 1 Cor 8:1; 1 Cor 14; Eph 4:12; Eph 4:29; 1 Thess 5:11), but he himself was always conscious as to whether or not his actions would be a benefit or a stumbling block to his fellow Christians (1 Cor 8:13; 2 Cor 12:19). The eighth chapter of Corinthians is a wonderful example of Paul’s willingness to deny his own flesh for the sake of others. He was willing to abstain even from eating meat offered to idols if it meant encouraging others and avoiding their offense.[su_box title="Think and Apply" style="soft" box_color="#E67600"]What are some things that we might avoid entirely for the sake of weaker Christians even though they are not necessarily sinful?[/su_box]One last motivation for self-discipline is that of avoiding bondage.

3. Avoiding Bondage

Before salvation we were captives to sin (John 8:34; Rom 6:17; Eph 2:1), but Jesus Christ broke the bonds of sin when he died on the cross and rose from the dead (Rom 8:3). At the moment of our salvation we were made free from the oppressive slavery of sin and were given the ability to live in righteousness (Rom 6:18). Now, like a slave owner who has lost all legal rights to his slave, Satan does all that he can to entice his freedmen to willingly submit once again to his control. Sin no longer has dominion over us (Rom 6:6,14), but it still seeks to bring us into bondage (Rom 6:12-13).As Christians, whenever we sin it is because we have willingly submitted ourselves to the control of sin (James 1:14-15; 1 Cor 10:13) and not because sin commands us. Self-discipline is a matter of avoiding any situation where sin can lure us back into its slavery.[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. Look back at 1 Cor 6:12.Q. What did Paul say he would not allow to happen?[/su_box]Paul understood that although we are under grace and not the law, not all things are beneficial for us. He also understood that not all things edify or build up our fellow believers. Further still, he understood that there are some things that are not necessarily sinful but have the potential to bring us into bondage. For all of these reasons he was willing to discipline his body and to bring it under his control.

The Flesh – Prone to Indulgence

Would you give your child a box of chocolates and trust him to only eat as much as is healthy? Or would you give him a limit knowing that he has a tendency to overindulge? Not unlike that child, our flesh tends toward indulgence and left unchecked, indulgence can lead to bondage.How can you tell if you have become servant to something that used to be just a harmless enjoyment? It might help to ask yourself the following questions:

• Does this thing occupy an inordinate amount of my thought life?
• Does this thing prevent me from accomplishing important tasks?
• Have I begun to sacrifice social interaction, family life or friendships in favour of this thing?
• Have I changed my social circle to one which revolves around this thing?
• Do I spend an inappropriate amount of time, money or resources on this thing?
• Have I become embarrassed or secretive about this thing?
• Do I become irritated or angry when someone I love prevents me from taking part in this thing?
• Have I tried to stop or limit this thing only to fail repeatedly?

There are some habits which are out-and-out sinful like drugs, alcohol and pornography but what about other things like food, entertainment and social media? These (and just about anything else) can be done to excess, thus creating a habit and bringing us unto bondage. Each of us should consider what it is in our lives that tends to bring us into bondage and then seek to moderate those things or abstain from them altogether.This is not a matter of legalistic rule keeping, but rather the answer of a sincere heart which desires to protect a spiritual life and encourage others in their faith.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. In Hebrews 11 we see a list of great men and women of faith. Following this list in chapter 12 the writer of Hebrews encourages us to follow their example. What two things does the writer tell us we should “lay aside?”Q. What will laying aside these things help us to do?[/su_box]Remember, we started by looking at Paul’s analogy in 1 Cor 9 of an olympic runner. Here we are told that in order to successfully run this race we must lay aside, not only sin, but everything that weighs us down. Everything that produces an unnecessary burden upon us; that distracts or hinders us from focusing on the things of God.It is important to realize that what tends to lead you into bondage may not be what hinders others. In order to apply Hebrews 12:1, we may have to “lay aside” some things that others are able to partake in. We should not make decisions about self-discipline by comparing ourselves with others. Nor should we judge or criticize others who do not make the same decisions that we do. Only you know what things have a tendency to hinder your spiritual walk and likewise, only you know from what things you may have to abstain.[su_box title="Think and Apply" style="soft" box_color="#E67600"]What are some other things that are O.K. in moderation but are unhealthy in excess?[/su_box]

Learning Moderation – The Key to Self Discipline

 [su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. Considering 1 Cor 9:25 again, What approach must a serious athlete take toward “all things?” [/su_box]To exercise self-control is to learn moderation. Moderation can be defined this way: avoiding extremes of behavior or expression; observing reasonable limitsLet’s consider some things that prevent us from practicing moderation.

Enemies of Moderation

1. Laziness

Moderation involves harnessing our appetites and guarding against extremes in everything we do. Moderation requires a consistent assessment of our behaviour. Because moderation requires consistency it is very difficult for the lazy or undisciplined person to practice.Laziness is itself an act of extremisim. It is over indulging in sleep, relaxation, entertainment etc. The moderate will practice a reasonable bedtime and waking time (Prov 6:9-11). He will discipline himself to do all things with reasonableness, avoiding extremes in every area, including food and rest.[su_box title="Think and Apply" style="soft" box_color="#E67600"]In what ways do you think physical laziness could affect our spiritual lives?[/su_box]

2. Legalism

Another enemy of moderation is legalism. The legalist seeks discipline or temperance through the rigid adherence to rules.The legalist is prone to extreme swings in his spiritual devotion. When he finds himself over-indulging his flesh he will make some new rule or extreme decision to abstain from something that is not necessarily sinful. His lack of moderation leads him to make unneccessary rules. Unlike Paul, the legalist seeks to control himself, not from an inward desire to succeed spiritually, but from the outward pressure of a set of laws.This is different from the “laying aside” of “every weight” which we saw above, in that the legalist feels that the rules themselves will result in spirituality. He hopes that if he abstains from enough sin he will automatically be on his way to spiritual maturity. What the legalist misses is that Christian maturity is a matter of spiritual transformation on the inside, not outward reformation on the outside. Rules and standards are important, if they are for the purpose of allowing our relationship with Jesus Christ to fluorish. The legalist has a tendency to allow rules to replace relationship.The legalist is prone to extremism in every area. He can swing from over-indulgence in the flesh to extreme decisions for God and back to his flesh. He is the one who has “rededicated” his life to God countless times, but never seems to stick to it. He has never learned moderation.One doesn’t have to be a legalist to act like one. Sometimes the lazy, undisciplined, unorganized Christian can get fed up with their inconsistency and as a result make drastic decisions in their life in an effort to get their spiritual life in order. These people decide to get rid of their TVs when they spend too much time watching. They cancel their internet access to combat their obsessive surfing. They start an extreme diet when their eating is out of control. And, within a week or two they are out shopping for another TV, reconnecting their internet and back to their old eating habits. Why? Because the extremism that was behind their lack of spirituality is the same extremism that drove their spike in spiritual interest. What this Christian needs is not more “decisions for God” or more rules. They need to learn self-discipline and moderation.In addition to laziness and legalism, another enemy of moderation is liberinism.

3. Libertinism

The libertine is one who is not at all concerned with moderation. He feels that since he is “under grace”, he need not worry about self-discipline. He indulges his flesh, figuring he can simply ask God’s forgiveness if he stumbles into sin. His overarching concern is not “knowing God and the power of his resurrection” (Php 3:10), but getting as much sensual satisfaction out of this life as he can.Laziness, legalism and libertinism are all enemies of moderation. The successful Christian life is one of consistency and discipline not “mountains and valleys” of spiritual interest. If you are experiencing constant or extreme “ups and downs” in your spiritual life, you are lacking self-discipline and moderation.

Learning Moderation - The Key to Genuine Liberty

Ironically, it is not the lazy, the legalist or the libertine that experiences the most liberty. It is the moderate. The Christian who has learned to handle his appetites with moderation is free to experience all sorts of things that the lazy extremist or the legalist cannot. Because the moderate, like Paul, has learned “not [to] be enslaved by anything”, he can enjoy things that the lazy extremist or the legalist could not handle (1 Cor 8).While the lazy extremist is in bondage to something and the legalist is making new rules to govern the use of that thing, the self-disciplined Christian is enjoying it in moderation. Whether it be entertainment, food, social media, sports, hobbies or anything else, the self-disciplined person can enjoy them all without fear of bondage. He has learned what is reasonable and enjoys them to that extent.Essential to the Christian life is self-discipline. At the moment we became disciples of Christ we entered into a lifestyle of self-denial and discipline. Paul understood this well and even likened it to the disciplined life of an Olympic athlete. We do not work for salvation or to earn God’s favour, but we do work diligently to avail ourselves to the tools which God has given us for spiritual growth (His word, prayer, fellowship, preaching, etc). We also work diligently to protect our spiritual life by abstaining from sin and by doing everything else in moderation.The Christian walk is one of consistent discipline. When we consistently pray, read God’s word and apply it, we will see growth. But the hit-and-miss, inconsistent Christian who swings between extremes of devotion and apathy will never make much spiritual progress.[su_box title="Review!" style="soft" box_color="#FF4D2C"]1. Paul was concerned with being in control of his own body. What are some examples of times when it could be said that we are “out of control” or that our bodies are controlling us?2. Explain what it means to “seek the best” through self-discipline.3. Many Christians “walk the line” between liberty and sin. Why is this a bad practice?4. How does our self-discipline help fellow believers?5. What are we saying about our concern for others if we take part in things that are not necessarily sinful but could be offensive to weaker brethren?6. If Christ freed us from sin by dying on the cross, why do we still have to worry about avoiding the bondage of sin?7. How can a lack of self-discipline make life miserable for the legalist? [/su_box]