Switching up the format a little bit. Though it is important to study the word and take life lessons from those before us, we should also look at ourselves and how we operate and see what we can learn from that.
*The Grace of Discipline. If I’m being honest, I didn’t know what to title this one so lets just roll with this*
It’s an undeniable fact that we will not achieve much without discipline. I won’t pretend like talent doesn’t exist though. I know many people who have a musical/athletic innate advantage, but I don’t think anyone can say they have an innate spiritual advantage. Even children whose parents were ministers in the church can’t say they inherited their faith. We must make a conscious effort to get closer to God.
But Christianity isn’t like going to the gym. It isn’t a matter of repeating a process and expecting results. Christianity, godliness, is far more than a checklist. Being ‘in Christ’ is a relationship like all relationships, and deserves disciplined maintenance, but never legalistic reductionism.
Let’s pause there. Legalistic Reductionism.
So, what’s the difference between Legalism and Discipline?
In short. Legalism says, “I will do this thing to gain merit with God”, while discipline says, “I will do this because I love God and want to please him”. Legalism is man-centered while discipline is God-centered. I’m going to be real with you lot, I have fallen for the Legalism side in the past.
No! How could you!
The “If I do this, God may answer my prayers” mindset. To many of us it may seem harmless since the acts are good, but our hearts are not in it. We simply make it harder for us to receive his grace when we approach Christianity with this mindset.
John 1:16 says And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
1 Timothy 4:7; But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness
My Sunday Skl 