A Living Sacrifice

Our growth in Christ requires that we take control over our bodies with its inherent sin nature—the flesh—and bring to an end the habitual and unconscious submission to its demands. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7:18); therefore, "put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:14). "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3). When we examine the requirements for a sacrifice in the Old Testament, several key actions are listed: willingly offer a sacrifice without blemish, kill the sacrifice, flay and cut the sacrifice into pieces, wash in water, and burn all on the altar (Leviticus 1:1-9). Thus, we have to willingly offer our bodies without sin to the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:3-7); kill all filthiness of the flesh (2 Corinthians 7:1); flay and cut the motions of sins working in our members (Romans 7:5); wash in the water of the Word (Psalm 119:9; Ephesians 5:26; James 1:21; 1 Peter 3:21); and suffer in the furnace of affliction knowing that "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12; see also Isaiah 48:10; 2 Corinthians 1:7).

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

"The Christian's journey toward wholeness in the image of Christ for the sake of others progresses by means of spiritual disciplines. Just as a journey from one place to another requires varied sets of disciplines for successful completion (walking, driving, flying, navigation skills and the like), so the Christian journey has its own sets of disciplines which enable the pilgrim to progress through the stages of the spiritual path toward wholeness in Christ."²²² We will cover the stages of the spiritual path toward wholeness in Christ in "Spiritual Formation: The End of Your Faith" which is upcoming. In this section we will examine corporate and individual disciplines which are the practices necessary to achieve wholeness in Christ.

CORPORATE DISCIPLINES

The corporate disciplines "of the spiritual pilgrimage are the practices that the church has come to realize are essential for deepening one's relationship with God, enriching one's life with others and nurturing one toward wholeness in Christ. ... [The corporate disciplines without individual disciplines] can quickly become a debilitating façade that covers one's deep need for transformation."²²³ "Somewhere between the extremes of avoidance of discipline and the imprisonment of discipline is the holistic practice of balanced spiritual disciplines which become a means of God's grace to shape us in the image of Christ for others. ... Holistic spiritual disciplines are acts of loving obedience that we offer to God steadily and consistently, to be used for whatever work God purposes to do in and through our lives. ... The only pure motive for our spiritual disciplines is the motive of loving obedience to God. Only the motive of loving obedience will enable us to persist in the disciplines when the going gets rough, when nothing seems to be happening, when the old habits and attitudes of our brokenness seem unaffected by the disciplines that aim at their healing and transformation. ... These [corporate] spiritual disciplines of the body of Christ form the scaffolding, the structure, the support network within which we then exercise the distinctive, personalized disciplines into which the Spirit of God leads each of us as we journey toward wholeness in Christ. ... The [corporate] disciplines give us the support structure within which our own spiritual disciplines become means of God's grace for the transformation of our being into the wholeness of Christ."²²⁴ While grace is indeed a gift, we can, however, grow in grace: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2). God bestows grace to us as we humble ourselves to his Word: "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (James 4:6). In the following two scriptures, notice the correlation between grace and power:

And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33)

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

As can be seen from the scriptures above, grace is defined as the power of Christ exerted on behalf of the righteous. It is by this power—grace—that we "become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12). We need grace in order to be transformed—conformed to the image of Christ, in order to be saved from the coming wrath of God: "For by grace are ye saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). Said another way, we are expected to grow in grace: "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen" (2 Peter 3:18). The grace of God given to us is to be managed like we would any precious resource entrusted to us by a dear father. "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10); "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2). Scripture cites seven disciplines which merit grace from the Lord: seeking the wisdom of God; obeying the Word of God through faith; self-sacrifice for the sake of others; repenting, praying and praising without ceasing; self-denial, self-restraint, and fasting to break every yoke; giving liberally with a cheerful heart; and, living unto the righteousness which is of God by faith through the Spirit unto unfeigned love. God rewards us for righteousness: for living in order with his Word. "The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me" (Psalm 18:20). For "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength" (Isaiah 40:29); "the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people" (Psalm 68:35). This is why Paul was quick to say, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Seeking the wisdom of God: the knowledge and understanding of God and Jesus Christ

The pursuit of wisdom is the foundation of a Christian's spiritual journey: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6).

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. (Proverbs 4:5-9)

There is a direct correlation between the wisdom and grace as can be derived from the scriptures above as well as from the following verse: "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40). After all, God rewards us for diligently seeking him (Hebrews 11:6). "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2). The pursuit of wisdom can be subdivided into three components: 1) Examination: Studying scripture to understand God, to think like God, and to become like his Son; 2) Rumination: Focusing our mind on the Lord. Select a scripture, read it repeatedly, listen to what it is saying. Throughout the day reflect on the scripture; and, 3) Meditation: Reflecting on the impact of the scriptures studied. What does it tell about God? What does it tell about mankind? What does it tell about Satan? What changes need to be implemented in the believer?

These three components of the pursuit of wisdom are realized through the discipline of spiritual reading. "Spiritual or formational reading is the exact opposite of informational reading. ... Unfortunately, we have been trained to be informational readers, not spiritual readers. When we do informational reading, we exercise almost total and complete control over the text. We usually select the material we are going to read. We read the text with our own agenda already in place, knowing in advance what we expect to receive, what problems we want the text to solve for us. We read the text analytically, viewing it as an object over which we as subject exercise our control, to ensure that it conforms more or less comfortably to our desires and purposes. We read the text as rapidly as possible, to amass as much information as we can in as little time as possible. (Have you ever caught yourself marking your place and looking ahead to see how much was left?) The final goal of informational reading is our mastery of the text for the fulfillment of our purposes. ... One of the primary purposes of spiritual reading [is] to allow the text to have control over us and become a place of encounter with God. Instead of the text being an object controlled by us, the text becomes the subject; we, in turn, become the 'object' addressed by God through the text. Instead of coming to the text with our own agenda, we come in a posture of openness to God's agenda. We read attentively, seeking not to cover as much as possible as quickly as possible but to plumb the depths of the text so that the text may plumb the depths of our being an doing. Rather than an analytical approach, we take a contemplative posture that is open to ambiguity and mystery. The final goal of spiritual reading is to be mastered by God for the fulfillment of God's purposes in us and through us."²²⁵

Obeying the Word of God through faith

Scripture states, "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment" (Mark 12:30); and "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John 14:21). We see from these scriptures that in order for us to satisfy the first commandment we must "have" and obey all of God's commandments—obey his Word. To have his commandments we must continually study and believe his Word. Belief in his Word inherently demands obedience with the help of the Holy Ghost. Obedience to God's Word, however, runs counter to our carnal nature for the unpurified heart "is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9); therefore, like Jesus, it is necessary to suffer to learn obedience. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). It is in suffering that we learn patience: "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise" (Hebrews 10:36). In addition, in suffering we gain more intimate knowledge of God; that is, we increase our experience of him delivering us out of our troubles as we obey: "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" (Isaiah 48:10). Moreover, in suffering we increase our hope in the Lord: "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope" (Romans 8:24). Thus our suffering builds patience, experience and hope (see "Understanding Discipleship" for more on suffering and the life of a disciple), and it is through our hope in the Lord that we can rejoice with joy unspeakable "that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28). Thus, obedience to God works against our flesh—our carnality—and requires that we "tear" and "strain" our spiritual muscles to build our spiritual strength. To encourage us in what can seem an interminable season of affliction (Isaiah 48:10; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:3), God gives us "grace ... for obedience to the faith" (Romans 1:5).

Self-sacrifice for the sake of others

The discipline of self-sacrifice for the sake of others is comprised of three components: altruism, hearing, and evangelism. The first component, altruism—devotion to the welfare of others, gets us out of ourselves: begins to help us mortify self-centeredness (Matthew 16:24). A key tenet of charity is "seeketh not her own"; the love of God and love for God requires us to replace our self-focus and self-indulgence with a focus on the welfare of our neighbor. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me" (Romans 15:1-3). The second component, hearing, must be disciplined for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17) and "being not a forgetful hearer" (James 1:25) requires that "every man be swift to hear, slow to speak" (James 1:19). We must learn to hear God, to hear others, and to hear God in others. "Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual" (1 Corinthians 15:46). Spiritual hearing bears a prerequisite of physical hearing. "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him" (Proverbs 18:13). Are we swift to cut people off so we can wow them with our knowledge or are we patient, respectfully—lovingly—allowing them to speak? In "Hindrances to Love" we have already documented five key principles to effective listening that should be put into practice. Finally, the third component, evangelism, requires us to share the Good News. In fact, when Jesus gave commandment to his disciples, right before his departure, he said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). The task of the disciple is to make other disciples through preaching the message of Christ, which is the Gospel. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9). "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth" (Isaiah 52:7)! We have several more verses in the New Testament that promote preaching the message of Christ to those who did not believe: "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ" (Acts 5:42; see also 2 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Timothy 4:2). The doctrine of Christ must be spread through us. It is done by the power of the Holy Ghost, who empowers us to tell others about what "good things GOD has done."

Repenting, Praying and Praising without ceasing

"When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" (Matthew 6:6). God gives grace unto the humble but resists the proud (James 4:6). Worship of God requires that we recognize that "the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king" (Jeremiah 10:10). "Worship, whether corporate or individual (and there needs to be both in our liturgical discipline) is the practice of regularly seeking to bring the complete focus of our being upon God. It is the discipline of returning to the true center of our individual and corporate existence as God's people. The pressures of life and the assaults of the fallen world constantly blur our focus and tend to shift us away from our center in God. Worship is the means by which we recover our focus and return to our center. The quality and consistency of our worship will determine how well we are able to live Christ-centered lives in the world."²²⁶ Worship of God places us in service to him and we humble ourselves through repentance, prayer and praise. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). "Prayer is the act by which the people of God become incorporated into the presence and action of God in the world. Prayer becomes a sacrificial offering of ourselves to God, to become agents of God's presence and action in the daily events and situations of our lives. How different this is from the idea of prayer as asking God to change our situation without any involvement on our part! ... We are taught to pray 'Our Father,' not 'My Father,' because there is an essentially corporate dimension to prayer. Corporate prayer lifts us out of the narrow, limited perspective of our individual needs and desires and provides us with the broader, deeper vision of vital relationship with and sacrificial response to God in the midst of our life and world. ... Unless our individual prayer life exists within the greater support structure of the prayers of the saints, it will tend to become very narrow, individualized and privatized, and we will shy away from yielding control of our existence for God's purposes in our world."²²⁷

Self-denial, self-restraint and fasting to break every yoke

Self-denial, self-restraint and fasting are all forms of asceticism: practices or disciplines that require considerable individual effort to learn and master. Asceticism exposes our weaknesses and limits, too often hidden behind the patterns of evasion (escapes) and self-indulgences. Self-denial and self-restraint, though similar, need separate attention. Self-denial requires us to put aside—deny—our own desires or interests for the sake of others. Whereas, self-restraint builds our ability to control the drive to fulfill our own desires or interests.

Self-denial does not mean the negation of the essential self known and loved by God but rather the disciplining of the self, which tends towards egoistic indulgence and illusory daydreaming. The need to be comfortable, physically and emotionally, is a high priority in our world. The discipline of self-restraint puts such needs much lower on the list of priorities. Discomfort because of heat or cold, the quality of the food, or the consistency of the mattress are all areas where the practice of self-restraint can make us more receptive to God. The disciplined acceptance of the "uncomfortable" situation in silence and inner resignation creates a capacity for a spiritual sensitivity that can be lost by constant complaining or using our energies to look for the more comfortable room, bed, or enjoyable situation. The practice of self-restraint in the pursuit of comfort leads to greater self-restraint in dealing with drives that are more obviously destructive. The continued practice of small acts of self-restraint develops a kind of spiritual hardiness. Over a period of time, we become less preoccupied with our personal needs and desires. Eventually, we discover that our values have changed in a radical way.

Self-denial is much the same. We deny ourselves something we want, something good, in order to have deeper communion with God. The tendency to sidestep the difficulties of life through indulgence or compensation robs us of opportunities to find spiritual significance in the everyday trials that beset us. The typical antidotes for a "down" day may be a modest shopping spree at the local mall, but self-denial calls us to resist such immediate relief and turn to God in prayer, begging for both courage and deliverance. As the practice of self-denial clarifies our motives and patterns of evasion and self-indulgence, it becomes ever more obvious that the Lord is our only refuge in any kind of crisis or time of sorrow.²²⁸

Fasting involves humbling your flesh by abstaining from eating, drinking (we recommend strongly that unless bidden by the Lord, let no more than three days go without drinking water), sex, and other fleshly desires for a certain period of days (twenty-four hours): a day, three days, or seven days is generally sufficient. Ideally, during fasting, replace the time that would have been spent eating and drinking with an increase in the amount of time spent praying (confessing sins) and studying the Word of God. "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly" (Matthew 6:17-18). The grace received through fasting is used "to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free" (Isaiah 58:6); it is a means by which unclean spirits can be cast out (Mark 9:17-29). Fasting is also a vehicle for intercession: "But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom" (Psalm 35:13). Fasting is a sacrifice of righteousness, it is an expression of faith in God: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Fasting is a voluntary denial of the physical things which we depend on for life and pleasure, in order to bring focus to the true spiritual food by which we as Christians truly live. "Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 29:6). "We have a powerful tendency to grasp for ourselves the gifts God gives for the meeting of life's needs. We constantly succumb to the temptation to become dependent on these things for our well-being and wholeness. Whenever our grasp of something God has given for our sustenance and well-being becomes a destructive bondage off dependence—an idol—a discipline of fasting is needed."²²⁹

Giving liberally with a cheerful heart

"For God so loved the world, that he gave" (John 3:16), however, "The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth" (Psalm 37:21). To give is to love and to love is to give. When we do not give we do not love: "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18). We love when we give as he gave: the best and the first. We give, first of ourselves and secondly of our possessions: "every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you" (2 Corinthians 9:7-8). In other words, when we walk in the steps of God, he rewards us with his power. We give our best and we give to God first through giving to the poor and needy (Matthew 25:34-40). The will of God is for us to willingly give to those who ask (Matthew 5:42), to willingly give alms—give to the poor (Luke 11:41), and to willingly give to support other Christians—minister to the saints (Hebrews 6:10). "The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it" (Proverbs 29:7). And, "He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse" (Proverbs 28:27). "But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly" (Matthew 6:3-4). Therefore, "let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:9-10).

Living unto the righteousness which is of God by faith through the Spirit unto unfeigned love

Given that "unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). Philippians 4:13 can be interpreted, "I can do all things through the power and wisdom of God, which strengthens me." "All things" in this verse is not dealing with infinite possibilities: we do not need Christ to do unrighteousness; for "the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him" (Psalm 92:15). Rather, it is comprised of the things that are pleasing to God: the things according to his will. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him" (1 John 5:13-15). Thus, I can do all things according to the will of God through the power and wisdom of God, which strengthens me. As Adam had all things available to him within the boundaries of the garden in Eden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so too, do we have all things available to us within the boundary of God's anointed Word—through Christ. Jesus himself said, "without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5); "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) ... That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:17, 21). Thus, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Galatians 2:20-21). "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen" (Ephesians 6:24).

INDIVIDUAL DISCIPLINES

Physiological Needs

Our bodies' physiological needs consist of breathing, food, water, sleep, homeostasis—a relatively stable state of equilibrium, and excretion. In addition, our bodies enjoy sex and comfort. These all constitute needs from the body's perspective. For the Christian, however, these "needs" cannot be allowed to get out of control: "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand" (Philippians 4:5).

Eating/Drinking/Partying

As born again believers we have to learn to control the frequency and quantity of what we eat and what we drink; lest we embrace spirits of gluttony. "When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite" (Proverbs 23:1-2). "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you" (1 Peter 4:3-4). Therefore, "be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags" (Proverbs 23:20-21). "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares" (Luke 21:34). "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things" (Philippians 3:18-19).

Sexual Immorality

Fornication is sexual intercourse with someone other than your spouse: sex outside of a marriage covenant. Fornication is often initially entered into without a partner—masturbation is simply fornication without a partner. "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18). Fornication is taking the sexual rewards of marriage without the marriage. The problem with fornication is that sexual intercourse, not a marriage ceremony, creates (consummates) a marriage. "And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife" (Exodus 22:16). God considers fornication as two people entering into a marriage without a marriage covenant (see "Christian Dating"). "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5).

Comfort

"How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man" (Proverbs 6:9-11). The desire for physical comfort can become a snare like any other lust of our flesh. "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content" (1 Timothy 6:6-8). The desire for comfort can quickly escalate into a desire for money; "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition" (1 Timothy 6:9).

Slothfulness

Just as lions hunt for their prey and seek their meat from God, we, as members of the kingdom of God, work in order to participate in God's system: to have to give to those in need (Ephesians 4:28). "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger" (Proverbs 19:15). "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat" (Proverbs 13:4). "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread" (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).

Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. (Psalm 104:20-24)

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would ... And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Galatians 5:16-17, 24).

Discipline

Christianity entails a relationship between God and the "individual believer, and as with any authentic relationship, it requires time, attention, and discipline if it is to grow, stabilize, and mature. It is clear from observing our culture that many people have the capacity for such discipline but (strangely) seem to lack the motivation. Ironically, most moderns are involved in self-help and self-actualization movements of one sort or another, but in the end, these groups do not yield the satisfaction so earnestly sought: They do not produce the sense of inner rootedness and peace for which we all long. A mobile society such as ours generates the search for a strong 'at-homeness' within the self. Yet it is only through a relationship with God and its attendant disciplines that such spiritual wholeness and maturity are possible."²³⁰ Discipline is inherent to the life of a disciple of Christ; without it, the war against the flesh cannot be maintained (Romans 7:22-25). "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27). "Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom. ... He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous ... He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity" (Job 36:5, 7, 10). Discipline encompasses temperance, humility, patience, and obedience to the Word of God. Any area in our physical life that lacks discipline is an indicator of spiritual lax; after all, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9) and "that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual" (1 Corinthians 15:46).

The natural must be turned into the spiritual by sacrifice, otherwise a tremendous divorce will be produced in the actual life. ... If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will mock at the life of the Son of God in us and produce a continual swither. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves, physically, morally or mentally. "I wasn't disciplined when I was a child." You must discipline yourself now. If you do not, you will ruin the whole of your personal life for God.²³¹

Temperance does not just happen; we have to strive to gain self-control—to be disciplined. "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible" (1 Corinthians 9:25). "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Galatians 5:24). The daily struggle against our flesh has to be fought "lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11). How many Christians have been brought low by submission to their flesh? We have to "die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31) to our fleshly desires and "keep under [our bodies], and bring [them] into subjection: lest that by any means, when [we] have preached to others, [we ourselves] should be castaway[s]" (1 Corinthians 9:27). "Many of us are all right in the main," says Oswald Chambers, "but there are some domains in which we are slovenly."

It is not a question of sin, but of the remnants of the carnal life which are apt to make us slovenly. Slovenliness is an insult to the Holy Ghost. There should be nothing slovenly, whether it be in the way we eat and drink, or in the way we worship God.

Not only must our relationship to God be right, but the external expression of that relationship must be right. Ultimately God will let nothing escape, every detail is under His scrutiny. In numberless ways God will bring us back to the same point over and over again. He never tires of bringing us to the one point until we learn the lesson, because He is producing the finished product. It may be a question of impulse, and again and again, with the most persistent patience, God has brought us back to the one particular point; or it may be mental wool-gathering, or independent individuality. God is trying to impress upon us the one thing that is not entirely right.²³²

Remember, the righteousness of a disciple of Christ has to exceed the righteousness of the "religious elite" (Matthew 5:20). Jesus asks of you, "what do ye more than others" (Matthew 5:47)? Christians, as members of the "royal priesthood" of the Lord, are charged with the care of "the temple of God" as part of their duties; much like those of the Levitical priesthood: "Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God. But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded" (1 Chronicles 6:48-49). Hence, "we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful" (Hebrews 6:11-12) in order that we "will not be brought under the power of any" (1 Corinthians 6:12) thing but Christ. Lack of discipline is evidence of spiritual immaturity: "babes in Christ" which have not yet "crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Galatians 5:24). Pride, lust, discontent, rejection, and other "distractions" still have dominion (Romans 6:14)—evidence that "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin" (Hebrews 12:4). See "Deny Yourself" in the chapter on "Understanding Deliverance" for more help with discipline and presenting your bodies a living sacrifice.

What should you be doing to bring your body into subjection? What things should you be doing to build and maintain discipline? What do you need to change on the inside to bring about change on the outside? To achieve wholeness in Christ, you must incorporate both the corporate disciplines expounded above and any individual disciplines which are necessary for your situation. The focus has to be on internal change, not external appearance. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also" (Matthew 23:25-26). Thus, are you abstaining from fornication as commanded? Should you believe more? Should you fast more? Should you repent more? Should you humble yourself more? Should you allocate more time to God? Should you pray more? Should you give more? Should you study more? Should you love more (Romans 13:8)? Should you praise more? Should you communicate more? Should you talk less? Should you listen more? Should you stop partying? Should you eat or drink less? Should you stop procrastinating? Should you learn time management techniques? Should you clean up more? Should you cook more? Should you watch television/movies/videos less? Should you smile more? Should you plan more? Should you shop less? Should you exercise more? Please note, the motivation for change, whether internal or external, should be to please God. For instance, exercising more may help you lose weight, build muscle, and feel better physically; however, if exercising overshadows those things which bring about internal transformation (purifying of the heart), then exercising does not please God (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

Christ-Actualization

Much has been said over the past few decades about self-actualization; that is, to realize fully one's potential—to Become a Better You and live Your Best Life Now. Much of this came from a paper, A Theory of Human Motivation (a.k.a. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs), by psychologist (humanist) Abraham Maslow in 1943. Many Christian "authorities" have authored many books and talks in support of this very topic. Self-actualization is what led to the fall of Adam and Eve. Let us explore Eve and her motivation for eating the forbidden fruit. Notice the inducements offered by Satan: "ye shall not surely die," "your eyes shall be opened" and "ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." These inducements are all focused on self.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Genesis 3:1-6)

The issue with self-actualization is that the focus is on self and on realizing one's potential based on a worldly standard. "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's" (Philippians 2:21). "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). "Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight" (Isaiah 5:21)! The spirit of the world thrives on individualism—the pride of life: "Individuality counterfeits personality as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself; individuality debases human nature for itself."²³³ "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:15-16). "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12). We know from scriptures that we are not to trust in ourselves (Jeremiah 17:5) lest we be cursed. "The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-assertiveness. It is the continual assertion of individuality that hinders our spiritual life more than anything else."²³³ "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it" (Jeremiah 17:9)? As long as we think we are sufficient of ourselves, possessed of anything in the way of pride or independence (self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, etc.), God can do nothing for us. "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:6-7).

Psychologists would mend our self-images so that we could have confidence in our selves. Christ would slay all our fleshly self-confidence so that our only self-image becomes, 'I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me' (Philippians 4:13). A self-image is something we build, in which we falsely learn to trust. A self-image, necessarily sets us into self-centered striving—to defend it, to build and rebuild, etc. But a Christian's identify God builds in us, not having to be seen, rewarded or defended ... Those who [are] healing by restoring the self-image [are] causing people to trust in something repaired in the flesh, a practice reshaped in their old carnal natures, doomed sooner or later to failure.²³⁴

Therefore, our goal as Christians should be Christ-actualization not self-actualization (see "Deny Yourself" in the chapter on "Understanding Deliverance"). "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:14). "Personality is the characteristic of the spiritual man as individuality is the characteristic of the natural man. Our Lord can never be defined in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of personality, 'I and My Father are one.' Personality merges, and you only reach your real identity when you are merged with another person. When love, or the Spirit of God strikes a man, he is transformed, he no longer insists upon his separate individuality. Our Lord never spoke in terms of individuality, of a man's 'elbows' or his isolated position, but in terms of personality—'that they may be one, even as We are one.' If you give up your right to yourself to God, the real true nature of your personality answers to God straight away. Jesus Christ emancipates the personality, and the individuality is transfigured; the transfiguring element is love, personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the outpouring of one personality in fellowship with another personality."²³⁵ "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). Oswald Chambers concludes this topic nicely:

These words [in Galatians 2:20] mean the breaking of my independence with my own hand and surrendering to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. No one can do this for me, I must do it myself. God may bring me up to the point three hundred and sixty-five times a year, but He cannot put me through it. It means breaking the husk of my individual independence of God, and the emancipating of my personality into oneness with Himself, not for my own ideas, but for absolute loyalty to Jesus. There is no possibility of dispute when once I am there. Very few of us know anything about loyalty to Christ—"For My sake." It is that which makes the iron saint.

Has that break come? All the rest is pious fraud. The one point to decide is—Will I give up, will I surrender to Jesus Christ, and make no conditions whatever as to how the break comes? I must be broken from my self-realization, and immediately that point is reached, the reality of the supernatural identification takes place at once, and the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable—"I have been crucified with Christ."

The passion of Christianity is that I deliberately sign away my own rights and become a bond-slave of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I do not begin to be a saint.²³⁶

Paul adds, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11).

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