Two years. It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since we made a very intentional shift here at the blog.
April 2023. That is when we decided to move forward in a more clearly defined direction. It’s when we made the determination to make “the processes through which followers of Christ can be inwardly transformed in such a way that the character and acts of Jesus Christ naturally flow from them no matter when or where they are” our focus.
Call it Spiritual Transformation, pursuing holiness, or any number of other things – what we’ve been talking about is how to go about growing in Christlikeness.
The Spiritual Disciplines
Over the past two years, we have been surveying a variety of spiritual disciplines. We have defined these disciplines and examined each one to see if it is taught or modeled in the Bible. Our motivation for this work is the knowledge that spiritual disciplines are a tool that help us grow to maturity in Christ (Colossians 1:27-28).
Recall that spiritual disciplines are practices God has called us to implement. As we carry them out, we grow in righteousness, trust, and dependence upon Him. In other words, we grow in love with Him, and we grow in love with His people.
To this point in our journey, our survey has included such disciplines as engaging with Scripture, prayer, worship, fasting, and preaching the truth to ourselves. We have also examined the disciplines of silence and solitude, service, stewardship, evangelism, searching the soul, and biblical meditation. Some of the disciplines we have looked at are more commonly known to us. Others have been quite unfamiliar.
In the coming year or years (if the Lord sees fit), we will continue our search for biblical spiritual disciplines that will aid in our pursuit of holiness.
The point, not being the compilation of a massive list, but the identification of those things that God created for the purpose of helping us grow into Christlikeness.
Looking Forward
As we move forward in the identification of biblical spiritual disciplines and review of some of the ones we have already identified, we must keep one crucial thing in mind. These disciplines are not imbued with any salvific power. They do not save us. Neither do they pay any debt or earn us any favor.
Spiritual disciplines are not about salvation, for salvation comes by faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8).
No, the spiritual disciplines picture the kind of life that springs from a heart that has already been redeemed by the blood of Christ. We identify them, examine them, and employ them in our lives because we have already received Christ’s salvation. And now, as recipients of His glorious inheritance (Ephesians 1:8), our desire is to live in such a way that brings Him glory, that is evidence of our trust in Him, and that points others to Him.
The spiritual disciplines we are identifying and examining through the avenue of this blog, are some of the primary ways that we do just that. We engage with Scripture because we long to know and obey whatever our God has revealed to us through His word. We pray because we are entirely dependent on God for life and godliness. We participate in the spiritual disciplines because we desire holiness.
As we move into year three, may the spiritual disciplines we have tested by His word help you to strive toward holiness as you strive to be more and more like Christ.
