The practice of disciplining oneself for the sake of athletics is often used as a metaphor in the Bible for how to be disciplined in our Christian lives.
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
What is the race God has set before us?
If we read this verse in context it will answer this question:
Hebrews 12:2-4 (NLT) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
Running becomes easier, both physically and mentally, the more consistently you do it. Disciplined runners are the most consistent in their training and, therefore, the most successful.
Verywell by Alison Czinkota (The 5 Love Languages)
It’s the same with relationships. They require hard work.
The more focus and energy you give towards your relationships and the more disciplined you are in maintaining them, the more rewarding the relationships become.
God desires a relationship with us, but our sinful natures made that relationship impossible. So, God made a plan: Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross mends the divide between us and God, allowing us to have a relationship with Him.
Romans 8:1-4 (ESV) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
After accepting the free gift of Jesus’ payment on the cross for our sins, we are adopted into God’s family and nothing can separate us from God’s love ever again. God’s love becomes unconditional for us because all of the conditions have already been met through Jesus.
John 6:35-40 (ESV) Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Hebrews 2:9-15 (NIV) But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
David Bowman's “Expressions of Christ”
In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters…
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Disciplined physical bodies are of some value but spiritual things last forever
1 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV) …train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Our salvation and eternity with God in Heaven is secure no matter what we do after accepting Jesus’ payment for our sins because it is based purely on grace through Faith in Jesus. We are saved through grace (Romans 11:5-6; Ephesians 2:8-9) and we live our Christian lives through grace (Romans 6:14; 2 Peter 3:18).
Saved through grace:
Romans 11:5-6 (ESV) So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Christian lives are lived through grace:
Romans 6:14 (ESV) For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
2 Peter 3:18 (ESV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
But, once we have become part of God’s family, we can have a relationship with God. Spiritual Disciplines help us learn how to show love back to God through our relationship with Him.
In “The Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines” by David Mathis, he says:
“‘The essence of the Christian life,’ writes John Piper, ‘is learning to fight for joy in a way that does not replace grace.’ We cannot earn God’s grace or make it flow apart from his free gift. But we can position ourselves to go on getting as he keeps on giving. We can ‘fight to walk in the paths where he has promised his blessings.’ We can ready ourselves to remain receivers along his regular routes, sometimes called ‘the spiritual disciplines.’
Such practices need not be fancy or highfalutin. They are the stuff of everyday, basic Christianity--unimpressively mundane, but spectacularly potent by the Spirit. While there’s no final and complete list of such practices, the long tally of helpful habits can be clustered underneath three main principles: hearing God’s voice, having his ear, and belonging to his body. Or simply: word, prayer, and fellowship.”
Tips for the Disciplined Spiritual Life:
Hear His Voice (word):
Reading the Bible
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Have His Ear (prayer):
Ephesians 6:18 (NLT) You must pray at all times as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray. Pray for the things that are needed. You must watch and keep on praying. Remember to pray for all Christians.
Belong to His Body (fellowship):
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT) Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
You can download a free printout of this information by going to our “Free Material” Page and clicking on “Running the Race”.
This series of blog posts titled, “Holding on to Reason”, is named after Amanda’s favorite C.S. Lewis quote: “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”