The Discipline of Discipleship

Think about the Christmas presents that you received last year and those you have used on a regular basis. I have two presents: firstly a special bread maker that my wife gave me and secondly a lovely devotional book from our Christian neighbours.

 The title of the book is: The Discipline of Grace and the author is Jerry Bridges published by Navpress. In the book he outlines God’s requirements for the pursuit of holy living. A prerequisite is to experience and receive God’s mercy and a forgiveness of sins which brings with it a wonderful sense of God’s presence through his Holy Spirit.

To live a holy life we have to be committed with conviction, to make important choices, to overcome life’s difficulties and enjoy its benefit with the anticipation of a future heaven. To experience God’s love and grow into a holy life, it is vital that we exercise personal discipline without any sense of self-righteousness.

Jerry makes a very important summary statement towards the end of his book which I found very helpful: “It is through knowledge, plus meditation, plus application of the Scriptures to concrete situations in our daily life that we develop Bible-based convictions.” (Page 183)

The aim of this insight is to outline the importance of the discipline of discipleship. Then in subsequent insights I want to consider how knowledge and its use is important. How to meditate on scripture and lastly how to apply such knowledge and mediation practically so that we are able to live a holy life with conviction.

So, what is it to be a disciple?
In the Old Testament, the word disciple only appears once as found in Isaiah 8 v 16. There are similar words in Hebrew translated as taught in Isaiah 54 v 13 and scholar in 1 Chronicles 25 v 8.

In the ancient world a teacher-pupil relationship was common, with Greek philosophers and Jewish Rabbis gathering around them groups of apprentices or learners.

In the New Testament we read of the activities of John the Baptist and his disciples in Matthew 9 v 14 and John 1 v 35. Then we become aware of the Pharisees and their disciples in Mark 2 v 18.

In Acts 6 groups of believers/disciples gathered together to confess Jesus as Lord. In Acts 9 v 36 a female (mathetria) disciple is identified and then in Antioch the disciples became known as Christians Acts 11 v 26.

So a disciple is someone who wants to learn as a student and follows a teacher. In Mark 3 v 14 we find Jesus “appointing twelve apostles to be with him.” In the tradition of the day the twelve ‘disciples’ actually lived and travelled with Jesus observing all he said, did and did not do.

What is the value of discipline?
In the area of corporate discipline rules are imposed on people to obey and if not followed they will be punished. Self-discipline is the ability to behave and work in a controlled way. To discipline our self means that we behave and work in a constrained manner to complete a desired goal.

In an academic sense we follow a particular ‘discipline’ or a concentrated area of study and activity. To discipline our bodies we introduce self-denial and correction. Such actions, alongside God’s grace and enabling, helps us to develop a life of righteousness.

In the Old Testament Israel’s history can be seen as part of the Lord’s discipline for his people as referenced in Deuteronomy 8 v 5, ‘As a man disciplines a son, so the Lord disciplines you.’ Then in Deuteronomy 11: 1-7 we read about the requirements of Israel to love and obey the Lord.

In the New Testament discipline is helpful in instructing, training and guiding the development of holy living as outlined in Hebrews 12 v 4 – 12. In life when we experience trials and troubles, Gods love, grace and peace sustains us through them. It is vital to learn from life’s experiences and the Lord’s discipline, which brings to us a measure of righteousness and peace.

In the next three Insights I will be seeing how Daniel (God is my judge)  in the Old Testament gained and used his extensive knowledge. How he continued to mediate daily under severe persecution and how he applied holy living with conviction to all the responsibilities he carried as a man of God.

Daniel wrote and spoke in a time of exile, when he and others had been deported from Judah in 606 BC to Babylon. His life and ministry was from being a teenager, right through to his nineties which covered over 70 years during the Persian era. Some of his contemporaries were Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Obadiah.

The book of Daniel can be considered to be historical, prophetical and apocalyptical with him speaking in the third and first person. He rose to power and prospered, serving as a chief minister and interpreter of dreams to a number of Gentile kings and various visions were given to him to reveal the destiny of the kings and their kingdoms.

Daniel held on to his faith with great conviction, similar to Esther, when faced with opposition. God’s favour was clearly upon him particularly when facing the lions in their den. The book was written for the Jews during a time of captivity and for a future generation to try and understand the end times of human history and Israel’s destiny in relation to Gentile rulers.

Selah

Graham