Chapter Ten: The Discipline of Convictions
CHAPTER TEN
THE DISCIPLINE OF CONVICTIONS
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.
ROMANS 12:2
In the early 1990s, the authors of a book on contemporary American society wrote, “In the 1950s and even in the early 1960s, there was something much closer to a moral consensus in America. . . . There is absolutely no moral consensus at all in the 1990s. Everyone is making up their own personal moral code —their own Ten Commandments.”[64]
It should not surprise us that society in general has moved in the direction of ancient Israel when “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25, KJV). Western civilization has deliberately turned away from the Bible as its moral authority. Now we are suffering the consequences.
What should disturb us, however, is that evangelicals are moving in the same direction. “Four out of 10 people who call themselves evangelicals don’t believe there is such a thing as absolute truth, according to a Barna Research Group poll.”[65] If this means that these 40 percent decide for themselves what is right and wrong instead of going to the Bible, then it is no wonder there is often little difference between the ethical views and behavior of professing Christians and those who have nothing to do with Christianity. Morality becomes merely a matter of one’s personal opinion. In fact, I am aware of situations where Christians were confronted about sin in their lives and responded, “That’s just your opinion.”
Let’s move closer to home, however. What about the remaining 60 percent of evangelicals who apparently do believe there is such a thing as absolute truth? Does such a belief affect our behavior or change our character? To what degree does a belief that the Bible sets forth absolute truth determine the way we live? To a large extent, the answer must be very little, for the simple reason that so many believers are not exposing themselves to the truths of Scripture on a daily basis.
It seems that in many evangelical circles we do have morality by consensus. We may not be doing what is right in our own eyes, as society around us is doing, but neither are we living according to biblical standards. Instead we live according to the standard of conduct of Christians around us. We not only have morality by consensus, we have sanctification by consensus. We expect to become holy by osmosis, by the absorption of the ethical values of our Christian peer group.
If we are going to make progress in the pursuit of holiness, we must aim to live according to the precepts of Scripture —not according to the culture, even Christian culture, around us. But how can we do this if we don’t know what those precepts are? It is not sufficient for us to hear one or two thirty-minute sermons a week. We must be exposed to the Scriptures on a daily basis if we hope to live under their authority.
To pursue holiness, one of the disciplines we must become skilled in is the development of Bible-based convictions. A conviction is a determinative belief: something you believe so strongly that it affects the way you live. Someone has observed that a belief is what you hold, but a conviction is what holds you. You may live contrary to what you believe, but you cannot live contrary to your convictions. (This doesn’t mean you never act contrary to your convictions, but that you do not consistently violate them.) So the discipline we are talking about is the development of convictions, not mere beliefs. Convictions, of course, can be good or bad, so we want to make sure our convictions are Bible-based, that they are derived from our personal interaction with the Scriptures.
THE INFLUENCE CONTINUUM
In the last chapter we saw that, in Romans 12:1, the apostle Paul made a strong appeal to us to make a commitment of ourselves to God to live lives holy and pleasing to Him. In the following verse, he began to tell us how to carry this out, and the first thing he said was to develop Bible-based convictions. Here is how he put it:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.
ROMANS 12:2
As we look at Romans 12:2, one of the first things we see is that Paul established a contrast between conforming (or being conformed) to the pattern of this world and being transformed by the renewal of one’s mind. He assumes there are only two alternatives. Our convictions and values will come from society around us (the world), or they will come as our minds are renewed by the Word of God. There is no third option.
The writer of Psalm 1 stated this truth in a similar fashion. He said,
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
PSALM 1:1-3
The psalmist envisions two alternatives, or two groups of people. Those described in verse 1 (by way of the negative expression “does not”) are being drawn more and more under the controlling influence of wicked people, until at last they themselves begin to influence others. To “sit in the seat of mockers” probably refers to a position of influence and authority similar to that exercised by the teachers of the law who “sit in Moses’ seat” (Matthew 23:2). So these people are not only captive to sin themselves, but influence others to sin.
The second group of people are those who delight in the law of God and meditate on it, or think about it continually. Again, note that the psalmist presents a contrast between two diametrically opposing influences: the pervasive influence of sinful society or the life-changing influence of the law of God. There is no neutral sphere of influence. We are being influenced by the forces of sinful society or we are being influenced by the Word of God.
The truth is, of course, that we believers are probably being influenced by both society and the Word of God. We can think of these two opposing influences as representing the two extreme ends of a continuum, as shown in the following illustration:
All of us who are believers are somewhere on that continuum, partially influenced by sinful society and partially influenced by the Word of God. The more we are influenced by society, the more we move toward the left end of the continuum. The more we are influenced by the Word of God, the more we move to the right. What determines whether we are moving to the left or to the right? The psalmist gives us the answer: our attitude toward the Word of God and the time we spend thinking about it. Nothing else will determine where you are on that continuum.
The person who is living toward the right end of the continuum is described, first of all, as one who delights in the law of God. Like the apostle Paul, this person has determined that God’s law is “holy, righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). He or she sees that God’s law is not onerous or burdensome, but is given to help us please God and live lives that are productive and satisfying (see Psalm 1:3). One who delights in the law of God sees the Bible not just as a book of rules that are difficult to live by, but as the Word of his or her heavenly Father who is the God of all grace and deals with him or her in grace.
The person living toward the right end of the continuum also meditates on God’s law day and night. As used in Scripture, the word meditate means to think about a truth with a view to its meaning and application to one’s life. As God told Joshua, “Meditate on [the Book of the Law] day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it” (Joshua 1:8). It is the application, or the “doing,” that should be the goal of meditation. Included in this concept of meditation is reflection on one’s own life to determine what conformity, or lack of it, there is between the scriptural truth and one’s character or conduct. As the psalmist said,
I have considered my ways
and have turned my steps to your statutes.
PSALM 119:59
He not only thought about Scripture. He also thought about his life and the extent to which it conformed to Scripture.
“Day and night” is an expression for continually. If we want to live toward the right end of the continuum of influence, our minds must be steeped in the Scriptures. We must constantly turn our minds to the Word of God, pondering the meaning and application of its truths to our lives. The idea of continual meditation may seem unrealistic and unattainable in our busy age when our minds need to be occupied with the various responsibilities we all have. “How can I meditate on Scripture,” you may ask, “when I have to think about my work all day long?”
We should not think of the concept of “continually” as meaning every moment. Rather we should think in terms of consistently and habitually. What does your mind turn to when it is free to turn to anything? Do you begin to meditate on Scripture? I often ask people this question: “When you can think about anything you want to think about, what do you think about?” Do you think about your problems, or do you engage in mental arguing with someone else, or perhaps even allow your mind to drift into the wasteland of impure thoughts? Thinking is our most constant activity. Our thoughts are our constant occupation. We are never without them. But we can choose the direction and content of those thoughts.
Meditation on Scripture is a discipline. We must commit ourselves to be proactive. We must memorize key passages (or carry them on cards) so that we can think about them. We must be alert for those times during the day when we can turn our minds to the Word of God, and then we must do it. Even the practice of daily Bible reading is insufficient if we go the rest of the day without meditating on some truths of Scripture. We must choose to meditate instead of thinking about other things, or listening to the radio, or watching television. We simply have to decide which end of the influence continuum we want to live on and take steps accordingly.
One thing we can be sure of: If we do not actively seek to come under the influence of God’s Word, we will come under the influence of sinful society around us. The impact of our culture with its heavy emphasis on materialism, living for one’s self, and instant gratification is simply too strong and pervasive for us to not be influenced by it. Once again, there is no such thing as a neutral stance on the continuum of influence. We are being drawn more and more under the transforming influence of Scripture or we are being progressively drawn into the web of an ungodly society around us.
BE TRANSFORMED
The next thought we see in Romans 12:2 is that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We looked at the word transformed in chapter 6 when we studied 2 Corinthians 3:18. We saw that it denotes a deep internal change in our character that produces outward change in our behavior. Jesus said that it is “from within, out of men’s hearts,” that evil thoughts and actions come (Mark 7:21). The transformation that Paul was writing about occurs in the heart and changes it so it does not continue to produce such evil.
We also saw that the verb being transformed in 2 Corinthians 3:18 is passive, indicating something that is done to us, in that instance by the Holy Spirit. We noted that the Holy Spirit is the transforming or sanctifying agent. We do not transform ourselves, although we do have a part to play in the process.
The verb be transformed in Romans 12:2 is also in the passive voice. Yet it is also an imperative —a command, or in this case, an exhortation. The use of the imperative mood with a passive verb is not common in the English language. When we give a command, or urge someone to do something, we usually use an active verb. The father of a Little League baseball player will call out to his son, “Tommy, hit the ball.” He wants Tommy to do something, not have something done to him.
Yet Paul exhorts us to “be transformed.” He does not urge us to do something, but to have something done to us. Another illustration with Tommy, the Little Leaguer, may help us understand what Paul was saying to us. Suppose Tommy comes in from his game all grimy with sweat and dirty from sliding into second base. His mother is preparing for guests for dinner that evening. She takes one look at Tommy and says to him, “Go take a shower.”
That’s a command. It is an imperative and she uses an active verb. She wants Tommy to do something. But what is the end result Tommy’s mother wants? She wants Tommy to be made clean, so she directs him to take a shower. She knows Tommy cannot cleanse himself. If he tried, all he would do is rearrange the dirt. So she wants Tommy to bring himself under the cleansing action of the soap and water. It is the soap and water that will wash away the sweat and the dirt, but Tommy must place himself under their cleansing action. So his mother says to him, “Go take a shower.”
Just as Tommy cannot cleanse himself, so we cannot transform ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. But just as Tommy must bring himself under the cleansing action of the soap and water, so we must bring ourselves under the transforming action of the Holy Spirit. This means, of course, that we must continually submit our minds to the Word of God, which is the chief instrument the Holy Spirit uses to transform us.
So when Paul urged us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” he was essentially saying, “Bring yourself under the transforming influence of the Word of God.” It is by this means that we begin to develop Bible-based convictions.
Paul’s exhortation to be transformed is also in the present tense. This means we are to continue to let ourselves be transformed. It is a continuous process that should be occurring every day of our lives. As John Murray said, “We are to be constantly in the process of being metamorphosed by renewal of that which is the seat of thought and understanding.”[66] It is more than just our thoughts and understanding that need to be changed. We must also be changed in our affections and wills. But it begins with our understanding the truth. Nineteenth-century Scottish commentator John Brown wrote,
The mind is renewed when, under the influence of the Spirit, the truth is understood and believed, so as to displace the ignorance and error that previously prevailed. It is the truth, understood and believed, that purifies the heart from the love of the world; and, just in proportion as that truth is understood and believed, are men transformed. It is by men’s being formed to a right way of thinking, that they are formed to a right way of feeling and acting with regard to this world and the next —to God, and our brethren of mankind.[67]
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES
Of course, we need to be sure that, in thinking about Scripture and its application to our lives, we are thinking God’s truth, not our own opinions. This means, first of all, that we must be absolutely convinced that the Bible is God’s Word —that what Scripture says, God says. We need to approach the Bible with the deep, settled conviction that it accurately expresses the mind of God and the will of God as to how we are to live.
Ambivalence on this point can be fatal to the pursuit of holiness, for after all, only God is the final authority on what constitutes holy living. If the Bible is not the complete, authoritative Word of God, then there is no absolute moral truth, and we are left to our own opinions.
The Bible, however, consistently affirms that it is indeed the very Word of God. The apostle Paul said, “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). The apostle Peter said that “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Expressions such as “the Holy Spirit spoke . . . through the mouth of David” (Acts 1:16) or Moses or one of the prophets occur frequently in the New Testament. Peter spoke of Paul’s writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:16).
We may not understand how the Holy Spirit moved upon the minds of those who wrote the Scriptures, or how He spoke through the mouths of such men as David so that what they wrote or said was exactly what He wanted them to say, but this is what the Bible consistently affirms. If this is a new thought to you, or if you have some doubts about this, I urge you to make this issue a matter of prayerful, humble study. Ask God to remove any doubts you might have and give you a settled conviction that the Bible is indeed God’s Word, that it is complete and authoritative, and that it is absolute truth.
It is not enough, however, to believe that all Scripture is from God. We need to strive to understand it as best we possibly can. We need to approach the Bible each day with a spirit of deep humility, recognizing that our understanding of spiritual truth is at best incomplete and to some extent inaccurate. No Christian or body of Christians has a corner on all of truth. At one time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure” (Luke 10:21).
However knowledgeable about Scripture we may be, we need to approach it each day as little children, asking the Holy Spirit to teach us. Regardless of how much we already know and understand, there is still an infinite storehouse of understanding of the mind of God waiting for us in Scripture. My own experience, based on more than forty years of studying the Bible, is that the more I learn and understand of Scripture, the more I see how little I do understand of all that God has revealed to us in His Word. So as you approach the reading or study of the Bible, don’t do so just to buttress your own previously held opinions or to affirm your favorite doctrines. Rather, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you.
Pray as the psalmist did that God will open your eyes to see wonderful things in His law, and that He will give you understanding so as to keep His law (Psalm 119:18, 34). He may indeed affirm your doctrines and confirm your convictions more deeply as you see them aligned with the teaching of Scripture. He will also very likely make you aware of areas of your life where you are not fully obedient to His revealed will, or He may cause you to see that another group of believers who hold a different doctrinal position from yours do have Scriptures that they believe support their views. So we should approach the Scriptures in humility and expect the Holy Spirit to humble us even further as we continue to be taught by Him from His Word.
Next, we need to approach the Scriptures with an attitude of mental discipline. We have already seen in chapter 8 that we need both discipline and dependence in the pursuit of holiness. The same is true in our study of the Scriptures. There are many approaches to and methods of Bible study, but common to all of them is an attitude of dependent diligence. This attitude is well expressed by Solomon in Proverbs 2:1-5:
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Here again we see that there must be a spirit of humility as expressed by the phrase “if you accept my words” (verse 1). This attitude is contrasted with the attitude of the foolish:
They would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke.
PROVERBS 1:30
The practice of diligent study is expressed by the phrases “applying your heart to understanding,” “if you look for it as for silver,” and “[if you] search for it as for hidden treasure.” The thought of searching the Scriptures with the same intensity that one would search for hidden treasures suggests the value that we should put on the teaching of Scripture. Solomon also spoke of this value when he said, “Guard my teachings as the apple of your eye” (Proverbs 7:2).
The question we must ask ourselves is this: What value do we place upon the Word of God? Do we search it as if we were seeking hidden treasures, or do we read it and study it only because we know it is something we should do?
Along with an attitude of diligence, we also need an attitude of dependence such as is expressed in Proverbs 2:3:
And if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding.
“Calling out” and “crying aloud” denote an almost desperate sense of dependence; an attitude far different from a more usual perfunctory prayer for God to teach us as we begin our weekly Bible study. The question is, do we really believe we are dependent upon the Holy Spirit to enlighten our understanding, or do we actually depend on our own intellectual ability in our study of Scripture? I suspect that many of us, while giving lip service to dependence on the Spirit, actually depend on our own intellect. It is difficult to maintain an attitude of both diligence and dependence, but we must do this if we want to learn from the Holy Spirit. He does not reward either indolence or sinful self-confidence. He does bless diligence when it is pursued in a sincere attitude of dependence on Him. What we are talking about here is not just acquiring more knowledge of biblical truth, but rather the development of Bible-based convictions by which we are to live.
We can acquire increased knowledge of scriptural truth in the same way we can increase our knowledge of science or history. Unfortunately, too many Christians seem to approach Bible study in the same way they would approach those more academic subjects. When we do this, we are more apt to become proud rather than humble. We become proud over our “superior” knowledge of biblical truth rather than humbled over our lack of obedience to what Scripture teaches. Again, we need to pray with the psalmist,
Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
PSALM 119:33
That is, we should pray for knowledge of truth that will change our lives rather than simply inform our minds.
STORE IT UP
We see then that before we can successfully meditate on Scripture, we need to have an accurate understanding of what it says —not just intellectually but in our hearts. We need to know what God says to us about how we should live. This demands humble, dependent, disciplined Bible study. It also requires that we “store up” God’s truth in our minds and hearts.
Solomon used the expression “store up my commands within you” in Proverbs 2:1 and 7:1. The idea behind “store up” is to lay away in anticipation of a future need. When I was a boy, my mother canned a lot of fruits and vegetables during the summer when they were plentiful. In doing that she was storing up food in anticipation of the months ahead when those fruits and vegetables would not be available in her garden.
A well-known verse of Scripture is Psalm 119:11, which says,
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
The word hidden in that Scripture does not mean hidden in the sense that something is deliberately put out of sight to conceal its location. Rather, it means to store up, or more accurately, to treasure up. So it also suggests the same sense of storing up as do Proverbs 2:1 and 7:1, but with the added dimension that what is stored up is of great value and is to be treasured.
This is the way we should regard and treat the Word of God. Looking back again at Proverbs 2:1-5, we see that immediately following the strong exhortation to dependent, diligent study is the assertion in verse 6 that the Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. In the context, it is obvious that He gives these in response to our searching the Scriptures in the way described in verses 1-4.
Then, in Proverbs 3:13-15, we read this assessment of the wisdom and understanding God gives to those who search His Word in His way:
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
The wisdom and understanding that Solomon described is what we might call “spiritual” wisdom and understanding as opposed to mere human wisdom. Basically, Solomon is referring to principles of life that, if followed, will enable us to live lives pleasing to God. The apostle Paul referred to this kind of wisdom when he wrote to the Colossian believers that he was praying for them, “asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way” (Colossians 1:9-10).
Note, however, the tremendously high value Solomon placed on spiritual wisdom. It is more profitable than silver, yields better returns than gold, and is more precious than rubies. In fact, he said nothing can compare with it. We can now see why the psalmist spoke of treasuring up God’s Word in his heart.
How then do we treasure up God’s Word in our hearts? The answer is through continual meditation on Scripture. In order to think about Scripture continually, however, we need to have it in our minds. The best way to do this is through the discipline of memorizing key passages of Scripture. I am very much aware that Scripture memorization has largely fallen by the wayside in our day of microwave meals and television entertainment. But let me say as graciously but as firmly as I can: We cannot effectively pursue holiness without the Word of God stored up in our minds where it can be used by the Holy Spirit to transform us.
Remember, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We have already seen that each of us lives on a continuum of influence between society around us and the Word of God. There simply is no better way to move toward the “Word of God” end of the continuum than through the discipline of Scripture memorization. I know it requires work and is sometimes discouraging when we can’t recall accurately a verse we have worked hard to memorize. The truth is, however, all forms of discipline require work and are often discouraging. But the person who perseveres in any discipline, despite the hard work and discouraging times, reaps the reward the discipline is intended to produce.[68]
The example of Jesus’ use of Scripture when He was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness is often used as a challenge to us to memorize Scripture. Three times He was tempted, and three times He answered Satan’s temptation by resorting to the Scriptures, saying, “It is written” (Matthew 4:1-11). It is obvious He had memorized these Old Testament commands that He effectively used to thwart Satan’s assaults. But it should also be apparent to us that Jesus knew more than a few isolated verses of the Mosaic law. Rather, His mind was steeped in the Scriptures. If you and I are going to be holy as He is holy, our minds also must be filled with Scripture. In the words of Paul, we must “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” (Colossians 3:16).
Christ’s use of specific Scriptures to thwart Satan’s temptations should, however, be instructive to us. I have already referred to identifying specific temptations to which you are vulnerable and listing them on a private prayer page. Then, in the last chapter, I urged you to make specific commitments regarding the same areas of vulnerability. In Christ’s example, we see this specificity taken one step further as He brought particular passages from the Old Testament to bear on the temptations He faced. So I encourage you to memorize Scriptures that deal with the particular temptations to which you are especially vulnerable. Then ask the Holy Spirit to bring them to your mind at times of temptation.
APPLY TO YOUR LIFE
We have seen that bringing ourselves under the transforming influence of the Word of God means much more than just acquiring knowledge about the contents of Scripture. In fact, the mere acquisition of Bible facts or doctrinal truth without application to one’s life can lead to spiritual pride. As Paul said, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). By contrast, Paul also spoke of “the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness” (Titus 1:1).
What is the difference between these two concepts of Bible knowledge? In the first instance, the Corinthians were using their knowledge in a selfish and prideful way. They were “looking down their noses” at people with different convictions from theirs. On the other hand, the knowledge that leads to godliness is knowledge of the Scriptures that is being applied to one’s life and results in godly behavior.
One of the banes of present-day evangelical Christianity is the way we sit every week under the teaching of God’s Word, or even have private devotions and perhaps participate in a Bible study group, without a serious intent to obey the truth we learn. The indictment of the Jewish people God made to Ezekiel could well be said of us today:
My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. . . . Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
EZEKIEL 33:31-32
Our tendency seems to be to equate knowledge of the truth, and even agreement with it, with obedience to it. James said when we do this we deceive ourselves (James 1:22). This is especially true when we focus on the more scandalous sins “out there” in society to the neglect of the more “refined” sins we commit.
We cannot develop Bible-based convictions merely by storing up Bible knowledge in our heads. We do not even develop them by personal Bible study and Scripture memorization, though those practices certainly help us get started. As we begin to meditate on Scripture consistently we come closer. But convictions are really developed when we begin to apply the teachings of Scripture to real-life situations.
My wife and I recently went shopping for a coffee table. We had agreed on the style we wanted and very quickly found one at a price within our range. I am the type of person who is ready to buy as soon as I find what I like, but my wife is a “shopper.” She likes to look at everything in the store. Sure enough, she soon came upon her “dream” coffee table, a rather uncommon design that she had dreamed about for years but never thought she would own. But as you might guess —and as is always the case —it was more expensive.
I started talking about being good stewards of the money God has given us, but God started “talking” to me (through the convicting work of His Spirit) about husbands loving their wives, just as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25). As I worked through that situation, I realized one of the concrete ways I was to love my wife was to be more sensitive to her dreams and desires. In that situation, God was desirous that I learn more about what it means for husbands to love their wives than that I be a good steward of His resources. But the point of my story is this: I knew Ephesians 5:25. I believed it, had memorized it, and meditated on it. But through the application of it in a real-life situation, I deepened my conviction about it. I have found since that incident that I am more sensitive to what it means in a practical way for me to love my wife as Christ loved the Church in a sacrificial, self-giving way.
So it is through knowledge, plus meditation, plus application of the Scriptures to concrete situations in our daily lives that we develop Bible-based convictions. And, as we develop those convictions, we will be transformed by the Holy Spirit more and more into the likeness of Christ.
ANY ROOM FOR GRACE?
We have looked at some difficult disciplines in this chapter: diligent but dependent Bible study, Scripture memorization, continual meditation, and application of Scripture to real-life situations. Actually, these disciplines are not all that difficult, but they can certainly appear that way to those who have never before practiced them. So the question may arise in some minds, Is there any room for grace in the practice of the disciplines necessary to develop Bible-based convictions? What happens if I stumble along in Scripture memorization, for example?
What does happen if we stumble or fall in the practice of these disciplines? First of all, God does not love us any less. His love for us is based solely on the fact that we are in union with His Son, Jesus Christ. That is what the gospel is all about. Christ’s righteousness has become our righteousness. Our sins were laid upon Him, and the penalty for them was fully paid by Him on the cross. Daily His blood cleanses us from all sin. God’s grace —His unmerited favor —is never conditioned on our performance, but always on the unchanging merit of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our progress in the pursuit of holiness, however, is conditioned on our practice of the disciplines God has given us. It is true that we are transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ by the Holy Spirit. It is also true, however, that one of the chief means —in fact, probably the chief means —He uses is the renewing of our minds. And the apostle Paul was quite emphatic in Romans 12:2 about our submitting ourselves to the transforming influence of the Word of God by which our minds are renewed.
Therefore, we may say that our acceptance by God the Father is based solely on His grace to us through Christ. His favor is never earned by what we do nor forfeited by what we don’t do. But we may say with equal emphasis that our progress in the pursuit of holiness is to a significant degree conditioned on our use of the disciplines that God has appointed for us. And they have been appointed by God. They have not been initiated by the “disciplined” school of discipleship. They were initiated by God.
Everything I have said about the disciplines of Bible study, Scripture memorization, continual meditation, and application of Scripture in daily life has been based on Scripture. I have not developed any man-made theories about Christian growth. All I have done is point out what the Scriptures say about these disciplines. And, as I observed earlier in this chapter, what Scripture says, God says. If we ignore these disciplines, we are ignoring God.
We must always remember, though, that the practice of these disciplines does not earn us any favor with God. It is helpful to distinguish between a meritorious cause of God’s blessing and an instrumental cause. The meritorious cause is always the merit of Christ. We can never add to what He has already done to procure God’s blessing on our lives. The instrumental cause, however, is the means or avenues God has ordained to use. God has clearly set forth certain disciplines for us to practice in the pursuit of holiness. As we practice them, God will use them in our lives, not because we have earned His blessing, but because we have followed His ordained path of blessing.
We also need to keep in mind that the imperative in Romans 12:2 to be transformed immediately follows the imperative of verse 1, to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Him. The second exhortation, like the first, is based on the mercy of God. The discipline of developing Bible-based convictions, then, should be a response to the mercy and grace of God to us through Christ. If we truly desire to live by grace, then we will want to respond to that grace by seeking to live lives that are pleasing to God. And we simply cannot do that if we do not practice the disciplines necessary to develop Bible-based convictions.
[64] James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told the Truth (New York: Prentice-Hall, 1991), 25.
[65] Reported in vol. 8, no. 5, February 21, 1994, 2.
[66] John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans, vol. 2, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1968), 114.
[67] John Brown, Analytical Exposition of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, reprint, 1981; originally published 1857), 437.
[68] The Navigators have emphasized Scripture memorization for over sixty years. Their Topical Memory System, which teaches principles of memorization and provides sixty key verses of Scripture to memorize, is available from NavPress. If you have never developed the discipline of Scripture memorization, I highly recommend this program.