Discipline, Communion, and the Fulfillment of Prophecy

Devotional

Day 1: Spiritual Discipline Unlocks Divine Blessings

Discipline in the Christian life is essential for experiencing the fullness of God's blessings. By setting aside encumbrances and dedicating time to spiritual practices, believers increase their joy, peace, and effectiveness in ministry. This discipline is akin to a spiritual workout, necessary for godliness. The process involves intentional effort to engage in prayer, study of the Word, and fellowship with other believers, which in turn cultivates a deeper relationship with God. As believers commit to these practices, they find themselves more attuned to the Spirit's leading and more equipped to serve others in love. [12:29]

"Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather 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." (1 Timothy 4:7-8, ESV)

Reflection: What specific spiritual discipline can you commit to this week to deepen your relationship with God and experience His blessings more fully?

Day 2: Sin Hinders Communion with God

Our union with Christ is stable, but our communion with Him can be hindered by sin. Maintaining a close relationship with God requires obedience and repentance, allowing believers to be transformed into His image and experience true freedom from sin. When sin is cherished, it creates a barrier between the believer and God, disrupting the flow of divine life and joy. However, through confession and turning away from sin, believers can restore their communion with God and continue their journey of transformation into Christ's likeness. [13:09]

"Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work." (2 Timothy 2:21, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a sin in your life that is hindering your communion with God? How can you take steps today to confess and turn away from it?

Day 3: Spiritual Blindness and the Fulfillment of Prophecies

The struggle to understand Old Testament prophecies is part of a broader spiritual blindness affecting all humanity. This blindness can only be lifted by God's intervention, allowing individuals to see the truth of the gospel and the fulfillment of prophecies in Christ. The veil over the eyes of many prevents them from recognizing the profound reality of God's plan through Jesus. However, when God opens the eyes of the heart, the beauty and coherence of Scripture become evident, revealing the stunning fulfillment of God's promises in Christ. [16:12]

"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: How can you pray for someone in your life who is spiritually blind to the truth of the gospel? What steps can you take to share the light of Christ with them?

Day 4: Righteousness Beyond Human Effort

The age of accountability is not a biblical concept; rather, all are accountable from birth due to original sin. Our need for a perfect righteousness, which we cannot achieve on our own, points us to the necessity of Christ's righteousness imputed to us. This understanding shifts the focus from human efforts to the grace of God, emphasizing the sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross. Believers are called to rest in this imputed righteousness, knowing that it is only through Christ that they can stand justified before God. [25:22]

"For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it." (Romans 3:20-21, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you relied on your own efforts for righteousness? How can you embrace the righteousness of Christ more fully in your daily life?

Day 5: True Spiritual Growth Through Biblical Engagement

Observing traditions like Lent should not overshadow the biblical disciplines of pursuing holiness and righteousness. True spiritual growth comes from engaging with God's Word and His people, not from outward rituals or humanly invented practices. While traditions can have value, they must not replace the transformative power of Scripture and community. Believers are encouraged to prioritize their relationship with God through regular study of the Bible and active participation in the body of Christ, which leads to genuine spiritual maturity. [29:47]

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16, ESV)

Reflection: How can you prioritize engaging with God's Word and His people this week? What specific steps can you take to ensure that your spiritual growth is rooted in Scripture and community?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, we are reminded that every blessing in the heavenly places is ours in Christ Jesus. This profound truth from Ephesians 1:3 underscores that all blessings are bestowed by the Father through the Son and applied by the Spirit. As believers, we are called to discipline ourselves for godliness, recognizing that sin saddens us, strips us of power, and deviates us from God's will. By disciplining ourselves, we experience the abundant life Christ offers, marked by increased joy, peace, and effectiveness in ministry.

Our union with Christ grants us a stable status of righteousness, but our communion with Him can fluctuate based on our obedience. When we cherish sin, it impedes our communion with God, the source of all life. True godliness leads to freedom from sin and a life transformed into Christ's image. This transformation is a journey from glory to glory, as we behold His glory with unveiled faces.

The struggle to see the prophecies of the Old Testament as real and valid is not unique to any one group. Romans 11 speaks of a veil over the eyes of some, preventing them from seeing the truth. This spiritual blindness is a reality for all humanity outside of Christ, as our minds are darkened by sin. Yet, the fulfillment of prophecies in Christ is undeniable, and the story of Scripture reveals the stunning reality of God's plan through Jesus.

The concept of the age of accountability is a human construct, not found in Scripture. The Bible teaches that all are born in sin, and accountability begins with Adam's sin imputed to us. Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, which means we need a perfect righteousness only found in Christ. Observing Lent and other traditions should not replace the biblical disciplines of pursuing righteousness and holiness. True spiritual growth comes from engaging with God's Word and His people, not from outward rituals.

Key Takeaways

1. Discipline in the Christian life is essential for experiencing the fullness of God's blessings. By setting aside encumbrances and dedicating time to spiritual practices, we increase our joy, peace, and effectiveness in ministry. This discipline is akin to a spiritual workout, necessary for godliness. [12:29]
2. Our union with Christ is stable, but our communion with Him can be hindered by sin. Maintaining a close relationship with God requires obedience and repentance, allowing us to be transformed into His image and experience true freedom from sin. [13:09]
3. The struggle to understand Old Testament prophecies is part of a broader spiritual blindness affecting all humanity. This blindness can only be lifted by God's intervention, allowing us to see the truth of the gospel and the fulfillment of prophecies in Christ. [16:12]
4. The age of accountability is not a biblical concept; rather, all are accountable from birth due to original sin. Our need for a perfect righteousness, which we cannot achieve on our own, points us to the necessity of Christ's righteousness imputed to us. [25:22]
5. Observing traditions like Lent should not overshadow the biblical disciplines of pursuing holiness and righteousness. True spiritual growth comes from engaging with God's Word and His people, not from outward rituals or humanly invented practices. [29:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[10:25] - Blessings in Christ
[11:09] - Discipline and Godliness
[12:29] - Spiritual Workout
[13:09] - Union vs. Communion
[14:23] - Transformation in Christ
[15:26] - Struggling with Prophecies
[16:12] - Spiritual Blindness
[17:28] - Total Depravity
[19:15] - Prophetic Fulfillment
[21:11] - Old Testament Prophecies
[23:13] - Age of Accountability
[25:22] - Righteousness and Accountability
[29:21] - Observing Lent
[31:03] - Biblical Disciplines
[33:29] - Superficial Evangelicalism
[35:17] - Christian Liberty and Holiness

Sermon Clips

In our journey of faith, we are reminded that every blessing in the heavenly places is ours in Christ Jesus. This profound truth from Ephesians 1:3 underscores that all blessings are bestowed by the Father through the Son and applied by the Spirit. As believers, we are called to discipline ourselves for godliness, recognizing that sin saddens us, strips us of power, and deviates us from God's will. [00:10:05]

Disciplining ourselves for the purpose of godliness and that word discipline is a Greek word gimnasio, a Greek word that we derive gymnasium. It refers to working out really a disc, laying a side of encumbrances of clothing in order to exercise your body. We are to do the same spiritually to set aside other encumbrances in life to make time to work out in the Word of God and in prayer and in fellowship and in ministry and in public worship. [00:12:28]

We need to draw a distinction between union with Christ and communion with Christ. By God's grace, he establishes believers in a union with Christ, which gives them a fixed stable status of righteousness before him. But while believers have that fixed status the moment they are born again, their communion with Christ is not such a stable thing, and they can be obedient or disobedient. [00:13:06]

When believers live in ungodliness, cherishing sins, it impedes their communion with God, who is the source of all life. God is the treasure of believers, and for us to have impeded communion with him in our right minds is the saddest thing that could happen in our lives. [00:13:44]

The struggle to see the prophecies of the Old Testament as real and valid is not unique to any one group. Romans 11 speaks of a veil over the eyes of some, preventing them from seeing the truth. This spiritual blindness is a reality for all humanity outside of Christ, as our minds are darkened by sin. [00:15:19]

The concept of the age of accountability is a human construct, not found in Scripture. The Bible teaches that all are born in sin, and accountability begins with Adam's sin imputed to us. Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, which means we need a perfect righteousness only found in Christ. [00:23:10]

Observing Lent and other traditions should not replace the biblical disciplines of pursuing righteousness and holiness. True spiritual growth comes from engaging with God's Word and His people, not from outward rituals. It's a great potential problem to invent practices that we then convince ourselves are spiritually profitable. [00:29:21]

The Bible commends fasting in certain circumstances, so certainly a call to fast is not wrong. I'm not opposed absolutely to remembering the events in the life of our Lord. We're thankful for remembrance at times in the year, but our Lord nowhere encouraged us to take 40 days to follow his practice in the wilderness. [00:29:48]

Too often, humanly invented spiritual disciplines drive out divinely instituted ones, and that's never to our benefit. There's something else about spiritual disciplines that can be problematic. John Calvin said that where there is great ritual, there is usually great wickedness. What he meant by that was he was looking at, for example, the Ash Wednesday practice. [00:31:03]

We must remind ourselves that we stand by the gospel of Jesus Christ. We stand on the Scriptures, and we expect the ordinary means of grace to mark the experience of God's people. Where you find the ordinary means of grace depreciated and superficial, don't be surprised you find people trying to put Ash crosses on their forehead because they're looking for something. [00:33:29]

Expect in a church where there's weak preaching, weak praying, weak communion to the Saints, weak hymn singing, weak worship, weak Bible preaching, expect to find people looking to do something. This is where we need thick, robust preaching worship, where the ordinary means of grace are so glorious you're not trying to go find something to tell yourself you've done something. [00:34:17]

If the people of God are energetically, biblically engaged in authentic, Christ-centered, biblically driven worship, they're not going to be looking for something else to do. Regarding Christian Liberty, what is a good balance between holiness and our sanctification and our Christian Liberty? Freedom is found in holy obedience to Christ and nowhere else. [00:35:17]

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