Charles F. Stanley - Practicing Basic Spiritual Disciplines

PRACTICING BASIC
SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

CHARLES
STANLEY

Copyright 2000 by Charles Stanley

All rights reserved.Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

Scripture quotations noted KJV are from the KING JAMES VERSION.

ISBN 0-7852-7294-1

Printed in the United States of America

01 02 03 04 05 PHX 6 5 4 3 2

CONTENTS

THE STRENGTH
OF THE BELIEVER

O f one thing we can be certain todaythe Lord intends for our faith as Christians to be rock-solid. At no time do we find the Lord calling His people to be weak in spiritual power, wavering in purpose, or wandering aimlessly through life. We are called, rather, to be strong in faith, certain of our salvation, and sure of our direction and eternal destiny.

One of the Bibles descriptions for the Lord is that of a rock. The psalmist David said this in a praise song to the Lord:

I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and
my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust. (Ps. 18:12)

Elsewhere in the psalms, David referred to the Lord as the rock of his strength, the rock of his salvation, and the rock of his refuge (Ps. 62:7; 89:26; 94:22). The Lord was his sure foundation, an immovable, impenetrable fortress.

In the New Testament, we find Jesus referred to as our spiritual Rock (1 Cor. 10:4). He is the chief cornerstone on which the entire church has been built (Eph. 2:20).

When we put our faith in God and trust Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord, we are placing ourselves on the sure, firm foundation that never falters and never fails. We are placing ourselves on a foundation that does not shift, crumble, or crack. We are placing ourselves on a foundation that is eternal and unchanging.

As part of Gods holy and living templea dwelling place of God in the Spiritwe are to bear the same qualities as the foundation on which we are built (see Eph. 2:2122).We are to remain strong in times of crisis or persecution, solid in our understanding of the Scriptures, sure of our relationship with the Lord, and steadfast in our pursuit of all that the Holy Spirit calls us to be and to do. Gods people are to be like boulders in a world of shifting sands.

When the world says that black is white and white is black... morals dont matter... and all things are relativewe are to stand strong as Christians, clearly discerning right from wrong, good from bad, and the eternal from the temporary.

When the world calls us to do what feels good and justifies behavior under the banner of everybody is doing it, we are to stand strong as Christians and declare that our behavior is rooted in our faith, not our emotions, and that even if everybody around us bows to the false gods of this age, we will not bow.

When the world calls us to reject Gods commandments as old-fashioned or out of touch, we are to stand strong as Christians and declare that God changes not, His commandments are as applicable today as they were in Bible times, and that God is always in touch with the human heart and human need.

When the world calls us to do what is politically correct, economically expedient, or morally compromising, we are to stand strong as Christians and declare that we choose to be Gods people, generous in the help we offer to the needy but pure in our hearts and uncompromising in our belief that God is sovereign and that a holy God requires and desires a holy people.

The Prerequisites for Godly Strength

Any athlete knows that to become strong, he must do certain things. He must eat foods that build up the body physically, he must exercise in ways that produce strength, flexibility, and endurance, and he must get sufficient rest for renewal of his muscles. There is a discipline required of those who desire to become good athletes. The greater the persons desire for greatness, the greater the discipline required.

The same is true for us in our spiritual walk. If we truly are going to be strong in the faith, we must follow a spiritual discipline.

We must take into our lives those things that produce strength in us, and eliminate those things that result in weakness, laziness, or spiritual compromise.

We must exercise our spiritual musclesusing our faith in ways that promote the spread of the gospel, strengthen the body of Christ, and meet both the physical and spiritual needs we encounter.

We must learn to rest in the Lordtrusting Him always to provide for us and protect us against the enemy of our souls.

The Christian life is not a life lived on a whim, following fad beliefs. It is to be a life of consistent, daily discipline. The apostle Paul challenged the Philippians, Let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phil. 1:27). That is our goal always.

A Life of Consistency

As a pastor, I have asked countless people, How are you doing? and I have received these replies:

Oh, Im having my ups and downs.

Well, Im going through a wilderness time right now.

Im trying to stay on top of things.

Some have admitted to me:

Im not as close to the Lord as I should be.

Ive been away from the Lord but Im on my way back.

Im dry right now.

All of these statements say to me that most Christians do not live the consistently strong spiritual life that they desire, and which they know God desires for them to live. They are riding the roller coaster of life, rather than walking a steady, upward path.

When I have asked, What are you doing to be strong spiritually? I get a variety of answers, but in many cases, I get a response that means, I dont know what to do. Many havent even thought it is possible to live a consistently strong spiritual life. They take ups and downs for granted, and even expect them.

That is not what the Lord desires for us. Paul said to the Colossians, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving (Col. 2:57). He assured the Colossians that they would be holy, and blameless, and above reproach if they would continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and [not be] moved away from the hope of the gospel (Col. 1:2223).

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10).

What must we do to be strong and to remain strong in spirit?

How are we to discipline our lives to be consistent and unwavering in our walk of faith?

The elements of our disciplined life in Christ are the subject of this Bible study. As you read through these lessons, let me encourage you on these three points:

First, the foundation for our spiritual discipline is the same whether we are newborn babes in Christthe newly savedor longtime Christians.We never outgrow our need for the basics of spiritual discipline. We never outgrow our need for Gods Word, our need to pray, Gods command to give, our need for Christian fellowship, or Gods call to ministry. No person is so spiritually mature that he or she can ignore the basics and remain strong over time.

Second, the foundation for our spiritual discipline is the same regardless of our personal differences.