OF SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES (I)
”For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!“
It is impossible to speak of spiritual disciplines without first laying a foundation for why they exist and why we need them. Paul explains it best in our theme scripture when he refers to righteousness as a gift.
If a man is a farmer and owns a field in which he plants crops, he has for responsibility to till the ground in order for it to be conducive for his seed, plant then water the seed. The rest is up to divine forces such weather conditions or air to intervene and cause his seed to produce crop/ fruit.
So it is with us as recipients of grace and the gift of righteousness. We can never do anything in our own will and might to achieve a standard of righteousness pleasing to God, but we can ready the soil of our hearts so that his gift may settle well and cause us to truly bear fruits of righteousness. That is where it becomes tricky and discouraging because logically if we say the law that focused on outward righteousness cannot save then was replaced by the provision of grace that brings righteousness as a gift, one can easily think we don’t need to do anything on our part. Instead God will just come and make us righteous.
It would be as ignorant as thinking the farmer needs not to till, plant and water but will expect a harvest. Child of God, gifts are received, they are not taken. The Lord has already set us up for success in what pertains our transformation by His grace.
His suggested disciplines are to us a way of putting us into the ground so that his divine powers can work on us inwardly as do the weather conditions outside of the farmer’s control. Selah!
Prayer: Father I thank you for this wisdom. I sow to my spirit diligently because I know i don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. Far be it from me to take head on battles against my will for it is bound to fail. I receive your perfect provision of grace and the gift of righteousness that continually delivers me from sin and labors to mold me after Christ my lord, to the glory of your name. Amen!
CI.
