The Power Is in God NOT in Us

Thoughts on the Introduction of Celebration

There is a great danger in practicing the disciplines. The danger is twofold: self-loathing or self-sufficiency. Self-loathing comes when we are not able to overcome sin by our own means of willpower. Self-sufficiency and pride comes when we have some level of success over sin through the means of our willpower. In either case the focus and source of strength is self.

The power of the disciplines is God. All that the spiritual disciplines do is put us in a position for God to change us. We cannot change ourselves. We can make behavior modifications, but that only goes skin deep. We need a change of heart and passion and only God can make those changes. Changes of the heart and desire produce fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). Fruits of the flesh produce legalism and death.

When we exercise the disciplines we are functioning like farmers. We are preparing the field that is our life so God can make a harvest of Godliness grow in us. When we fast, study, meditate, serve, and commune with other believers we are making our lives capable of spiritual renewal. When we study Scripture and pray we place the Gospel seed in us. When we gather with other believers and worship we water the Gospel in us. But make no mistake. It is God who makes us grow in grace and in the knowledge of truth and changes our hearts and makes us like Jesus. “God has given us the disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving his grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us” (p.7).

The disciplines are the means. With that in mind let’s not forget the wise words of the Puritan William Secker, "Neither be idle in the means, nor make an idol of the means." What he is saying is that we must exercise the disciplines. We must not “be idle in the means.” We must practice spiritual disciplines in order for God to work in us. But we must not trust in the means and make them our focus of worship. We cannot trust in our ability to study, pray, and worship. We do those things to enable God to work in us. We must avoid the temptation to “make an idol of the means.” The means or spiritual disciplines are only tools.

My wife keeps our home well organized and clean. Her goal is not to sweep, dust, and vacuum. Her goal is a well organized clean home. She uses the means of sweeping, dusting, and vacuuming to reach her goal. What gives her a sense of satisfaction is not that she used the tools, but that the tools produced a clean house.

In growing in Christ we must use the tools of spiritual disciplines. The goal is to be made clean or sanctified in Christ. God is the one who cleans us and makes us like Christ. The disciplines are the tools we use to position ourselves to be changed by God.