Disciplined Life, 14

 

~ Submission ~

 

Series Note ~ A constant reality is that it takes effort to develop and maintain good habits. Unfortunately; we effortlessly develop bad habits.

 

To combat this fact of mankind’s fallen nature requires consistent effort. This is why personal discipline is vitally important. Simply stated the bottom-line is that to fulfill our responsibility to become increasingly Christ-like we must exercise continual discipline.

 

Scripture ~ “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:7-12).

 

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:7-10).

 

“If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:7-11).

 

“Then He [Jesus] said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:23-26).

 

Comment ~ We are living in a “me focused” society. Strangely, the life that is lived for Jesus Christ is the life of true inner constant joy – regardless of current circumstances.

 

Question ~ Is doing the will of God (and pleasing God) more important to you than “doing your own thing”? The apostle Paul could say: “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31-32). He would rather do God’s will for him than to prioritize his own desires.

 

Resource ~ If you would like assistance in living a disciplined life of subjection to God, the Father’s, desires for you then I suggest the book “CHRIST’S DISCIPLE: How To Finish Strong” by Robert Lloyd Russell, eBook ISBN: 978-1393844402, ASIN: B091XZF79B, or print edition ISBN: 979-8223262800.

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Bible Version: Quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted. Emphasis is added.

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