In a previous article, I addressed the relationship between being a disciple of the Lord and learning discipline. I explained that discipline in the Bible is twofold: God disciplines us as His children, and we are to be self-disciplined. God’s discipline is His ongoing correction and training that results in His people living righteous lives that conform to His character and will. As God’s children, He expects us to learn self-discipline, which means exercising self-control and maintaining focus on the teachings and application of Scripture. Believers with positive volition have submissive hearts that align their wills with His.
Discipline from God
After God brought Israel out of Egyptian captivity, He sought to humble and teach them His ways (Deut 8:1-2). God let them experience the hardship of hunger (Deut 8:3a), and then provided their nutritional needs to sustain them, and also ensured their clothing did not wear out (Deut 8:3b-4). God’s trial of privation was educational, “that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD” (Deut 8:3). The end result was that Israel was to “Know in your heart that as a parent disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you” (Deut 8:5).[1] According to Richards, “God continues to use circumstances that cause us pain in a positive way, even as he used a variety of hardships to correct Israel.”[2]
A psalmist wrote, “Blessed is the man whom You discipline, O LORD, and whom You teach out of Your law” (Psa 94:12; cf., Psa 118:18). The “blessed” person is the one is educated in God’s school of “discipline” and who is taught by His law. The word “law” translates the Hebrew word torah (תּוֹרָה), which also means direction, instruction, or teaching. According to Mays, “The way of life that has a good future is the life that is disciplined and instructed by the law of the Lord.”[3] God’s blessing belongs to the student who has welcomed His discipline and advanced in His school of wisdom.
Solomon taught his son to accept God’s discipline, saying, “My child, do not despise discipline from the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke. For the LORD disciplines those He loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights” (Prov 3:11-12). Concerning this passage, MacDonald states, “Too often we tend to think of discipline as meaning punishment, but it actually includes all that is involved in the proper training of a child, i.e., instruction, warning, encouragement, advice, correction, and chastening. Everything that God allows to come into our lives is purposeful.”[4] Because God is sovereign over everything, allowing some things and causing others, there are no accidental blessings or hardships that come into our lives, and He uses all these things to teach us and to develop our character.
The Bible contrasts the wicked and foolish, who reject discipline, with the wise, who embrace it. The wicked are described as those who “hate discipline” (Psa 50:16-17). The fool confesses, “How I hated discipline, and how my heart despised correction” (Prov 5:12). Scripture further warns, “He is on the path of life who heeds discipline, but he who ignores correction goes astray” (Prov 10:17), while “whoever hates correction is stupid” (Prov 12:1b), and “he who neglects discipline despises himself” (Prov 15:32a). In contrast, the wise recognize that “reproofs for discipline are the way of life” (Prov 6:23) and that “whoever loves discipline loves knowledge” (Prov 12:1a). Therefore, it is advised: “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days” (Prov 19:20). Embracing God’s discipline and correction leads to wisdom and life, while rejecting it leads folly and destruction.
In the NT, Paul wrote about the Lord’s discipline for Christians, saying, “when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world” (1 Cor 11:32). The writer to the Hebrews picked up on Solomon’s words (Prov 3:11-12), saying, “Those whom the Lord loves He disciplines” (Heb 12:6a). Wiersbe states, “Chastening is a part of God’s plan to help His sons and daughters mature in godly character (Heb 12:1–11). God chastens us, not as a judge punishes a criminal, but as a parent disciplines a child. He acts in love and His purpose is that we might become “partakers of His holiness” (Heb 12:10).”[5]
Jesus, speaking to Christians in Laodicea, said, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore, be zealous and repent” (Rev 3:19). Here, Jesus used the Greek verb paideuō (παιδεύω), which means “to chastise or castigate with words, to correct…to chasten by the infliction of evils and calamities…to chastise with blows, to scourge.”[6] Jesus’ threat of discipline for the Christians at Laodicea was intended to shock them out of their spiritual lethargy and reignite the fire in their hearts so they might serve Him and others.
God directs us to live holy and righteous lives, and He actively works in our lives to influence our behavior. He is, after all, our heavenly Father, and He loves us greatly. To be corrected by His Word is primary and optimal; however, if we are defiant, or become habitually rebellious, God will educate us by means of scourging (more severe punishment). God’s discipline is always tailored to the individual. The three days of suffering for Jonah (Jonah 1:17; 2:10; 3:1-3) was different than the seven years of suffering for Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 4:31-37). Furthermore, God’s discipline generally comes in stages (1 Cor 11:30), can result in physical death (1 John 5:16), and loss of eternal rewards (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 John 1:8). Though carnal Christians may face terrible punishment from God in time, and loss of rewards in eternity, they will never face the lake of fire, (John 3:16; 10:28), for “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). All Christians have eternal life, and Jesus said, “they will never perish” (John 10:28a; cf., John 3:16; 5:27). Though God’s children should rightly fear His punishment in time, they should not fear their eternal destiny.
God, who desires the end result of righteousness, controls the means and process for our growth to spiritual maturity. Suffering and hardship are purposeful when used by the Lord to burn away the dross of weak character and refine the golden qualities He wants to see in us. As Christians, we understand that God is more concerned with our Christian character than with our creaturely comforts (Rom 5:3-4; Jam 1:2-4).
We often dislike the trials of life, but we must always remember that God is in control. The things we find unpleasant are often what He uses to shape us according to His will. It is important to remember that God “disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness” (Heb 12:10). From the human perspective, we feel the pain of His discipline, but by faith we understand that “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful” (Heb 12:11a). This is true for any child of the Lord whom He is shaping into a mature and godly person. And we must endure the process patiently, always looking to Him who controls the circumstances of our lives, and framing them from the divine perspective so that we will not lose hope. We realize the process of the Lord’s discipline is purposeful, for “those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb 12:11b). It’s always the afterwards that matters. The righteous life that follows.
Practicing Self-Discipline
There are many things God does for us, but there are things He will not do for us, and He expects us to do them for ourselves. As Christians, we are to be self-disciplined. Being self-disciplined involves exercising self-control and maintaining focus on the teachings of Scripture, which is fundamental to our spiritual development. The Bible emphasizes the need for discipline in following Christ. Paul wrote, “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor 9:27). Paul told his friend, Timothy, “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness…[which] is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Ti. 4:7-8). This teaching is at the heart of what it means to be a disciple of the Lord.
The ideal form of self-discipline is seen in the children of God who devote themselves to studying and applying God’s Word on a regular basis. Discipline by learning Scripture is preferred over discipline by means of suffering. Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). Here, the word “training” translates the Greek noun paideia (παιδεία), which refers to “the act of providing guidance for responsible living, upbringing, training, instruction.”[7] Richards states, “We need the guiding words of the Bible to correct us and to point us toward holiness.”[8]
Self-discipline will result in good study habits (Psa 1:2-3; 119:148; Ezra 7:10), thought management (2 Cor 10:5; Col 3:1-2), meditation on Scripture (Psa 1:2), the walk of faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38), love for others (1 Th 4:9), and the optimal use of time (Eph 5:16). The life that is in submission to Him is evidenced by the fact that He is guiding our thoughts, words, and actions on a daily basis. The Word of God permeates the minds of mature believers such that it governs every aspect our of lives, and where there are shortcomings, those are areas under development and are considered a work in process. Bible study is a discipline, as is faith, righteous living, rest, diet, exercise, prayer, love, service to others, giving, managing time, patience, grace, mercy, gentleness, kindness, forgiveness, and every other Christian virtue that represents the highest and best in God’s children.
Part of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control (Gal 5:23), and the Christian who is walking by means of the Spirit will show the gradual discipline of mind and life that is advancing toward spiritual maturity. The disciplined mind is a stable mind. It is one that responds to people and circumstances and does not react. It does not allow thoughts to run away like wild horses, but restrains them and brings them in to submission to God and His Word. It is a mind that suspends judgment on a matter until the facts are established, and then it renders a verdict. It is one that is governed by wisdom and not emotion. It focuses on dealing with the difficulties of each moment and leaves tomorrow’s troubles to God. Undisciplined Christians will never organize their thoughts and lives, and will never reach the heights to which God calls them.
The challenge for us as growing Christians is to be thankful to the Lord for the people and circumstances that make our lives difficult, as they are used by Him to help us grow in ways that would otherwise never happen. And these challenging people provide us an opportunity to live by faith and bless those who persecute us (Rom 12:14), never to repay evil for evil (Rom 12:17), to pursue peace with all people (Rom 12:18), and never to seek revenge (Rom 12:19). Instead, we are to overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21), and to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27).
As Christians, “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). Because of this, we “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; and in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5:16-18). And we “cast all our anxiety on Him, because He cares for us” (1 Pet 5:7), and we are “anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7). As a result, we “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him” (Psa 37:7).
Dr. Steven R. Cook
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[1] If Israel refused to learn from the Lord and became rebellious and disobedient, then His discipline would become punitive (Lev 26:18, 21, 24, 28; Deut 28:15-64).
[2] Lawrence O. Richards, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 228–229.
[3] James Luther Mays, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching Psalms (Louisville, Kentucky, Westminster John Knox Press, 1994), 304.
[4] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 799.
[5] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Skillful, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 39.
[6] Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Harper & Brothers., 1889), 473.
[7] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 748.
[8] Lawrence O. Richards, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Words, 229.
Well written and much needed in these days of uncertainty. Thanks. Hebrews 6:10; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Thanks Kelsey. Wishing you a blessed day.