Gloryland Gospel Team

Christian Discipline

One of the things every parent prays and hopes for in the birth of their child, is that they will grow and develop properly into a happy, productive adult. This is also important with us spiritually. To grow and mature takes the right kind of spiritual food. It also requires spiritual exercise. Without spiritual exercise, one becomes weak and complacent. This leads to defeat, unhappiness, and a fruitless life. In this chapter, we will be studying what the Bible says about spiritual growth.

As a person grows physically, you are able to do new and exciting things such as driving cars, swimming, playing sports, etc. The same is true spiritually. As one grows, the Lord gives you new responsibilities that are exciting. As you walk in obedience, the Lord is able to trust you with greater things. When a child is small, he dreams of having his own tricycle. That satisfies for a time but soon he begins to dream of a bicycle. In time, the dream grows to a motor powered vehicle. As the child grows, the dreams become reality. Today, you bask in the excitement of becoming a new Christian. As you grow in the Lord, you will find greater victories and experience greater manifestations of the power of the Word of God. To experience these wonderful things, you must discipline yourself to study God’s Word and pray. Before you were saved, Satan did all he could to destroy your life and cause you pain. Now that you are a Christian, he will try to discourage you from pressing on in your walk with God. My goal in this chapter is to help you grow through the Word.

A child that is not educated is greatly restricted in what he or she can do in the future. What does Paul say we are to do in II Timothy 2:15, if we are to understand the Word of God?

In I Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul talks about running the race. What does he say our attitude should be if we are to win?

In Philippians 3:13, what does Paul say we should do concerning the past?

In the same verse, what positive thing does he say we are to do?

In verse 14, what does Paul say we are to strive for or set as our goal?

One of the most dangerous things in the life of the Christian, especially in the new Christian, is indifference or carelessness. One of the greatest reasons for physical accidents such as car accidents is carelessness. In the spiritual realm, this is also true. Satan will never quit trying to tempt you to go back to the sins of your past. He will seek to persuade you that since you are now a Christian, it will not hurt you. This is a lie and he knows it. What does the writer to the Hebrews say we are to do in Hebrews 2:1?

Another word for indifference is slothfulness. The writer of the Proverbs speaks often of this. What does he say in Proverbs 19:15 that shall happen to the slothful or idle person?

How could this apply to the spiritually slothful person?

According to Proverbs 12:24, the slothful person shall come under tribute or become a slave. How can this apply to a person spiritually who becomes careless and does not continue to seek the Lord and grow in Him?

In Proverbs 13:4, the writer says that the soul of the sluggard desireth and has nothing. What does it say of the one who is diligent in seeking the Lord?

What do you think the word, “fat” here refers to?

Considering what the Lord paid for your salvation, why is being careless about your spiritual life or being indifferent about staying close to Jesus so important? Consider how God feels about it. Proverbs 18:9.

There are many things that affect our thinking and influence us such as television, radio, movies, books, magazines, music, and friends. To be a disciplined Christian, it is necessary to guard our minds by controlling what we allow to be an influence in our lives. One of the most difficult things to control is our friends. To continue to spend our time with those who pull us away from Christ will bring us back into bondage. It is therefore very important to seek Christian friends who can help you walk with God. What does the Bible say about this in I Corinthians 15:33?

In conclusion, one of the reasons being in a Bible-believing, evangelical church is so important, is to be around people who will encourage you to grow in Jesus. It is also important to learn the importance of daily Bible reading. A good way to start is to read a Proverb a day and then also a chapter from the New Testament such as the Gospel of John. Prayer is also vital for spiritual growth. Prayer is talking with God as your friend. Remember, He is always there to listen to you and cares about all that concerns you.