Personal Discipline Challenge

“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”-John 6:68-69

If you attend church, odds are good they have a discipline.  A written document that outlines the belief, membership, ordination, etc.  A plain account of what the church (and its members) believes, practices, and stands for.  Since the church is the individual and the individual the church.  The importance of our beliefs, and the understanding of what we believe in cannot be overstated.  For this reason, I decided to do a Personal Discipline Challenge.  Which is simply, a written statement (to the best of my ability) of what I believe.

1)      I believe that without the blessing of sanctification a man cannot and will not go to heaven.  You must be purged from all sin, which are sins committed and the carnal sin within.  This must happen before you die, and it is an instantaneous work of grace obtained through faith, made possible by grace.

2)      I believe that a holy heart produces a holy life, through the power of the Holy Ghost.  “So be ye holy in all manner of conversation.”  Gods will becomes your nature, and his will can be clearly understood if you keep in fellowship with him.  This perfect fellowship will produce an outward reflection of an inward work. 

3)            I believe the Bible is both absolute and absolutely central.  It is the Word of God, penned by men who were inspired by the Holy Ghost.  We are nothing without it and everything with it.  It should be studied diligently, followed fanatically and taught publically; always understanding that it is the Holy Ghost within that translates it to our hearts.

4)      I believe that perfect love is the mark of a true Christian; perfect love towards God and perfect love towards man.  A heart so full of love towards the Father and for the Father; and his Son Jesus, that your entire life is bound by the will of God and the wanting to follow his will and obey his way; at any cost.  This love is not obtained by striving or any personal merit, but is obtained by asking in faith, and manifested by the abiding presence of the Holy Ghost.  This second work of grace can only be instituted in a human heart after they have made a full repentance.  This “second blessing” makes us “one” with God, even as Jesus and God are one.  This love invades every part of our life so that our actions and reactions, thoughts and speech, motives and desires are filled with and governed by, the perfect love of God in us.  This I believe is Sanctification.

5)      I believe you should support your church.  The church is the vehicle that brought you salvation.  It is a God ordained institution; you should support it in your attendance, in your speech, and in your participation.  Furthermore, I believe you should respect those who guide it faithfully and humbly.

   6)   I believe that Biblical exhortation given from “proven” men and women, given in the Spirit, should be considered and heeded.  “Younger, submit yourself unto the elders and be clothed with humility.”  This is not a suggestion, it is a commandment.

These are six things I believe, in no particular order.  There is more that I could add, and perhaps pieces that others would take away.  God has so graciously given me these beliefs through teaching and revelation of the Holy Ghost; because of this they carry both the blessing of understanding, and the responsibility of upholding.

This week I challenge you to take some time and sit down in a private place, and draft a personal discipline.  Then review it, and ask yourself; where did my beliefs come from?  Do they line up with the Word of God?  Do I live them, or just profess them?  Hopefully, you will find that you believe the Word of God, and can boldly tell Satan.  This is what I believe!