Spiritual Disciplines

Salvation is a free gift from God. All Christians agree on this—it's the core of the Gospel, and represents the nature of mankind's relationship to the Creator of all things. We cannot achieve our own salvation, and must rely on God's mercy.

That does not mean God requires nothing of us. Once He claims us we follow, and following means turning our back on sin to embrace righteousness, love, and faith. This is also a gift; even those indwelt by the Holy Spirit can find no strength to do good on our own, but are empowered to seek God's face by Jesus Christ, the Maker of all good things.

Among the things He empowers us to accomplish are the spiritual disciplines: habits that lead to pure thinking, pure living, and selflessness in our relationships with God and other people. These include prayer, Bible reading, tithe and offering, meditation and contemplation, fasting, and caring for the needy.

While there is a high level of personal decision and commitment needed to accomplish these things, none of them are possible completely removed from accountability and community. Christ's body is a Church, not a bunch of disconnected individuals. If we expect to be successful in our pursuit of the spiritual disciplines, we must submit to whichever local assembly we belong.

Paul said,

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:19-23).

The world will know the Church by its love. This isn't limited to how we treat each other and those outside the Body (though those are certainly included); it also refers to our love of Christ and His Law. If we love Him, we'll do what He asks, just as Paul indicates in the passage above. This kind of attitude and behaviour doesn't develop overnight, it requires a lifetime of struggle and work.

When we say "work" in this context, we aren't talking about the work of Christ that saves. We're talking about the work on our part to follow and serve Him, to show our gratitude and the reality of our salvation. The spiritual disciplines are integral to this work. Below, we offer a variety of books intended to help you turn every moment to good account, to forsake the desires of the flesh, and to live as Christ commands.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

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101 Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
40th Anniversary from Kregel Publications
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25 Basic Bible Studies
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by C.S. Lewis
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Call to Wonder
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Caught Off Guard
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by Richard J. Foster
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by Richard J. Foster
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Child's Book of Prayers
by Sally Ann Wright and Susan K. Leigh, compilers, illustrated by Honor Ayres
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Christ Formed in You
by Brian G. Hedges
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by John Piper
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by Douglas McKelvey
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Everyday Gospel
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Existence and Attributes of God
by Stephen Charnock
from Baker Books
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Experiencing God
by Henry T. Blackaby & Claude V. King
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Experiencing God (Student Edition)
by Claude V. King, Henry T. Blackaby
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Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ
Library of Spiritual Classics Volume 2
by Jeanne Guyon
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Experiencing the Trinity
by Darrell W. Johnson
from Regent College
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Extravagant Grace
by Barbara Duguid
from P&R Publishing
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by Terry L. Johnson
from Christian Focus Publications
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by Doug Wilson
from Canon Press
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by Doug Wilson
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Fighting Words
by Ellie Holcomb
from B&H Books
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by Philip Yancey
from Vine Books
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Fount of Heaven
by Robert Elmer, editor
from Lexham Press
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by Susannah Spurgeon, Charles Ray
from Banner of Truth Trust
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Galatians for You
by Timothy Keller
from Good Book Company
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Get Your Story Straight
by Kristen Hatton
1st edition from New Growth Press
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by Jon Nielson
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by Timothy J. Keller & Kathy Keller
from Viking Press
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by Klaas Schilder
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Growing in Godliness
by Lindsay Carlson
from Crossway Books
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$14.99
Habits of Grace
by David Mathis, foreword by John Piper
from Crossway Books
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
by Joanna Weaver
from WaterBrook Press
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Heart Aflame
by John Calvin
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by Nancy B. Winter
from New Growth Press
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$25.99
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by Iain Duguid
from P&R Publishing
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by Kevin DeYoung
1st edition from Crossway Books
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by Joel R. Beeke
from Banner of Truth Trust
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by J. C. Ryle
from Canon Press
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$22.95
How I Know God Answers Prayer
by Rosalind Goforth
Revised from Evangel Publishing House
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$5.99
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth
by Douglas Stuart, Gordon D. Fee
3rd edition from Zondervan
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Humility
by C. J. Mahaney
from Multnomah Books
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Humility
by Andrew Murray
from Bethany House
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In His Image
by Jen Wilkin
from Crossway Books
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$15.99
Invitation to the Psalms
by Rolf A. Jacobson and Karl N. Jacobson
from Baker Academics
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$23.00
Jesus I Never Knew
by Philip Yancey
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$16.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Jesus I Never Knew
by Philip Yancey
1st edition from Zondervan
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John Ploughman's Talk
by Charles Haddon Spurgeon
from Wipf and Stock Publishers
Christian Living for 10th-Adult
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$15.00
John: 26 Studies for Individuals and Groups
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by N. T. Wright
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions
by Jonathan Edwards
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Ken Ham Daily
by Ken Ham
from Master Books
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$23.99
Knowing God
by J. I. Packer
from InterVarsity Press
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$22.99
Knowledge of the Holy
by A. W. Tozer
from HarperCollins
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$17.99
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by Sinclair B. Ferguson
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