Sanctifying: ...that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish... When one seriously trains, he willingly undergoes hours of discipline and even pain so as to win the prize — running ten thousand miles to run one hundred meters At one's best. The successful Christian life is a sweaty affair! It strikes me that there's probably at least two types of Christians: some Christians are going to be tempted towards a legalistic kind of view; but then on the other hand, it seems like more broadly in our culture today the idea that our spiritual lives would require hard work is something that seems foreign to a lot of people. Maybe because of this fear of legalism we go too far in the other direction. I wonder if you could speak to that—why do you think that is the case with so many Christians today? Generally, I think a resolution is setting yourself up for failure, but it doesn't mean you ought not to make a resolution. There are people that make a resolution after the holidays to lose fifty pounds, and they do. A lot of them fail. But without the resolution, they wouldn't lose it, right? One of the things that I would say is that we tend to make extreme resolutions. For instance, I would rather have someone say to me, I'm going to read the Bible all the way through next year. I would say, No, why don't you read the Gospels all the way through next year and think about it as you read it. There's nothing in the Bible that says you have to read the Scriptures through once a year. I think it's a great habit, a lot of people do it, but I would say do something that's manageable that you won't fail at. Does that make sense? This post is adapted from the tract “10 Disciplines of a Godly Man” by R. Kent Hughes. The following article was taken from Crossway.org; used with permission.

Among my favorite chapters in the book in clue the chapter on fatherhood, work, church and witness. I felt the author’s most passionate chapter was the chapter on witnessing and I was quite encouraged by the author’s own example of making the most out of evangelistic opportunities. While I enjoyed the chapter on fatherhood is because today we have a crisis in society of fathers not being the fathers God has called them to be. Thee chapter on prayer was also personally convicting and edifying as that’s something I can work on more to improve. Having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. (Ephesians 4:25; see also Colossians 3:9) When the apostle Paul wrote to a younger man, casting vision for what he might become in Christ, he charged him, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). In a previous article, I began recovering this simple but challenging framework as a paradigm for becoming a man of God. In this article, I want to narrow in on speech. What does it mean, more practically, to set an example in what a man says (or doesn’t say)? What about our words sets us apart from other men? On that point, I could imagine that some people listening right now might be thinking: You've been a Christian for a long time, Dr. Hughes. You've served as a pastor for decades, you've taught seminary students as a professor of practical theology, and you even wrote a best-selling book on the spiritual disciplines. Even with all of that under your belt, do you ever still struggle when it comes to consistently practicing these disciplines in your own life, or at least feeling a desire to do so?What if men in the church are more immature and less equipped because we’ve been expecting too little of them? What if we have simply failed to call them to more than sexual purity online and basic spiritual disciplines? I want to be a part of raising up men who, instead of merely avoiding this or that sin, become a force for good — better, a force for God. And I want to be that kind of man, the kind of man my son should imitate. Sensuality is easily the biggest obstacle to godliness among men today, and it is wreaking havoc in the church. Godliness and sensuality are mutually exclusive, and those in the grasp of sensuality can never rise to godliness while in its [sic] grip. How can we escape the power of materialism? By giving from a heart overflowing with God’s grace, like the believers in Macedonia who “gave themselves first to the Lord” ( 2 Cor. 8:5): this is where grace giving must begin. Giving disarms the power of money. Though giving should be regular, it should also be spontaneous and responsive to needs. And it should be joyous—“God loves a cheerful giver” ( 2 Cor. 9:7). And Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” ( Acts 20:35).

Every Christian man, whether a new believer or a mature Christian, will be challenged again and again by this remarkably wise and fascinating book. Kent Hughes skillfully weaves together the teachings of Scripture with real-life examples as he powerfully teaches us what true Christian manhood looks like in the ordinary details of our lives. I highly recommend this update of a book that is becoming a Christian classic.” - Wayne Grudem, Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary Those who watched Mike Singletary1 "play" football and observed his wide-eyed intensity and his churning, crunching samurai hits are usually surprised when they meet him. He is not an imposing hulk. He is barely six feet tall and weighs maybe 220. Whence the greatness? Discipline. Singletary was as disciplined a student of the game as any who have ever played it. In his autobiography, Calling the Shots, he says that in watching game films, he would often run a single play fifty to sixty times, and that it took him three hours to watch half a football game, which is only twenty to thirty plays! Because he watched every player, because he knew the opposition's tendencies — given the down, distance, hash mark, and time remaining — and because he read the opposition's minds through their stances, he was often moving toward the ball's preplanned destination before the play developed. Singletary's legendary success was a testimony to his remarkably disciplined life. This is doubly so in spiritual matters. In other areas, we may be able to claim some innate advantage. An athlete may be born with a strong body, a musician with perfect pitch, or an artist with an eye for perspective. But none of us can claim an innate spiritual advantage. In reality, we are all equally disadvantaged. None of us naturally seeks after God, none is inherently righteous, none instinctively does good (read Rom. 3:9–18). Therefore, as children of grace, our spiritual discipline is everything — everything!

Popular Authors

There are some books, though very few, that remain ‘evergreen’—that through the years remain as useful and challenging as the day they were written. There’s little doubt that Disciplines of a Godly Man is one of these. For that reason, I’m delighted to see it just so slightly refreshed as it’s prepared to challenge a whole new generation of men with its biblical principles and timeless wisdom. I trust it will prove itself as edifying to them as it has to me and so many others.” The potential of possessing the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) introduces the scandal of today’s church—Christians who do not think Christianly, leaving our minds undisciplined. The Apostle Paul understood this well: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8). Each ingredient is a matter of personal choice. You can never have a Christian mind without reading the Scriptures regularly because you cannot be influenced by that which you do not know.

R. Kent Hughes (DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is senior pastor emeritus of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, and visiting professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hughes is also a founder of the Charles Simeon Trust, which conducts expository preaching conferences throughout North America and worldwide. He serves as the series editor for the Preaching the Word commentary series and is the author or coauthor of many books. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, and have four children and an ever-increasing number of grandchildren. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26). The true test of a man’s spirituality is not his ability to speak, but rather his ability to bridle his tongue! Offered to God on the altar, the tongue has awesome power for good. There must be an ongoing prayerfulness and resolve to discipline ourselves: “Who keeps the tongue doth keep his soul.” 7. Discipline of WorkIf anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” ( James 1:26). The true test of a man’s spirituality is not his ability to speak, but rather his ability to bridle his tongue! Offered to God on the altar, the tongue has awesome power for good. There must be an ongoing prayerfulness and resolve to discipline ourselves: “Who keeps the tongue doth keep his soul.”

Discipline is a subject about which the Scriptures say much-but contemporary authors have been peculiarly silent. Kent Hughes fills a gaping void with this superb volume.... If there is a spark of spiritual desire in your soul, this book will surely kindle it into a blazing passion for godly discipline." Why do you think it is that men in particular have responded so positively to the book over the last three decades? For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8) It goes far beyond my dreams because thirty years ago this was a series of sermons that I preached on the Lord's Day to my congregation at College Church. We were waiting on the construction of a new building, so we were meeting in Edman chapel on the campus of Wheaton College, so the content was originally for my people. As I put it all together I talked to Crossway about the possibility of it being a book, but at that time they were one-off sermons that I cobbled together on the whole matter of spiritual disciplines.This updated edition of a bestselling classic by a seasoned pastor aims to empower men to take seriously the call to godliness and direct their energy toward the things that matter most. Men of God do not fabricate or repeat lies, and they do not hide or obscure the truth. They take responsibility and accept the consequences, even when it costs them much. And being honest will cost us much. Self-love: ...In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. The potential of possessing the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) introduces the scandal of today’s church—Christians who do not think Christianly, leaving our minds undisciplined. The Apostle Paul understood this well: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8). Each ingredient is a matter of personal choice. You can never have a Christian mind without reading the Scriptures regularly because you cannot be influenced by that which you do not know. . . . That's one of those dynamics that I think we've all experienced, that we often have to re-learn things that we've already learned. We think we have something down and then we realize later on that actually, I need to recommit myself to this. Is that a dynamic that you've experienced even when it comes to the disciplines?