Practices
Practices
Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you (Mt. 28:20, The Message).
The oft-overlooked instruction in the Great Commission is that the followers of Christ are to be taught to obey, or to practice, all that Jesus commanded his disciples. If we truly believe in Jesus, habits of heart and action will follow. Belief that does not result in these practices is phantom faith. Learning to practice what Jesus taught is the essence of discipleship. Let’s talk about practices.
Followers of Christ know there to be both a gate and a path - a gate through which we pass to begin the journey of life with Christ, and a path on which we walk which leads to maturity in Christ and service to others. The gate represents a point-in-time experience; the path, a life-long process. The gate represents conversion - we become those who believe. The path represents discipleship - we become those who learn and practice God’s ways. Paul had to address the Corinthian church as infants in Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:1) They had come through the gate but had not gone very far on the path. Would not God’s assessment of his church today be similar?
In Christian education, we have most often emphasized training in what to believe, with little emphasis on practices. Even in our seminaries, mastering correct beliefs is essential. Insisting on practices is optional. A former seminary professor, who had been the head of the Practical Theology Department at a prominent evangelical seminary told me once that students could graduate and then be sent on into church leadership without their prayer life or other spiritual disciplines ever being reviewed.
A notable exception is the underground seminary Dietrich Bonhoeffer began in 1935 in Finkenwalde, Germany. The now classic books, Life Together and The Cost of Discipleship, came out of this monastic communal experience and the ensuing “seminaries on the run” after it was shut down by the Gestapo. There aspiring seminarians learned together the practices of prayer and guarding their hearts in a context of supervision and personal discipleship. We might think this somewhat strange today for a seminary, but it was probably very much like how Jesus discipled the twelve.
Correct beliefs are vital for our spiritual growth, so we must catechize our children and our converts. But beliefs, correctly taught, will lead to practices.
Commandments, Rules and Practices
In our day, we much prefer suggestions over commandments. We would rather that God would say, “This is my suggestion…” But if we’re going to relate to God as God, we need to get used to the fact that “commandments” is not such bad word for him. Again, the Great Commission specifies that we are to practice what Jesus commanded his disciples.
Likewise, we have an aversion to the word rules. Some would object that rules pointing to practices like these are antithetical to salvation by grace. On the contrary, we can see from Scripture that salvation by grace leads to a radically different way of how to conduct life.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age... (Titus 2:11-12)
Grace leads us to countercultural life practices. Those practices affect internal heart dispositions (passions) and external actions (live self-controlled lives).
Paul, who preached grace alone for salvation, also insisted on practices to help in our maturing and sanctification, which is also by grace alone. See for instance, “...be constant in prayer... contribute to the needs of the saints... show hospitality... live in harmony with one another... do not be haughty... associate with the lowly... overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:12-31) Here, in a brief passage to the Romans, we find seven rules which Paul expected the Roman Christians to practice. We are no different than those early believers; we need grace, and we need rules.
Be assured, we are not saved by following rules any more than we are saved by works. But, just as the Reformation leaders said, we are saved by grace through faith unto good works, so new practices are the evidence, not the means of salvation.
It is all by grace! It is by grace we are saved, and it is by grace that we grow. Apart from grace, there can be no obedience, no walking in God’s ways. There is nothing un-Christian in a parent requiring a child to make up his bed, or an employer insisting that his employees get to work on time. Our aversion to these kinds of requirements has more in common with the spirit of this age than with New Testament teaching.
All New Testament practices come from the two greatest rules of life: The Greatest Commandment and the New Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength” (Mark 12:30), and “Just as I have loved you, you are to love one another” (John 13:34).
Examples
What are some examples of Jesus’ commandments that we are to put into practice as disciples?
Here are a few.
Jesus taught the practice of faithfulness - faithfulness in small things, in that which is anothers, and in money matters (Luke 16:10-12). Jesus taught the practice of taking up the cross, or self denial (Mark 8:34). Jesus taught the practice of yielded possessions (Luke 14:33). Jesus taught against the practice of hypocrisy or pretending to be more than we are (Luke 12:1). Jesus taught the practice of giving to the needy, sexual purity, about work, about how to listen, how to resist the temptation that goes along with power… and so on.
Do we treat these practices as incidental or fundamental, as certainly desired but not essential? Do we have pastors who are practicing these things and are helping us learn these practices? Maybe churches need to work on Statements of Practice to go along with their Statements of Faith. Maybe upcoming church leaders need more personal training in practices to go along with their theological training.
So How?
How do we make this transition personally and corporately from an emphasis on beliefs alone to practices resulting from beliefs?
At the personal level, we begin with an honest acknowledgment that it’s impossible without others being involved in our lives. In particular, look for a mentor who is practicing - progressively learning - these things. A good mentor will instinctively encourage and affirm you. But also give him or her the right to correct or challenge you.
Also, ask the Lord to give you a set of 3 or 4 relationships within your Christian fellowship where there’s a high level of trust that allows for honest conversation and confession.
One of the best historic models of this smaller-than-small group is found in the Bands that were employed in early Methodism. Beyond the larger Societies, and the smaller Classes, were the Bands. The Societies were similar to a small congregation today; the Classes were similar to today’s small groups; and the Bands were 3 to 5 of the same sex where confession of sin was normal and speaking the truth in love was practiced.
Corporately, we need to reprioritize personal training over academic instruction. We’re good at teaching beliefs, but not so good at teaching obedience. We need to identify the “practicing believers” within our fellowships who can be trained to train others. Hopefully you have among your elders those who could do this. (If not, get some new elders!)
Until seminaries begin to train in practices as well as doctrines, steer your upcoming leaders away from seminaries and toward programs that do personal training in practices. Maybe your church could even start such a program. John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way of Jesus is a well thought out approach that can get you started.
In addition, there are excellent doctrinal studies you can find online that can augment the personal training. The Gospel Coalition offers free online courses in Church History, Christian Foundations, Biblical Doctrines, etc. The Bible Project is an excellent resource to learn the Bible.
Go disciple
Before he ascended, Jesus commissioned his disciples to take what he taught them to practice, and teach others to practice. Are we being so discipled… are we so discipling others?
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