April 3, 2018 - Hebrews 12:1-9

Discipline
is for Disciples

“If
any man will come after me’’ (Luke 9:23)

Discipleship
means ‘’discipline!’’ The disciple is that one who has been taught or trained
by the Master, who has come with his ignorance, superstition, and sin, to find
learning, truth, and forgiveness from the Saviour. Without discipline we are
not disciples, even though we profess His Name and pass for a follower of the
lowly Nazarene. In an undisciplined age when liberty and license have replaced
law and loyalty, there is greater need than ever before that we be disciplined
to be His disciples.

Discipleship
requires the discipline of conversion, wherein we recognize our lost estate
because of rebellion against God, and with penitence come to the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ. We assent from our hearts that ‘’all we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned every one to his own way’’ (Isa. 53:6), that ‘’all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God’’ (Rom. 3:23), that ‘’the Scripture
hath concluded all under sin’’ (Gal. 3:22), and that we ‘’were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others . . . strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope, and without God in the world’’ (Eph. 2:3, 12).

   This discipline is difficult for the natural
heart of each one, for we will not humble ourselves to admit our sin and shame;
but it is easy for the honest and good heart that sees itself in the light of
Calvary’s Sacrifice for sin. In the dispensation before the Cross, David,
seeing himself, cried, ‘’I have sinned against the Lord’’; to which God replied
through His servant, ‘’the Lord also hath put away thy sin’’ (2 Sam. 12:13).
When Peter saw himself in the light of the Lord’s presence and power, he fell
down saying, ‘’Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord’’ (Luke 5:8). A
woman wept as she stood by His feet, which she washed with her tears of
repentance; and she heard the Saviour’s word, ‘’Thy sins are forgiven . . . thy
faith hath saved thee; go in peace’’ (Luke 7:48, 50). The penitent Publican
smote his breast in genuine sorrow for sin, and prayed, ‘’God, be merciful to
me a sinner’’ (Luke 18:13), and went home justified.

   Thus it has been down the ages; the
despondent, despairing of themselves, have come to the Saviour for mercy, and
have been saved. ‘’Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us’’ (Titus 3:5). ‘’But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name’’ (John 1:12). Without salvation no sonship; without sonship, no
discipleship!

Taken
from V. Raymond Edman’s book, The Disciplines of Life, Van
Kampen Press, Wheaton, IL, 1948.