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Last week we spent some time studying the concept of “self-discipline” and the

understanding of that topic is critical.It is critical because your choices are operated

by the desire of the heart, and if that is not right, that is, totally in love with God and the

desire to please Him, the results, even if apparently good, will NOT please Him, nor will it

serve you.Real change can only come from a heart that is clear about who God is, and who we are relative

to Him, and independence in any form will always be destructive.

In other words, you will NEVER be able to overcome selfishness and the destruction that

follows it, by exercising discipline.

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After reviewing last week’s study and the discussion on “discipline” I want to give this

clarification so that we are all clear on the way I am teaching and using this word.

“Discipline” for the purposes of this study is the choice of a person to conform behavior and

choices to God’s desires with significant hesitation of the will and desire.

Regarding structure let’s say that if I know what God knows (mostly because of what He says, which I choose to believe in faith) then I will willingly and joyfully embrace God’s desires and receive the freedom and life in its fruit.

With that in mind let’s consider the structure of such choices and the risks and benefits.

Only fallacious, satanic and self-aware thinking patterns cause our thoughts to take different or

opposing points of view to God’s designs.

Since thinking patterns that are contrary to God’s are anti-God at their core even if they seem for the moment to be compliant, they

carry in them a severe risk because they are in rebellion against God and they strengthen

confidence in the flesh.

"He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters."

Luke 11:23You see, there is no neutral ground, no thought that is neutral. All thoughts are either Kingdom

thoughts, or they will attack God’s Kingdom.

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Man may convince himself to discipline his actions to at least physical compliance with mental reserve, but it brings a spiritual risk I

can’t endorse for these biblical reasons:

1. God clearly prefers spiritual coldness to lukewarm. Rev 3:15-16

2. Deeds that do not originate in Him are considered to be “filthy rags”. Isa 64:6

3. There is no support that “wrong heart/right actions” is better than “wrong heart/wrong actions” in the Bible.

"Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience,

you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you

became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,"

Romans 6:16-17

"Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to

Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will

of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave

or free." Ephesians 6:5-8

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4. God weighs hearts not actions. Matt 7: 22-23"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does

the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did

we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name

perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you

who practice lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:21-23

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"And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his

father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to

honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. “You hypocrites, rightly did

Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ” " Matthew

15:3-9

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The only time I would recommend that people abandon “discipline” and do exactly what their flesh wants to do is when it fosters confidence

in the flesh.

In the case of the parable of the prodigal son did the father plead with the son to stay and at

least do good works, or did he allow him to learn from the consequences of his fleshly thinking? God always waits for a change in

heart because heart change produces changes in choices, but modified behavior does not

change the heart.

Given that once we can identify selfishness in our thinking, what can we use to fill the need in our hearts that seduces us to so many thoughts

about what the “SELF” wants? What do we have from God that will empower us to live

properly? There are actually two driving forces.

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The greatest source is not the most attractive due to our present condition but must be

mentioned as a power source for the future.

Our greatest power source and motivation is the glory and the pleasure of God. We were created for this purpose, to know, to become

intimate with God, and by our engagement with Him, share His glory, His life and Person so that when people see us, they see God living His life

in us.

This is why modified behavior without a changed heart is absolutely useless to God’s

purpose for us. A rebellious heart cannot participate in a Kingdom work.

So few today are motivated by the desire to see God glorified and pleased, so that may not be

the most likely drawing point for us today.

What step remains for those who are entangled by selfishness so that the glory of God is not a

priority?

It is exquisitely simple, perfectly adapted to our pathetic circumstances, and uniquely powerful.

What is it?

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"Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from those who do iniquity And save me from men of bloodshed. For behold, they have set an ambush for my life; Fierce men launch an attack against me,

Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord," Psalm 59:1-3What is the inspiration for David’s fervency in

this prayer?

This is not to say that David didn’t love God. It is just that in that event, he was obsessed with

self-preservation, which prevented him from seeing God’s glory and love. It is pure, Grade-A self-awareness. David trusted in it when he ran to Philistia from Saul, and he wounded himself

and others with his lies(1Sam 27:10).

There isn’t anything wrong with David’s prayer – if God has allowed an enemy to touch your non-Kingdom comfort, it is because He wants

you to see how fragile comfort and security are when they depend on SELF.

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"Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain

was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

2 Kings 6:15-17

What difference do you see between the prayer of David and that of Elisha?

How do you account for the difference? The reality of the danger and threat is clearly identical so the difference in mentality and the

identification of need is due to the perception of self and its relationship to Almighty God.

Learn this now: Awareness of SELF and the infatuation it breeds will absolutely prevent an accurate perception of what is real, and what is temporal and insignificant. NEVER forget that!

David saw an enemy that threatened his life, (because he was self-aware and loved himself) which caused the fear that drove him to God

(which is why God allowed it).

Elisha saw God (and knew that God loved him) and therefore saw no enemy or threat to his life and prayed that his servant would see the only

reality.

Do you see how focusing on self, your view of self relative to God, and the object of your love,

plays so heavily in how you interpret what is going on around you, and how it impacts your

thoughts and choices?

David and Elisha’s servant could only see the hazard to their comfort and their lives, which

were in fact in absolutely no danger. But Elisha, because of his focus away from self and to God, could only see some spiritually dead men who

were the ones in real danger.

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So long as you are dedicated to self-preservation, self-focus, you will be unable to see God’s reality which brings constant peace no matter what the circumstances might be –

which happens to be the ONLY reality.

What is far worse is that when you cannot see God’s reality which is safe, you WILL ALWAYS

gravitate to accusations and threats that will haunt you and rob your peace and rest.

Your flesh uses the imagined urgency of imminent threat to seize control and become your savior. It also justifies anything in your

mind you might imagine you will have to do, like lie, steal or any other sin we hope to gain

advantage to self by committing.

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Just remember that real healing of the heart only begins with the ability to identify the flesh

in our thoughts and values.

We all must depend on Jesus, living His life in our bodies, to provide the power to expel self-focus from us and give us the love for others

that will allow us to sacrifice ourselves for them. Discipline and determination will NEVER pull

off the life of Jesus in us.