Giants of the Reformation (8)

And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12.5, 6

Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin (1509-1564)
“But because some persons, in their hatred of discipline, recoil from its very name, let them understand this: if no society, indeed, no house which has even a small family, can be kept in proper condition without discipline, it is much more necessary in the church, whose condition should be as ordered as possible. Accordingly, as the saving doctrine of Christ is the soul of the church, so does discipline serve as its sinews, through which the members of the body hold together, each in its own place.”

Imagine an athletic team without discipline. Or a school. Or even a family. Discipline does not imply, in the first instance, punishment. Discipline is behavior undertaken to correct false or errant practices, or to improve lagging ones. Some disciplines we are called to embrace in an active manner, according to our needs: reading Scripture, prayer, worship, and so forth. Church discipline falls into this category. Other disciplines may be as the Lord chooses, and which He imposes as we require, to arrest us on a wayward path and bring us back to the way of righteousness. Discipline is much more necessary than we suppose. Every believer must take up those disciplines that help us grow spiritually and fulfill our callings in life. And every church must practice the disciplines essential for growing the body of believers into a healthy, flourishing congregation. Discipline provides the sinews that hold the members of Christ’s Body together in Him.

How would you describe the state of such discipline in your church today? What might you do to improve the use of discipline in your church?

T. M. Moore

Pastoral Hope Initiative
Pastor, where are you in your walk with and work for the Lord? Are you growing? Covering all the bases? Working fruitfully toward the Kingdom of God? Our Pastoral Hope Initiative can help you establish a framework and baseline for steady, fruitful growth into the Lord Jesus. Men, if you think you might want to work through this 14-week protocol. Watch this brief video, then, if you’re interested, let me hear from you at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, John T. McNeill, ed., Ford Lewis Battles, tr. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960), Vol. 2, Book IV, pp. 1012ff.