Ephesians 4.1
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”
A Christ-like character is not mystically and magically infused into your life the moment you are saved. Christian character must be developed over time through disciplined practice. Spiritual formation and maturity grow from the habits and virtues you choose to build into your life and from the character that naturally flows from your choices and habits.
This is God’s design. You are what you repeatedly do.
God created a world where habits are mastered through continuous and diligent practice. This is true if your goal is to learn to play the violin, hit a golf ball, speak a foreign language, or manage your emotions. You learn primarily by doing the activity, not simply by talking about it.
The transformation of our character requires no less of a commitment to continuous and diligent practice. No disciplined practice = no spiritual maturity. This is the powerful biblical principle of musar which we studied in the series on the Book of Proverbs.
Musar, translated “instruction,” means learning to be discipline-driven. It is the disciplined process of growing in Christ by consistently applying God’s principles to your life.
“Keep hold of instruction (musar); do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” (Proverbs 4.13)
“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction (musar), and forsake not your mother’s teaching.” (Proverbs 1.8)
Spiritual transformation from the old life to new life in Christ requires diligent and disciplined practice. It is the musar process, and it is an inescapable spiritual reality. Repeated action produces habits, and habits produce character. Excellence in Christ, then, is not a single act—it is a habit that is built through repeated practice. This is why the NT gives the instruction to “train yourself in godliness.”
“Train yourself in godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (I Timothy 4.7-8).
Note that Paul did not say, “Allow yourself to be trained.” Rather, he said “Train yourself.” Character development is not something you receive, it is something you do. We must commit to the disciplined practice that the development of Christian character requires.
Spiritual growth happens from what we actually do with our lives, not simply from what we profess to believe. Spiritual growth is the fruit of the habits we form and from the character we build. Failure to repeatedly act in specific, Spirit-directed ways will guarantee that spiritual transformation does not take place.
Through proper training, we form proper habits; we can intentionally choose those habits that are necessary for the formation of Christian character. Spiritual habits and momentum are built through a steady obedience to the teaching of Scripture and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
“Take my instruction (musar) instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” (Proverbs 8.10-11)
