Not for Self-Righteousness
Connecting deeply with God each and every day isn’t an act for personal salvation–it’s an act for personal discipleship.
As I draw ever nearer to Christ through daily rigorous spiritual disciplines, I must be very careful not to fall into the trap of a works-based form of righteousness. It’s easy to see how a person may come to believe that all the things they are doing for the Lord (i.e. prayer, meditation, service, etc.) will help them acquire salvation and eternal life. Spoiler alert: I consider myself to be an evangelical. I subscribe to the teachings of the apostle Paul who declared that salvation is by grace through faith and that it is “not a result of works” (Eph. 8:9 ESV) and that the righteousness we receive is “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Rom. 3:22 ESV). I firmly believe that my salvation has already been acquired by Jesus through His death on the cross and that it is gifted to me as an act of grace as I place my faith in Him.
So, what’s the place of my deep times of prayer and meditation to the Lord and engaging in robust spiritual exercises day after day? I never believe they can help me get to heaven. Let me add nothing to what Christ has already accomplished. Instead, I believe they will help me draw closer and closer to Jesus, who I now enjoy a friendship with. I truly desire this friendship to grow and flourish. I believe Jesus desires the same. Furthermore, the deep times with the Lord will help me follow Him even better as a disciple as I live here on earth. Connecting deeply with God each and every day isn’t an act for personal salvation–it’s an act for personal discipleship. As a person who’s already saved by Jesus, it is my deep desire and joy to please my Lord and Savior and to follow Him as best as I can here on earth and do His will. I can only please Him with the way I live if I stay deeply connected to Him (see Jn. 15:1-5). Deep times of prayer and meditation greatly help me in staying that much closer to Christ.
Let it never be said that Barnabas the Monastic promotes works-based righteousness through deep times of prayer. Instead, may we find value in the deep spiritual practices to help us live well for Jesus here on earth as we await the day we see Him in heaven.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
