Fifth, the Spiritual Disciplines are practices derived from the gospel, not divorced from the gospel. When the Disciplines are rightly practiced, they take us deeper into the gospel of Jesus and its glories, not away from it as though we’ve moved on to more advanced levels of Christianity.

Transformation of conduct and heart are both legitimate aims of application.

This is the main reason why a pastor who preaches grace but is not otherwise fixated on it or captivated by it can often be a cranky sourpuss among his congregation, or worse. Many of us know of churches that make a big deal out of their commitment to “sovereign grace” but have a gracelessly stifling communal climate. Some of the most theologically