The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
Week 4: Chapter 3 — Salvation Is a Life (Continued) & The Nature of the Disciplines
Read Chapter 3 of The Spirit of the Disciplines. Key Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:7–8; Romans 12:1–2.
Previewing Week 4 of The Spirit of the Disciplines
Read 3 of 6 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Willard now turns to the disciplines themselves — defining them carefully, distinguishing them from works-righteousness, and explaining the logic of how they actually change us.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Willard defines a spiritual discipline as 'any activity I can do by direct effort which will enable me to do what I cannot now do by direct effort.' Unpack that definition. Why is the phrase 'by direct effort' so important to understanding what the disciplines are and what they are not?
2.He organizes the disciplines into two broad categories: disciplines of abstinence (fasting, solitude, silence, frugality, chastity, secrecy, sacrifice) and disciplines of engagement (study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, submission). Which category do you find more intuitive, and which feels more foreign or challenging?
3.Willard insists that the disciplines are not a way of earning God's favor — they are not meritorious. Yet they are necessary. How does he hold these two truths together? And does his explanation satisfy you, or do you still feel the tension?