Self-Discipline and the Christian Life

Summary of Levi’s Sharing (Sunday, December 7, 2025)

1. More Diligent Than Others

The spirit of evangelism is this: strive to win first place. Paul’s metaphor here does not mean Christians should try to surpass others for our own glory; rather, it means we should preach the gospel with the same intensity and determination as a runner striving to win the race.

We must share the gospel with a victorious, battle-ready mindset, not with a careless or half-hearted attitude—whether we are speaking to family, children, or parents. It is a kind of godly, healthy competition, urging us to be more diligent than others in proclaiming Christ.

2. More Self-Controlled Than Others

A Christian must cultivate self-control in all things, carrying the mindset of an athlete in competition—striving to be a faithful Christian and laboring actively in evangelism.

A Christian does not ask, “Is this allowed?” Rather, he asks, “What must I do to be a good Christian?”

The first mindset is passive and minimal; the second is active and wholehearted. It is the attitude Paul describes when he says, “I discipline my body and bring it into submission”—overcoming every obstacle in order to win the imperishable crown.

A Christian’s life is naturally full—regular Scripture reading, prayer, and evangelism. But if we approach the Christian life with the first (passive) mindset, then discipleship and evangelism will feel joyless, and we will not grow into good Christians.

A good Christian runs with all his might, laboring earnestly to preach the gospel and to rescue souls from the hand of Satan.

When Paul speaks about “bearing fruit,” he means striving with all diligence—using prayer and Scripture as our shield, not skipping them. We cannot neglect personal devotion, family worship, or the basics of the Christian life. These “fundamental disciplines” must be practiced well if we are to become faithful Christians.

3. Knowing Your Direction Clearly

Many people know very well how to please their bosses and climb the ladder in the world, yet they are not nearly as active in the Christian life. This is because many of us do not truly understand what the real crown is. We assume the crown of this world is the one that matters.

We indulge in entertainment, scroll endlessly through short videos, and push our children to take extra classes. In reality, everyone is already “disciplining their body and bringing it into subjection”—but only to obtain a perishable worldly crown.

The problem is not effort, but direction.

People discipline themselves for the things that excite them, and for most, that is the world. But Paul believed that there is an imperishable crown in heaven. Seeing that crown clearly, he lived with one goal in mind and ran with all his strength.

Paul says he does not run “aimlessly.” Having a clear goal is the most crucial factor in reaching the finish line. Paul knew his purpose. Because the gospel is the most precious treasure under heaven, he could set his direction firmly: I will devote my whole life to this.

This requires a kind of spiritual discipline, even a “spiritual fasting.” On the Lord’s Day, setting aside all other activities to worship, fellowship, and rest in the Lord will gradually purify our inner life.

What, then, is our goal?
From the day a Christian is baptized, there is only one direction:

• How can my spiritual life grow in maturity? How can I receive more of God’s Word?

• Only this direction leads forward. Any competing goal will cause us to stall.

• It is worth examining our schedule carefully—we will often find that much of our time is simply wasted, because our direction is not clear.

4. Understanding What Others Care About

Paul says he does not “box as one beating the air.” In other words, he aims his blows precisely—he understands what people truly care about. (Just as Tyson was knocked down by Buster Douglas in their historic championship fight.)

Paul’s imagery shows that evangelism requires focus and intentionality—like a boxer who studies his opponent’s footwork, watches previous matches, analyzes weaknesses, and works with a coaching team to strategize. It is not wild, aimless swinging.

Running takes training, wrestling requires technique, playing sports demands strategy. In the same way, we must not be amateurs in our spiritual life.

If our mindset is simply, “As long as I attend church, I’ll go to heaven,” then we are far too careless. To break through the world’s resistance and to bring the gospel to different kinds of people—each with their own concerns—we must learn to identify what they care about most, and speak directly to that point. Only then can we deliver the gospel effectively—like landing one decisive strike.

Often it is not that we don’t know what the other person cares about. It is that we refuse to “die to ourselves.”

We frequently know exactly what would touch a person, yet we are unwilling to change the very thing they see as our worst flaw. To land that one decisive punch, we must first strike at our own weak points—disciplining ourselves—so our evangelism can truly “hit the target.”

In other words, a heart of genuine concern for others is essential. Only then can our words reach their hearts.

5. Total Commitment to the Gospel

Don’t believe that the gospel is merely “one of many great things.”

We believe that the gospel is the greatest and most important reality in all of human history. Only when we see this can we give ourselves to it completely—just as the apostle Paul did.

Paul diligently studied the Old Testament and came to see that Jesus truly is the Messiah. From that moment, his life was transformed. He considered all things as rubbish; nothing could “distract” or unsettle him. To him, the world had become like a humiliated prisoner—he had made a complete break with it for the sake of the gospel.

The Lord Jesus is the first and only person who was perfectly committed to the gospel.

• For the sake of the gospel, He was willing to dwell among animals;

• for thirty hidden years He could not even reveal that He was God;

• and during His earthly ministry, not many believed in Him.

Yet because of His burning love, He willingly gave His life, died, and rose again in order to accomplish salvation.

Since Jesus laid down His life for us, how should we respond? Are we willing, as He was, to lay down our lives for the sake of others and for the gospel?

Jesus calls us to take up our cross and proclaim His gospel, just as He did.

True commitment means having a heart that is “ready to die for others”—a heart of love that leads us, like Jesus and Paul, to live wholly for the gospel.