We must exercise both dependence and discipline. Discipline is defined as certain activities designed to train a person in a particular skill 1 Tim. 4:7. There are responsibilities we shoulder (bear) to pursue holiness, but
we must depend on the Holy Spirit because we can't depend on our own strength and will power. God enables us, but we must do the work.
Dependence and responsibility together in Scripture Psa. 127:1, Neh. 4:8-9. There is no New Testament teaching on holiness where we are to depend on the Holy Spirit and are not to do anything on our part.
Paul shows this in Phil. 4:11-13. He learned to be content. He worked at it, but through the Lord who gave him strenth. It comes as a result of a union with Christ, Col. 1:28-29.
F.F. Bruce defines the following words Greek words used as
'labor' - a strong word, denoting toil to the point of exhaustion
'struggling' - agonize, an athlete straining to win the race
There are two approaches that miss the mark. The passive and the self-sufficient. We are not passive because we are to trust and work. God enables us to do the work.
John Owen - paraphrased
"Let us consider what regard we ought to have to our own duty and to the grace of God. Some would spearate these things as inconsistent. If holiness be our duty, they would say, there is no room for grace; and if it be the result of grace there is no place for duty. But our duty and God's grace are nowhere opposed in the matter of sanctification; for the one absolutely supposes the other. We cannot perform our duty without the grace of God; nor does God give his grace for any other purpose than that we may perform our duty."
It is our responsibility to discipline ourselves unto godliness. There are times of failure, Rom. 7:15. Sometimes it is to see sinfulness of our own hearts, or to see how weak and dependent we really are, or it curbs our pride to grow humble.
The self discipline approach involves a reliance on a regimen of spiritual disciplines instead of on the Holy Spirit. Disciplines are not source of spiritual strenth, 1 Cor. 3:7. We need to depend on Lord. We cannot make ourselves grow, only He can do that.
John Owen - paraphrased
"The actual aid and internal operation of the Spirit of God is necessary to produce every holy act of our minds, wills, and emotions in every duty whatsoever. Notwithstanding the power or ability that believers have received by the principle of new life implanted at salvation, they still stand in need of the divine enablement of the Holy Spirit in every single act or duty toward God."
John 15:5 - We can't do anything spiritually good apart from the working of His Spirit within us.
The thing that kekeps us dependent is the discipline of prayer. It is a tangible expression of dependence. Psa. 119:33-37, 11-16. Nehemiah is a good example of this through his planned periods of prayer and his unplanned, spontaneous prayer before the king. It's important to set aside time each day for prayer, and to lay before Lord areas of persistent sin. God then works in us to enable us.
Rom. 8:13, sanctification works by the Spirit. Sometimes it's good to write down on paper the specific sins you need help with and virtues you need help with to grow. Pray to be kept from temptation, Matt 6:13. Pray something similar to Heb. 13:21, that God will work in us what is pleasing to Him. Then there are the unplanned, short, spontaneous prayers. All of this cultivates a sense of dependence.
We must guard against the sin of self-sufficiency, which is an attitude of independence towards God. This is over come by developing the discipline of prayer, and a recognition of our own helplessness and dependence on God. Becoming holy is to become like Jesus Christ, John 5:30, and we are created to be dependent on God. The enabling of the Holy Spirit gives fruit to all of our disciplines.
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