Spiritual disciplines or practices have meaning only as a means to an end. And they have little meaning if we lack clarity about the end. For every spiritual practice we engage in, we should be able to speak of the “grace” we seek through this discipline. And if we speak of a specific grace, we need to be clear what it is we hope—speaking theologically—for God to do in us. Spiritual discipline makes sense only if we have a clear and substantive doctrine of sanctification—if we are clear on the goal, or telos, of the Christian life.
