I am asked whether we should strive for a humanitarian kind of discipline and decency, rather than the gospel of Christ. Humanitarian discipline and learning does not get anyone pardoned. If we were perfect maybe it would be all we need for a decent life. But over time we blow it. Drugs. Sex perversion. Even illness can make us go off the rails. Discipline on its own does not put things right when it all goes wrong. Military life is one traditional way young people try to get back on the rails and get good discipline. But it is not a road to peace. The road to peace involves redemption. Why should we have a peaceful life if we did terrible things and caused misery to others. All kinds of things we do are the undoing of others. Even our wealth cannot be separated from the slave trade that bought it. Someone had to pay. If that someone was forced to pay, we deserve no peace. We need peace in which to learn to do right but we deserve no peace. But Someone, Christ, paid willingly by crucifixion to buy our peace, paying off the reproach of our peace. Trusting in that is the path to peace. Trusting and obeying His teachings and relying on His crucifixion to pay our debt to God and His resurrection to give us hope that Christ can keep our way ahead blessed by God as eternal life. Having His teachings within and the actions of His Spirit to help us and discipline us.
