"No, Sarge, I don't have my dog tag with me." "Well, where is it?" "It's on my dresser at home." "Why isn't it around your neck?" "I forgot it." "Where do you live?" "In Rockford, MN." "How long will that take you to drive home, put on your dog tag and return to boot camp?" "45 minutes" "Then you'd better hurry!" That was an actual conversation I had with one of the men who attended purity boot camp. One of the requirements of purity boot camp is to wear your dog tag around your neck until you have 6 months of purity. Every day when a man puts on his dog tag he is reminded that today he is going to war for his purity. His dog tag becomes his uniform. If a man doesn't have his dog tag on in purity boot camp or purity platoon, he is sent home to retrieve it and come back. This reinforces to him, and every man in boot camp or platoon, that the battle for purity is real and serious. We are at war! The man whom I confronted came to me during purity boot camp graduation ceremonies and hugged me. He said, "Thank you for kicking me out of boot camp. All the way home I was frustrated and angry with you. I cussed you out. Then the Lord made me look at myself. I realized that I had been sliding and just 'getting by' in nearly every area of my life. I bless you for kicking me out of boot camp!" I've never been hugged and blessed before by a troop for kicking him out of boot camp. Amazing!

Why do we make such a big deal about wearing dog tags, reporting on time, etc.? Will doing those things make men saved or spiritual? No. They are simply vehicles to help men discipline their lives. Men in our society lead undisciplined lives. They resist authority, rebel against commands, and do not follow through to render "complete compliance." Purity boot camp is our way of changing that type of thinking and behavior. Lieutenants in purity boot camp have commandability. They issue commands and expect them to be obeyed. They are not angry but they are decisive in giving orders. The Bible commends both commandability and discipline. In Luke 7, a centurion comes out to meet Jesus and says to him to simply say the word and his servant would be healed, "For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." (Luke 7:8). Jesus was astounded by the centurion's faith and immediately the sick servant was healed. The centurion understood commandability, didn't he? So should we. We are men and women under authority. We are called to submit to those in authority over us and to respond with obedience to their commands.

Finally, the Bible calls us to embrace discipline. God uses it to make us holy. Listen to the writer of Hebrews 12:10,11, "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Discipline is never pleasant, but for those trained by it, there is a harvest of righteousness and peace. I'm convinced that men will never live pure, holy lives without discipline. That's why wearing dog tags is important. That's why apologizing to the platoon for showing up late is important. That's why memorizing and reciting Bible verses is important. It helps men discipline their lives so they can become like Christ Jesus, the Disciplined, Obedient One (Heb. 5:8). No discipline, no holiness.