The Cistercian Order – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Cistercian Order began as a Roman Catholic monastic movement seeking a stricter form of Benedictine life, emphasizing work, prayer, communal discipline, and withdrawal from ordinary society. Though much smaller today, it continues in places such as the Our Lady of Dallas abbey in Texas and in other communities around the world. This desire for disciplined devotion reveals a genuine longing for holiness, yet Scripture raises concerns about both Roman Catholic teaching on grace and monastic separation itself.

The Bible teaches that salvation comes through faith apart from works, not through human effort or structured spiritual routines (Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5). Systems that treat rule-keeping or withdrawal as a path to righteousness move toward legalism and add burdens God has not placed on His people. Scripture also calls Christians to live faithfully within the world to be an example to it (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6, 60:3; Matthew 5:14). Jesus prayed for His followers to be protected but also left in the world (John 17:15; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:9–10). The apostles directed Christians to serve others and display godliness among their neighbors (1 Peter 2:12). True devotion expresses itself in ordinary life, where believers trust God and obey Him in daily circumstances.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God’s people in the Old Testament, like His people now, were called to be “a light for the nations” (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6, 60:3). God doesn’t call us to hide from the world but to interact with it to reveal God through our life.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Being a part of Roman Catholicism misshaped the Cistercian order’s understanding of grace, salvation, and spiritual progress. The New Testament consistently teaches that salvation rests entirely on Christ’s work, not ours: “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Paul also told Titus that God “saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy” (Titus 3:5). Structured routines, vows, and sacramental obligations cannot cleanse sin or secure a right standing with God.
• Monastic withdrawal, in general, also conflicts with the New Testament’s teaching about life in the world. Jesus prayed, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). Paul also instructed believers not to separate from unbelievers but only from those who claim to be believers while persisting in open sin (1 Corinthians 5:9–10). Peter added that Christians are to “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable” (1 Peter 2:12), indicating that believers were expected to live in full view of the sinful world. These and other verses show that the Bible places Christian devotion in the public square, calling believers to shine in everyday relationships where the gospel can be seen and heard.
• Indeed, as in the Old Testament, believers today are to be “the light of the world” and “A city set on a hill” (Matthew 5:14). We can only do that if we interact with the world rather than hiding from it.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Kids who play hide and seek try to find the most unlikely place someone would look for them. Adults often do the same, but spiritually. The Cistercian order is an example. But God has called believers to live our faith in the open. This means we honor Him when we publicly follow Christ in our spheres of influence, letting others see the kind of life His grace produces.

Isolation may feel appealing at times, especially when temptations from the world seem overwhelming or when the world seems too dark, but withdrawing from ordinary life will not protect your heart or make you holier. Sin does not disappear when you hide from the world; it follows you wherever you go because the battle is within your heart.

Rather than trying to escape temptation, know that God has given you everything you need not to sin. These means include prayer, His Word, and the fellowship of the church. Therefore, rather than pulling away from society, face it squarely, knowing that God is at work in you. He has promised to complete what he started in you (Philippians 1:6), and He is using you as His witness to a world that desperately needs Him.

UNDERSTAND

• The Cistercian order was a medieval monastic order focused on strict devotion and separation.
• Salvation comes by grace through faith, not monastic works.
• Christians are called to live out their faith in the world, not withdraw from it.

REFLECT

• How do you understand the role of spiritual habits or discipline while still fully trusting in God’s grace?
• What encourages you to live out your faith when life seems hard, overwhelming, or sinful instead of withdrawing?
• How does your life reflect the truth that salvation is a gift of grace rather than something you achieve?

ENGAGE

• What distinguishes biblical spiritual discipline from legalism in everyday Christian living?
• How can we remain spiritually distinct while actively engaging the culture around us?
• In what ways can we as believers be a visible and faithful witness in the world?