Friday, November 28th, 2008
Discipleship – A desire for more.
Throughout the course of our Christian walks, most of us (I believe) truly desire a relationship with Christ on a deeper, more intimate level. More often than not, we know what we have to do. We know we ought to pray, read and study the Bible. We should love and display compassion. We should edify, evangelize, and exhort. But in the end, it feels like we’re always one step short of experiencing something (anything) spectacular with God.
We witness and hear about ‘spiritual giants’ and ‘passionate’ leaders that constantly seem to have intimate encounters and experiences with God, and we wonder. What sparks that intimacy? And truthfully, the answer lies within genuine discipleship from Jesus Christ in complete surrender and obedience.
Over the years, discipleship has somehow lost part of its immense life changing power. In many cases, it has become a training program in the local churches taught by elders and teachers. In other places, it has become an activity – the next step up – from accountability meetings and personal mentorship. It has intertwined itself with earthly ministries. But discipleship is so much more than any class or activity, or even any earthly matter. It is a strong personal calling.
Discipleship is the entirety of the Christian life.
Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.
- Dietrich Bonheoffer
The profound insight from that claim can only be appreciated when we understand that discipleship can only occur between yourself and Jesus; No one else. Discipleship is actively following Jesus (who still lives today), and having Jesus teach you all about Himself.
Many Christians have what we might call a “cultural holiness”. They adapt to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around them. As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like himself. Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.
- Jerry Bridges
How can we be like Christ, if we are learning from those around us?
However, the joy of discipleship is not an easy route. True discipleship requires complete surrender followed by obedience. It requires you to relinquish all personal worldly desires, such as: pride, career goals, social status, educational achievements, riches, aspirations – for the glory of God. It requires you to suffer, persevere and obey extremely difficult teachings.
A lot of the times discipleship sounds backwards, and it’s almost as if following Jesus means a life of pain, suffering, and poverty. But the Kingdom of Heaven is backwards. And you’ll soon realize that following Jesus is not what it seems. Following Jesus is beyond human logic, and becomes a blessing. So the last will be first, and the first will be last [1].
Actively following Jesus means to listen, surrender, and obey.
And I’ll let God speak through his scripture, because there is something exceptionally powerful to be learned from the first disciples of Jesus Christ.
[And] as Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him [2].
When Jesus called you to follow him, did you immediately leave everything behind, and take action to follow him?
Are you just a believer of Christ or a true disciple of Jesus?
There are many lessons and teachings that you’ll come to learn; some difficult, like leaving your livelihood (career and education [3] ) and loved ones (family and friends [4]) for Jesus. But trust and have faith in God.
There are a many ways, to cultivate the path to follow Jesus, but the starting point lies within you. Always fix your eyes on Jesus [5], and know we have been made complete in Christ’s love for us.
If you are craving to experience God in powerful ways, then:
Be transformed into the image of Christ from in the inside out by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Eileen Liu
Surrender everything.
Desire to be discipled by Jesus and with entire simplicity, follow Jesus only.
[1] Matthew 20:16 [2] Matthew 4:18-22 [3] Luke 5:27 [4] Matthew 8:22 [5] Hebrews 12:2 Tweet