Discipleship, What is it? Part ONE

To start the process of looking into discipleship, it is important to begin with the basics.

Usually when you start a word study, the first thing you do is look up the definition of the word, as it is important to be understand basic meaning before getting into a semantic war with others.

If you head down to the 4^th definition given According to dictionary.com a disciple is:

A person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower (in this case Christ)

According to the Easton Bible Dictionary a disciple of Christ is one who

1.       Believes His doctrine

2.       Rests on His sacrifice

3.       Imbibes His spirit

4.       And imitates his example (for references see Matt 10:24; Luke 14:26-33; and John 6:69

            I began looking into this topic with what I considered was a traditional perspective on discipleship; effectively I believed discipleship was an event that took place at a particular place at a particular time and under the direction of a particular person. What I have learned is that it is much more! Discipleship begins on the day that Christ is accepted into your heart, and ends the day you die. It is not defined simply through short snippets of human instruction, but rather by a decision to become a member of Christ’s body. By becoming a Christian you are effectively committing to be a disciple of Christ. And similar to an apprentice working under a master craftsman, becoming a disciple of Christ is not easy; it is a journey. There are aspects of following Christ that are outlined for us; through church leadership, mission statements, and doctrines. But a large part of who we are as Christians has to come from somewhere else; it has to come from within!

           Not to be discouraged, just like any other journey that you take, whether it be from your home to work, or up to the top of the world’s largest mountain, it begins with ONE step at a time.

To end this post I would like to leave you with these thoughts…

“Earthly goods are given to be used, not to be collected. In the wilderness God gave Israel the manna every day, and they had no need to worry about food and drink. Indeed, if they kept any of the manna over until the next day, it went bad. In the same way, the disciple must receive his portion from God every day. If he stores it up as a permanent possession, he spoils not only the gift, but himself as well, for he sets his heart on accumulated wealth, and makes it a barrier between himself and God. Where our treasure is, there is our trust, our security, our consolation and our God. Hoarding is idolatry.”

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

John 13:34,35

                [Jesus said] “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” {NKJV}