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 4th 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
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}
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