By
definition, a disciple is a follower, one who accepts and assists in spreading
the doctrines of another. A Christian disciple is a person who accepts and
assists in the spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ. Christian
discipleship is the process by which disciples grow in the Lord Jesus Christ
and are equipped by the Holy Spirit, who resides in our hearts, to overcome the
pressures and trials of this present life and become more and more Christ like.
This process requires believers to respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to
examine their thoughts, words and actions and compare them with the Word of
God. This requires that we be in the Word daily—studying it, praying over it,
and obeying it. In addition, we should always be ready to give testimony of the
reason for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15) and to disciple others to
walk in His way. According to Scripture, being a Christian disciple involves
personal growth characterized by the following:
1. Putting
Jesus first in all things (Mark 8:34-38). The disciple of Christ needs to be
set apart from the world. Our focus should be on our Lord and pleasing Him in
every area of our lives. We must put off self-centeredness and put on
Christ-centeredness.
2. Following
Jesus' teachings (John 8:31-32). We must be obedient children and doers of the
Word. Obedience is the supreme test of faith in God (1 Samuel 28:18), and Jesus
is the perfect example of obedience as He lived a life on earth of complete
obedience to the Father even to the point of death (Philippians 2:6-8).
3.
Fruitfulness (John 15:5-8). Our job is not producing fruit. Our job is to abide
in Christ, and if we do, the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit, and this fruit
is the result of our obedience. As we become more obedient to the Lord and
learn to walk in His ways, our lives will change. The biggest change will take
place in our hearts, and the overflow of this will be new conduct (thoughts,
words and actions) representative of that change. The change we seek is done
from the inside out, through the power of the Holy Spirit. It isn’t something
we can conjure up on our own.
4. Love
for other disciples (John 13:34-35). We are told that love of other believers
is the evidence of our being a member of God's family (1 John 3:10). Love is
defined and elaborated on in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. These verses show us that
love is not an emotion; it is action. We must be doing something and involved
in the process. Furthermore, we are told to think more highly of others than of
ourselves and to look out for their interests (Philippians 2:3-4). The next
verse in Philippians (verse 5) really sums up what we are to do when it comes
to everything in life: "our attitude should be the same as that of Christ
Jesus." What a perfect example He is to us for everything we are to do in
our Christian walk.
5. No
matter what our maturity level in the Christian life, we have something to
offer. The most enthusiastic representatives of the Christian life are new
believers who have just discovered the awesome love of God. They may not know a
lot of Bible verses or the "accepted" way of saying
things, but they have experienced the love of
the living God, and that is exactly what we are to share
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