“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” – Luke 6:40
REFERENCE:
Our ultimate goal as believers is to become disciples of Jesus. A disciple is a disciplined student who trusts and follows the teaching and practices of his teacher. A disciple of Christ, therefore, is someone committed to following Jesus, not just in words but deeds. Getting saved is excellent, but there is more; being a part of a cell group is good, but that is not the goal; worship and giving are commendable, but discipleship is bigger! Become a disciple.
Discipleship is the pathway to Christlikeness and the gateway to greatness in the Kingdom. It is the bedrock of true Christianity and the root that ensures a Christian bears fruits that honor Christ. We are not raptured immediately after being saved because God needs us on earth to show the world what Jesus looks like. As disciples, we are to be a reflection of Jesus Christ.
The measure of Christ in a Christian is not dependent on how long they have been believers, how much they come to church, or how many scriptures they can quote. It depends on how much their life conforms to the stature of Christ. Paul said, “My little children, for whom I labor in pains again, that Christ may be formed in you.” Paul labored to see their salvation, but he realized that it would take additional labor to have the image of Christ imprinted on them.
Rarely will you find a disciple who became one without care, effort, and time. It took Jesus three years to turn Matthew, Peter, and John into disciples; it was a process of teaching, mentoring, testing, and putting them in real-life scenarios. Jesus said, “He who is taught well will become like His teacher.” A child’s behavior is rarely inborn but shaped by discipline and tutoring. A child left to himself will rarely be well-behaved; there has to be some discipleship and disciplining.
Without discipleship, a Christian is malformed, uninformed, and powerless, filled with warped ideas. To become a disciple, you need to understudy someone or subject yourself to a process of teaching/learning. The Ethiopian eunuch told Philip, “How can I understand unless someone guides me?” Discipleship is about following; “Follow me as I follow Christ.” You can take advantage of any system, school, or person available to coach you to become a disciple.
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ADDITIONAL STUDY:
Acts 8:26-31, Galatians 4:19, and I Corinthians 11:1
PRAYERS:
Father, I thank You for my roots; I thank You because they furnish me with understanding and strength. I submit myself to be disciplined and trained in Your word and ways to fulfill the purpose for which I was saved and called. As I give myself to the rigors of discipleship and discipline, may Christ be fully formed in me; let me do the works that Jesus did and greater works than He did, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
