"Becoming a Disciple" (Part 1)

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV).

At the end of our series The Land of the Living I decided that it would be instructive to spend a little time talking about being a disciple of Christ. In our reading today Jesus said we were to "go and make disciples of all nations". Perhaps the first question we should ask is “What is a disciple?” The definition of disciple is that of a "learner". It occurs frequently in the New Testament. The meaning applies to one who professes to have learned certain principles from another and maintains them on that other's authority. It also speaks about following in the exact steps of the teacher. So, a disciple is one who has set on a path to learn the person of Jesus Christ and allow His life to be their life both from example and teaching of another who is a disciple.

I believe there is a difference in the words "disciple" and "believer". You can claim to be a believer without really being a disciple. That’s not the ideal situation, nor is it what God desires for us. However, it is certainly possible; most of the time this happens through ignorance. Some people have simply not been given the right information; or any information at all. As incredible as that sounds, it is a pattern in many churches today. There are lots of educational programs and seminars; however, they often fail to produce disciples. They may produce well educated students, sometimes teachers; but, they do not produce disciples.

In order to move from the place of learning to disciple an individual becomes committed to growing like Christ and applying that growth in actions. Jesus told us to make disciples! Ultimately that's what a believer is, but it is more than just an acknowledgement of Christ. The disciple wants to be like Christ! We should certainly be concerned about a person becoming a Christian, but we should be equally concerned that they commit their life to discovering and applying the truths of God's Word to their life.

This week we will look at what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Please consider, have you surrendered your life fully to Christ? Ask yourself, am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?