Real Discipleship

"Discipleship" is almost a catch-phrase these days in church circles.  We lament the fact that we need more of it, that church fellowships are too impersonal, and people young in faith in Christ have difficulty connecting with experienced followers of Christ.  For most people, when speaking of discipleship it is usually to reference a course on biblical doctrine, a one-to-one fellowship meeting, or an opportunity to study through a book or part of the Bible.  It's amusing and also sad that what passes for discipleship quite often is not discipleship at all!

Part of the role of being a Christian is making disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ.  Jesus made disciples of people by calling them to follow Him.  That was all.  Following Jesus made a man a disciple.  The only decision which remained was to forsake all for Christ in obedience, or choose to abandon Christ.  There was no curriculum, books to read, questions to answer, or tests to take.  All was summed up in a lifestyle of faith and absolute surrender of a life to Jesus Christ.  That is discipleship.  Today we think discipleship lies in facts, knowledge, and experience.  This is simply not the case.  Instead of making disciples of Christ, most often our attempts at discipleship make followers of men and women other than Christ.  Instead of Christ becoming the only one relied upon, we can fall into the trap making ourselves crutches which make lame those we attempt to instruct.

Perhaps this is why discipleship is so difficult to cultivate in a church fellowship.  Most of us aren't quite sure what it is and why we need it!  It is very easy to start new believer's courses, have men and women's Bible studies, and read through a book together on "The Life You've Always Wanted."  But to be frank it is much harder to fulfill perfectly one command of Christ:  "Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me."    This is not the life we always wanted!  But it is Christ who we want:  therefore we obey joyfully and follow Him along the narrow path goaded on by faith empowered by the Holy Spirit.  If we had a church filled with such people in complete submission to Jesus He would have more disciples than all the programs in the world can generate.  "Love your enemies.  Do good to those who hate you.  Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."  Jesus is the only one who can make disciples.  We shouldn't be surprised when fellowship with other believers isn't enough to live a life of victory over sin.  Following Jesus is the critical, necessary, and all-important aspect of the Christian life.

Forgiveness is easy to talk about, but forgiving someone is completely different because it is personal.  We can have all the facts, define forgiveness biblically, cite examples, and explain the Christian's obligation to forgive others, but this does not guarantee we have forgiven all who have wronged us.  Our relationship with Christ is deeply personal and requires faith.  When Jesus told the disciples to forgive not only seven times but seventy times seven they begged, "Increase our faith."  Being a disciple of Jesus requires faith, and demands constant action based upon trust in Christ alone.  Discipleship is a lifestyle of "followship" with Jesus.  It is a life not built upon knowledge but upon active reliance upon the person of Jesus Christ.  Those who follow Christ are examples to others and the good that others see is simply the sacrificial love and life of Christ being lived out through us.

Waiting On God

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  [14] Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"  

Psalm 27:13-14

Waiting on someone is very different than waiting for someone.  We are only too familiar with waiting for things or people:  waiting for your turn in line, waiting for your birthday to arrive, or waiting for traffic to start moving again.  I remember as a kid waiting for my friends to arrive at my house.  Half an hour before the set time I would occasionally peek out the window at the sound of any car.  I was completely preoccupied with waiting.  All my hope rested upon my friend's mom bringing him at the prescribed hour.  Sometimes friends were early, late, or they did not show at all.  I am only too familiar with the truth of Proverbs 13:12:  "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."  I am familiar with it because I've been on the heartsick side of it more times than I'd like to remember!

As I wait for opportunities to minister in Australia on a full-time basis, God has taught me a lot through waiting.  For years it seems - especially the last eighteen months - there has been a temptation for me to wait for God, rather than wait on Him.  When I become impatient God has revealed to me it is due to a lack of faith.  Impatience occurs when we are reluctant to wait upon God's timing.  If I trusted God perfectly, knew His plan was ideal, and looked to Him continually, why should I be impatient for anything?  It is when we focus on circumstances and others that we become dissatisfied and frustrated.  Frustration occurs when our will is being hindered.  Something so simple as waiting can be used by God as a divine tutor which strips us of our false impressions concerning our own faith.

We are all filled with strong faith, no doubt (wink, wink).  Just like we all think we are great drivers and the other guy need to figure out the difference between the accelerator and the break, we often see ourselves in too favorable a light when it comes to spiritual matters.  In the words of Job 12:2 "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!"  Spurgeon said, "The best men see themselves in the worst light."  Only a humble man will grow in wisdom, understanding, and faith.  He sees his enormous need and is willing to submit himself to God without strings attached.  Waiting has been a challenge to me because it has forced me to honor God above my calling, and regard His timing as infinitely superior to my own.  My futile plans must be scrapped and I must press on in faith, waiting on the One who has called, redeemed, and anointed me for His glory.

Waiting for God can cause us to lose hope, while waiting on the LORD causes us to grow in strength.  Waiting for God blinds us to our purpose because we block our own view to God with our agenda.  But when we wait on the LORD for His plan to unfold, we are able to be used by Him when the time comes.  Bitterness, disillusionment, disappointment, and confusion attend those who wait for others or even themselves.  I remember a Daily Bread devotional (from 1994!) which emphasizes the point of struggle in our lives, even in something as seemingly trivial as waiting.  An excerpt from Joanie Yoder's devotional contains an example which is profitable to consider:  "... I was reminded of the story of a man who took home a cocoon so he could watch the emperor moth emerge. As the moth struggled to get through the tiny opening, the man enlarged it with the snip of his scissors. The moth emerged easily—but its wings were shriveled. The struggle through the narrow opening is God’s way to force fluid from its body into its wings."

In our foolish ambition we would always shorten the process.  But in God's wisdom, He has allowed just enough time for us to be refined and perfected so we can be usable for His purposes when the time comes.  He does not make it so hard for the emperor moth to emerge that it kills the moth, but makes it a struggle for a purpose:  the struggle makes the moth capable of flight.  God wants us to soar on the wings of eagles while we are content to run with the dogs.  Wait on the LORD, my friends.  Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

God's Definition Counts

While driving home yesterday, I heard on the radio that a federal judge in San Francisco overturned Prop 8 which was made law in California by a majority vote in 2008, citing it was "unconstitutional."  As exuberant homosexuals were interviewed concerning their "victory" in court, one common theme was repeated over and over:  equality.  Apparently a common belief among many in California is people should have equal rights to marry whomever they wish, no matter the sex.  Even though California recognizes civil unions, gays want the ability to buy a marriage certificate and have a wedding recognized by God and the government as legitimate.

To make gay marriage an equality issue is completely incorrect.  Over and over the same strawman arguments are repeated and prove a complete lack of understanding of who created and instituted marriage.  "But shouldn't  equality extend to gays as well as straight?  That's what this country was founded on.  Should we be punished because God made us this way?"  All of these comments miss the mark.  Couched in false, twisted logic, these statements seek to make villains of any person who upholds the biblical, historical, traditional, and true definition of marriage.

Let me preface this by saying that everyone who walks this earth has the God-given right to believe and do whatever you want to do.  It is because I regard God as my heavenly Father that I love those who differ greatly in their lifestyle and beliefs from my own and intend to treat all people with respect and grace.  I do not feel threatened or uncomfortable with the fact I am in the minority.  I also realize that I will likely not be given the same grace from others, but I am reminded that Jesus forgave and loved those who wronged Him.

Here are my beliefs founded upon the truths of scripture:  God created the heavens and the earth.  He made all that exists, for "without Him nothing was made that is made."  He created man in his own image.  God saw that man did not have a suitable companion among the animals and took a rib from Adam and created Eve.  Adam said of Eve that she was "bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh."  Genesis 2:24 says clearly, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."  Marriage defined by God is between one man and one woman.  God says in Malachi 3:6, "I the LORD do not change."  God's character or laws do not alter over time.  He is the same yesterday, tomorrow, and forever.  Two men therefore CANNOT be married, nor can two women.  That is not marriage, nor could it ever be.  Marriage was not created by government or popular opinion of the masses, but by a God who created man, woman, and marriage.

A prime part of marriage is "be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it."  A gay union cannot produce children, being incompatible with the design God intended.  Because of man's rebellion against God, sin entered into the world and death through sin.  God made people exactly how He wanted to, but to blame a lifestyle upon God is wrong.  Because of the sin nature passed down through Adam's line, we all struggle with various temptations.  For some it is stealing, for others lustful thoughts.  We have all lied, coveted, and been envious of others.  Homosexuality is a perversion of God's intended plan for sex, as well as bestiality, incest, adultery, and fornication even among straight people.  Having sex outside of marriage is defined as sin in God's own words, and you must be a man and a woman to be married.

The fact is God will judge the entire world and all the people individually for their own sin.  I have lied, cheated, hated, and sinned in more ways than I could quantify.  I do not stand in judgment of any person because of their sins, for I have an abundance of my own!  You may not believe that homosexuality is a sin.  You may believe whatever you want.  But if you believe the Bible is God's Word and is true without error, than you should believe what is written therein.  When our lives are over we will be brought to judgment for all sins, even for our thoughts and intentions.  The wages of sin is death.  We cannot stand before God on our own merits, and we will be doomed to damnation for every evil word, deed, or thought.

I deserve to burn in hell for eternity for my sins, and when compared to the goodness and righteousness of God even that is too good for me.  But praise be to God!  In the Bible I learn not only of God's Law and harsh wrath towards sin, but also the mercy, love, grace, and forgiveness afforded all sinners by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  His resurrection from the dead proves His power over sin and death, and He calls to sinners everywhere to repent.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  When we place our faith in Jesus and submit to His rule, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us.  We are thus made alive unto God and dead unto sin by His grace.  He changes our hearts and takes away the power of sin which once ruled over all our desires.  God has the power to deliver us from lying, hatred, pride, homosexuality, drunkenness, one-night-stands, cutting, fear, every other sin, and ultimately death.  The sad part is many refuse to be delivered and give themselves completely over to their lusts for they know nothing else.  But peace and contentment cannot be found in sin no matter how devoted you are to it.

"Gay" marriage cannot exist, because God has already defined what marriage is:  a man (husband) and woman (wife) making a commitment to each other for the remainder of their lives.  Though we often fall short of God's ideal, it gives us no right to twist what He has made straight.  As for me, I will stick with God's definition.  The prevailing winds of our godless culture roar against God and His people, but we will remain firm.  1 Cor. 15:58 reads, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."   

Freedom in Obedience

Here is a great maxim from Dietrich Bonhoffer in his book The Cost of Discipleship:  "Only those who obey can believe, and only those who believe can obey."  Jesus calls everyone to discipleship.  We cannot blame our disobedience on Him.  On page 73 he says concerning the rich young ruler who approached Jesus, "Only the devil has an answer for our moral difficulties, and he says:  "Keep on posing problems, and you will escape the necessity of obedience"...There is one thing only which Jesus takes seriously, and that is that it is high time the young man began to hear the commandment and obey it.  Where moral difficulties are taken so seriously, where they torment and enslave man, because they do not leave him open to the freeing activity of obedience, it is there that his total godlessness is revealed.  All his difficulties are shown to be ungodly, frivolous, and the proof of sheer disobedience.  The one thing that matters is practical obedience.  That will solve his difficulties and make him (and all of us) free to become the child of God."