Devotion 7 - Authentic Discipleship
Before we attempt to develop a structure and material for discipleship, we need to start with a definition of what an authentic disciple is, as we cannot cultivate and develop something we cannot accurately define.
At the most basic level, we define an authentic disciple as one who is genuine, being fully trustworthy to reflect what a disciple of Christ is. An authentic disciple is someone who is striving to become more like Christ daily, with the posture of a heart submitted to God’s will. But sadly, many disciple-makers are not firstly authentic disciples ourselves. Therefore, we are not able to intentionally reproduce authentic disciples, resulting in the poor quality of disciples in the body of Christ. We teach what we know but we will always reproduce who we are.
Matt.28:18-20 - “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”
Therefore, while Jesus’ mandate and commission is very clear, many Christians are not fulfilling it. We will firstly have to be authentic disciples who abide in God before we are able to intentionally make disciples of all nations. To abide in God is to receive our identity and purpose from God. Only then can we bear fruit, including the fruit of making disciples.
Jn.15:1-5 - “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit…4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
When we think of judgment, we usually associate it with sin. However, in this passage, we are warned that judgment can come even through an unfruitful life. However, the good news is that fruit-bearing is not our responsibility, only abiding is. In this passage, Jesus provides us the methodology for all the commandments we are to obey. In fact, all the commandments of Christ and of the righteous principles of the Bible are possible only in the following manner:
1. We must be in Him – Abiding (Being)
2. We must grow in Him – Maturing (Growing)
3. We must bear fruit in Him – Giving (Doing)
“Being” comes before “growing”, which will then lead to “doing”; and everything must be done in Him. We must be in His love, grow in His love before we can love as He loved. We must be in His life, grow in His life before we can serve through Him. So, the progress will always be in cycles of being, growing and doing.
Marks of an Authentic Disciple
Grounded & Rooted in the Word
Jn.8:31- “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”
An authentic disciple is one deeply rooted in the Word of God. That means grounded, governed and guided by the Word. What we have today is not the famine of the Word but rather the famine of application of the Word. This is the most important aspect of discipling for the right product. The Word of God is a core curriculum for character development in the training of disciples.
Isa.37:31 – “Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root downward and bear fruit upward.”
This scripture lays a very important principle for work in the kingdom of God. We need to take root downward (grow spiritually) so that we can bear fruit upward (effective in the ministry). Spiritual maturity must precede spiritual multiplication! If we take care of the depth of our root in the Word, God will take care of the breadth of our fruits in the kingdom!
- Submitted to the Lordship of Christ
An absolute allegiance to the Lordship of Christ is the basis of true biblical discipleship. To follow Jesus means self-renunciation and absolute adherence to him.
Lk.9:23 – “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
If Christ is not Lord of ALL, He is not Lord at all. Surrendering our all to the Lordship of Christ is the first step to authentic biblical discipleship. Character development in Christian discipleship begins with death, a death to self.
Lk.14:26-35 - “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple…whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
This scripture points out three “cannot” if we want to be an authentic disciple:
Cannot shift our loyalty from our most cherished relationship. The word “hate” does not mean an emotional hate but rather in comparison. That means we must love Jesus above all else.
Cannot not bear His cross. As a disciple of Christ, we must be willing to embrace the “fellowship of His suffering” (Phil.3:10)
Cannot not lay down our rights and forsake all. As a disciple of Christ, we need to recognise that “you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1Cor.16:19-20)
- Walks in Love
Jn.13:34-35 - “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.”
The essential mark of an authentic disciple is love because the essential nature of God is love. Discipleship is defined by love. At the heart of discipleship is loving God and loving people. Without the baptism of love of God where we experience His love, we cannot be authentic disciples.