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Here we are, almost through the first week of January 2007. Before continuing with the gospel of John, I thought it would be appropriate to throw out some ideas. Hopefully they will cause some reflection and thought.
Do you make New Years resolutions? Many people do. Lose weight, do better in school or on the job, take up a new hobby etc. etc. One thing about New Years resolutions is that many of them are unrealistic with goals much to high. Another thing is that many are not kept for very long, maybe because they are unrealistic. How about goals concerning your walk with Jesus? Have you set any of those? And how about time with family?
What ever happened to discipleship? In his book, The Great Omission*, Dallas Willard writes "The word "DISCIPLE" occurs 269 times in the New Testament. "Christian" is found three times and was first introduced to refer precisely to the disciples of Jesus--in a situation where it was no longer possible to regard them as a sect of the Jews (Acts 11:26). The New Testamnet is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples of Jesus Christ."
Jesus said "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." (Mat. 28:19-20) What is the main command here? I come from a heritage which stresses "baptizing them" as the most important thing we do. But, Jesus' main command is "go and make disciples." If we are not making disciples, then can we truly say that we are following his command?
Though baptism is of great importance, sometimes we only manage to get people wet. If we do not tell people up front what they are getting into and what Jesus expects of his disciples, perhaps we have misled them. Maybe that is why some people don't stay around and others are content to sit in the pew. After all, they have salvation and that is what we taught them it is all about. Go into the water and everything will be fine. Then when we ask them to do more, they respond that they didn't sign up for all that.
Sometimes we stress eternal salvation and forget about what it means to be saved now. How does our salvation effect our lives today? I believe there is more to discipleship than just being baptized. Being a disciple of Jesus is about life. Jesus didn't teach us to just be baptized and nothing else. Discipleship is about a relationship with our Savior. It is about becoming more like him everyday. It is about learning to love the way he loved. It is about putting others first. It is about continuing his work here for the Kingdom. And, it is about leading others into discipleship.
Maybe this year will be a year when the call to discipleship is renewed. Maybe it will be the year for each of us to resolve to be Disciples and not merely Christians. And maybe, just maybe, then this will be the year we discover "abundant life" that can only come through being a Disciple of Jesus Christ. After all, that why he came, isn't it?
Happy New Year
Original content by: http://becauseofjesus.blogspot.com/2007/01/disciples-of-jesus.html.
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