Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Are you a Disciple or just a Believer?

So, I’ve been dealing a lot lately with discipleship and what it really means. In the past, I was a big believer that because trees are known by their fruit, if there was no fruit that looked or was like Jesus, others couldn’t possibly be saved. I know, it’s judgy right? It is. I’m coming to understand that believing Jesus is God’s son and that God raised Him from the dead, doesn’t automatically change our behavior and produce good fruit. Our time with the Word of God and in prayer, loving God and others as ourselves, produces that fruit (Gal 5:22-25). Being a disciple of Christ produces that fruit. 

Yes, we are a new creature when we accept Jesus (2 Cor 5:17), but if we don’t spend time with God, we will never start to look like Him. Have you ever seen a mature married couple of many, many years together? People say they begin to look alike. I’m not sure that’s completely true, but it works for this analogy. The more time we spend with the Lord and the more time we spend obeying Jesus’ instructions to us, the more we look like the one who saved and sent us. 

Salvation is amazing and I am forever grateful for it. It is the free gift of God – that He sent His only begotten son to die so our sins could be forgiven (John 3:16) and we can have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). However, we are being sanctified (i.e., becoming more like Christ) as we walk out our life with Christ (Gal 2:20). That doesn’t happen overnight. We are born in sin and that nature scars us. The only way to truly heal is to allow God to do a work in us. Thankfully, He who began a good work in us is faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6). But we can influence how long we stay in the lessons – if we get it the first time and get out of ourselves, we may not have to repeat the lesson. I’ve been there and I didn’t like it. In most of the cases where I’ve had to live through the same lesson over and over, it’s because I wanted to do it my own way in my own time. 

Following Jesus is not convenient and it’s sometimes hard. But doing hard things shouldn’t scare or discourage us if they are worth doing. Discipleship is one of those things. Discipleship costs. To be a disciple, we must deny self, pick up our cross and follow Jesus (Matt 16:24-25). We may have to sacrifice our TV or video game time. We may have to stop shopping nonstop. We may have to step away from friends who draw us away from God. We may have to run from that one thing that we’re addicted to. Seeking God first and recognizing that Jesus is Lord and that we can do nothing without Him goes against everything society teaches us to do and be. But it’s what followers of Jesus are called to. 

As you think about your walk with Christ, spend a little time reflecting over what’s most important to you as evidenced by your actions……not what you say or feel. What do your actions tell you about what’s most important to you? If Jesus doesn’t get much of your precious time, is He really Lord of your life or is it still you or someone else? So, are you a disciple or just a believer? This is one only you can answer, but it’s an important one. While it may cost to take up our cross and follow Jesus, it is more than worth it. He is worth it!