Demonstrated Discipleship

Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. 2^nd Timothy 2:15 (Amplified Bible)

In our last devotional thoughts, I talked about what defines a disciple of Christ.  Today let’s look at what demonstrates it.

These are:

Obedience.  That means allowing Him to be Lord of your life. “If you love Me, you’ll do what I command.” John 14:15

Fellowship. Finding a church with believers who hold to solid Biblical Scripture and doctrine, for encouragement and so much more (Hebrews 10:25).

Study.  Examining and learning the Word of God and becoming rooted and grounded in the love and hope of the Christ (2nd Timothy 3:16, Ephesians 3:17).

Prayer & meditation.  Developing a regular ‘quiet time’ where you can get alone, immerse yourself in the word of God, giving reflection on knowing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through meditation and prayer (Philippians 4:6, 1^st Thessalonians 5:17).

These are not exhaustive, of course.  God has revealed in Scripture He desires to have a personal relationship with us, telling us we can know Him in a very real and vibrant way.

Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul, trusted Christ and learned from Him after his conversion, for an estimated 14 years before he was called to the work the Lord called him to in Acts 9:15.  We come to faith in Christ in a moment, but live for Him for a lifetime.

He calls us to just be obedient to His words and to do what He commands and learn of Him.  He will do the rest (Matthew 6:33).  Discipleship is a personal calling, different for many, yet in faith and obedience, the same for all. Trust Him and find growth and maturity in Him and with other believers. 

The German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, summed it up nicely when he said, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.”  In truth, there’s no other way it can be said.

Ken