Results 1 - 5 of 5
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Profile of A Disciple | John 8:31 | DocTrinsograce | 153858 | ||
Our Lord gave us final, parting instructions. He gave us a purpose, a process, and product: "And coming up Jesus talked with them, saying, 'All authority in Heaven and on earth was given to Me. Then having gone, disciple all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the completion of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18-20) The purpose of evangelism is to make disciples. Christ's instructions are very clear. The process of making disciples involves going, baptizing, and teaching. What then, does a disciple of Christ look like? We can characterize a disciple of Christ in a variety of places throughout scripture. Indeed, we ought to be alert for such passages so that we will know how to live pleasingly to God. Let us narrow our focus to the book John. "In this My Father is glorified, that you should bear much fruit; and you will be disciples to Me," (John 15:8) our Savior said. v8 Disciples bear much fruit (John 15:16; Col 1:10) v9 Disciples abide in the Father and Son's love (John 14:21; Jude 21) v10 Disciples keep Christ's commandments (John 15:14, 20; 1 John 5:3) v11 Disciples can rejoice in the midst of adversity (James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:13) v12 Disciples love one another (John 15:17) v13 Disciples are characterized by self-abnegating love (John 13:35; Rom 12:10; Heb 10:24) v14 Disciples know and love the Word (Psa 119; John 10:27, 14:21; 2 Tim 3:15; 2 Pet 3:16) v16 Disciples petition the Father through the Son (1 Cor 1:2; Eph 5:20) v15 Disciples are taught by God (Psa 71:17; John 14:26; Eph 1:17) v18 Disciples are hated by the world (John 17:14; 1 John 3:13) v19 Disciples are not of the world (1 Cor 1:21; Gal 4:3-5; Eph 2:2) v20 Disciples are persecuted (2 Tim 3:12) v26 Disciples have the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 1 Cor 6:19; Jud 20) v27 Disciples self propagate (Mat 28:18-20; Acts 6:7) May each of us ask ourselves to what extent we fit the profile. I've written a lot lately about being "born again." J. C. Ryle has an excellent essay describing the characteristics of such a one. I commend it to all: http://www.westminstershortercatechism.net/AreYouBornAgain.html In Him, Doc |
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2 | Profile of A Disciple | John 8:31 | Aixen7z4 | 153871 | ||
Let us talk about this. Whatever else he is, a disciple is one who follows (Matthew 16:24) and learns from (Luke 11:1) and becomes like the master (Matthew 10:25). Some disciples may be further along than others. One thing that must be common to all, and in this sense it will define what a disciple is, he must be in process. I am not so sure that all disciples would have achieved all of the things you listed, Doc, though some might be at those levels. A new disciple may have little to show except his direction, and the footsteps of his master. A disciple may have been called by the master, or the person may have approached him and asked for the privilege. In Luke 9, a certain man said unto him, “Lord, I will follow you”. And he said unto another, “Follow me“. And another also said, “Lord, I will follow you”. Some were called by him directly, some came at the invitation of others, and some were simply attracted by what they had seen (See all in John 1). With these various beginnings, they followed him. One might have assumed that all disciples would continue to follow the Lord. But John tells of a time when many of them went back, and walked no more with him (John 6:66). Jesus speaks of some who are disciples indeed (John 8:31). Some translations use words such as really, and truly, and some seem to think he is describing the ideal. But Jesus’ words here and elsewhere that some who had been following him were not really his disciples. They must have believed in order to follow at all, but John says there was an occasion (in John 2) when many believed in his name, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them. Likely, although others might refer to them as “his disciples”, Jesus would not have referred to them as “my disciples”. And after all, it is up to the master to accept them (as in John 15:16) and to lead them (as in John 10:4) and to teach them (as in Matthew 5 and Luke 6) and to show them (as he did in Matthew 17). He is the one who decides who can or cannot be a disciple. Among those who follow Jesus, then, he says there are some who are not his disciples. They cannot be. There went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). “Likewise, whosoever forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Jesus set those criteria, and we must look at them and look at ourselves, to know whether or not we are his disciples. You seem to have found a disctinction between a saved person and a disciple, too, and it might be good to talk about that. |
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3 | Profile of A Disciple | John 8:31 | DocTrinsograce | 153875 | ||
Dear Dr. Aixen, You wrote, "You seem to have found a distinction between a saved person and a disciple." I don't find that in the Scriptures. Christ gave the profile of a disciple, and He was quite clear. Indeed, I don't believe we should point to anything less than the example of Christ Himself. If we do, people may get the impression that they have the choice to stop at some "level" and rest. Scripture gives no such option. However, I do see the sentiments you express in the modern church. Christ gave the church very clear instructions on the process we are to follow. He said to go, and we try to figure out how to get the lost to come to us. He said to teach them to obey all things He commanded, and we try to figure out how little one has to change one's life to just get into heaven. If we do not follow His process, is it any wonder we do not end up with the product (i.e., disciples who love and look like Christ)? Evangelism and discipleship cannot be separated from one another. Every one of us must be involved in being mentored and in mentoring. We should each be working as hard as we can on ourselves and one another so that we will be a the kind of church that will please Him at His coming. Work, for the night is coming when no man works! Don't be discouraged, brethren. We are under the aegis of the Father, we have been redeemed by the Son, and we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Take each characteristics of a disciple -- as I do myself -- and compare yourself to them. Then devise a plan, in prayer, to mend those areas that are lacking. Work, for the night is coming when no man works! In Him, Doc |
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4 | Profile of A Disciple | John 8:31 | Aixen7z4 | 153881 | ||
There is a gap between the ideal and the actual, my friend. That is one reason we have the epistles. Many of them review the process of salvation again, and then encourage us to follow on and grow. They point out that many have not grown, but have been stagnant or have even regressed in the way. When we might have gone on to be teachers, we are still babes, in need of milk, etc. Some of us are weak and sickly, etc. Clearly, we need help as we seek to follow. But we should not ignore the question: Have we started out at all, if we have not forsaken all, to follow him? In that condition, he said, we cannot be his disciples (Luke 14:27). It is one thing to describe an ideal disciple. But we must first see what a disciple is. There are some who respond to the call and follow. Some go away sorrowful. Some say they will follow and don’t. Some start out and falter. Some go away and return to the path after many years. Some try to serve both God and mammon, (Surely you know some) and Jesus says it can‘t be done. Some, far from forsaking all, feel they have inherited all, and they seek to possess it. Some are satisfied to be saved and do not want to grow or to do anything, and they will even tell you so. It is not a matter of being discouraged, my brother. It is rather a matter of recognizing reality so we can deal with it. It is a matter of recognizing who the disciples are so we can work with them, whether to mentor or otherwise encourage them. Surely you know there are cases, John 12:42 being one in point, where people believe but do not wish to openly or actively follow the Lord. It seems that their faith renders them saved while their reluctance to follow makes them not disciples. Yes, we are called to make disciples, but even as we see the ideal heights to which we want to take them, we also need a realistic view of what they are. We need clearly to identify what a disciple is. | ||||||
5 | Profile of A Disciple | John 8:31 | DocTrinsograce | 153897 | ||
Dear Dr. Aixen, John Gill writes on John 12:42, regarding the chief rulers who believed: "[They believed] that he was the Messiah, though they did not believe in Him in a spiritual and saving manner, as their Redeemer and Saviour, only in their minds, being convicted by His miracles, gave an assent unto Him, as the promised Messiah. The two persons just mentioned may be thought truly to have believed in Christ." Your suggestion that there can be half-way, uncomitted, marginal, or "stealth" Christians is contrary to Scripture. Furthermore, Christ was not an idealist Who set standards impossible to attain. He was thorougly and continually a realist. More than that, He gives FULL provision for His own to do what He has commanded. The Scripture is clear that to be saved is to be a disciple of Christ. Further, it is very clear as to what a disciple looks like. If you find yourself coming up short in that perfect mirror of the Word, let us strive today to be what we ought to be. After all, "by His divine power [He] hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue." (2 Peter 1:3) He didn't even spare His own Son for this purpose? (Romans 8:32) Am I denying that growth in holiness is not a process? God forbid! Clearly it is a process! Clearly some are behind and some are ahead of us. My call is for us to stop watering down the standards, either for ourselves or for others! All we end up doing by such things is making the lost more comfortable in their lostness and hindering the process of sanctification in the rest of the body. Shame, shame, shame on us! In Him, Doc |
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