THE DISCIPLE

D a v i d   P a m   M c Q u e l

LUKE 15:1 “I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance.”

It is incredible when one soul finds salvation. There is great rejoicing in the presence of God for such a change. It is not merely forgiveness of sins. It is not merely a heavenly executive pardon. It is the mercy of God given to a man.

However, conversion as beautiful as it is not the final product. It is true that a born again person in Christ is:

1. A new creature in Christ

2. Totally redeemed from spiritual death

3. The new convert is God’s own legitimate child.

4. the new believer finds life eternal and everlasting rest.

The highest desire in the heart of God is that the believer grows beyond his confession and the free gift of salvation, to become a disciple.

A disciple is one who has adopted the teachings of Christ:

1. To live by it

2. As absolute authority for belief and practice

3. To win others to it

The kingdom of God is a place of growth. You cannot be a believer and just be static. 1Pet 2:1-3 “Like new born infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation.”

And this growth automatically produces a disciple. The true test that a believer has grown and is in the will of God is that he becomes a disciple.

Discipleship

This is the process in which the kingdom of God grows both in quality and quantity. The Lord Jesus Himself did this when He walked on earth. His best effort went towards grooming and growing a group of 12 disciples.

There are two parties involved in producing a very reliable disciple.

1. The Disciple Maker

This is the matured believer who understands the value of salvation, because he has experienced it too. He understands the need for growth, and has gone through the process of discipleship. He has the compassion, the patience and the willingness to appreciate and help a new believer become a disciple.

He is willing to give his precious time; he will also endure the stress of raising a child. He is selfless and takes no advantage of the new convert. He as a mother’s heart, and sees the big picture about this new believer.

He realizes that this same new believer will one day become matured and independent as he is. That motivates him to go forward to help him grow into a disciple.

2. The Potential Disciple

This is the person who just found a new faith in Christ. He is overwhelmed with joy for the forgiveness of sins, free the gift of salvation and the hope eternity with God. Christ Jesus died a horrible death, paid a steep price and sacrificed all to save him. This is enough reason for him to rejoice.

However, he needs to grow in his new found faith. He needs to understand the rights and responsibilities that go with his new faith, the new kingdom he belongs to and the way things are done here.

This process takes years not weeks. He therefore, must maintain the follow values that will keep him safe and sound in his growth:

1. Hunger: He must maintain a hunger for growth. Without hunger, he will lose interest and turn cold. The moments of difficulty are the inspiration for growth

2. Patience: Even in natural life, we are patient for things to change and for our kids to develop. We are never in a hurry.

3. Humility: God called us to humble. Humility are virtues the Lord Himself possessed. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

4. Consistency in the word: The word of God is the food for the new convert. He must eat consistently, daily, and meditate in the word. The nutrients of the word will energize, empower and build up his spiritual growth. There is no way of growing without feeding in the word.

5. Listening to the Spirit: The nonbeliever hears the voice of the Holy Spirit calling him to repentance. When he receives Christ, the Spirit does not go silent. He guides him through all the process of growth. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God work together. They are never in conflict. And they guarantee the best resources for growth for the new creature.

6. The fellowship of the believers: No believer can grow alone. You must find your comfort and edification from other believers. They also share experiences of their work with God and how they overcame. Great opportunity to learn from the challenges of others.

7. Prayer: Prayer is not an option. It is staying in touch with your new heavenly Father. You share heart to heart with him in the place of the Word and in Prayer.

It is also important for a new believer to cooperate with those God set before him to help him grow. There are however, many so-called teachers who have neither the depth to disciple others nor the desire to do more than to force their own prejudices down the throat of the new believer. It is safer to find a good bible believing discipleship-minded assembly to share fellowship with.

In Ephesians 4:11, Jesus set the five-fold ministry gifts in the church, so that they will edify other believers.

“11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head — Christ.”