Study 17 "The Four Comittments of Discipleship"

I said that the questions in this study were not particularly penetrating. So we discussed these questions I set out in the email :

1. What is discipleship again?
   
2. Are these 4 commitments the really critical ones? Maybe 3 will do? Or maybe 6 are really critical here?
   
3. How can we tell if the commitments are being adequately met in our lives? 

 We each came up with the idea that discipleship involves following Jesus (Lk 14:27) and becoming like Him (2 Cor 3:18). Indeed, Romans 8:29 tells us clearly that the purpose of our salvation is to be conformed to Christ. To these ideas of discipleship I also mentioned that we are to know Christ (Jn 10:14). We also affirmed that disciples love and desire Christ. I did say that 'love' has a wide range of meaning and often does not provide clarity of meaning.

Jesus uncompromisingly expects the highest standards of those who would follow Him. His followers are called to deny themselves and take up their crosses if they wish to come after Him. (Luke 9:23). They are the ones who give up everything they own to gain the kingdom of heaven (Mat 13:44-46) and seek it “first” (Mat 6:33). They are His single-hearted ‘bondservants’ or slaves (Lk 16:13), with no rights of their own. They obey him out of love (Jn 14:15).There is no room for two-stage discipleship, where some choose to be serious with Christ and make Him Lord of their lives, while others only make Him Saviour while regarding discipleship as an option. Much of this issue becomes clear when we see that Christians are not merely 'servants' of Christ, but 'slaves" (Gk doulos). Christ is our Master, not merely our Employer. We have no choices and no life of our own - all goes through His loving and good hands.

A disciple bears fruit that will last (Jn 15:1-8). In this context, the fruit is both internal - in the formation of Christ-like character./the fruit of the Spirit, as well as in external multiplication of disciples. Both the internals and externals are works of God, and both endure to eternity.

We said that the really critical point - the truth about "high definition discipleship" - is not that disciples have clearer theology. Instead, the cardinal feature of a disciple is absolute commitment and surrender to Jesus. We go where He sends, we obey His commands, we live as He pleases. We each must come to a point where we can tell the Lord these things and express our absolute trust and obedience and love to Him. When we do this, we are ready to make disciples of others. We do not reach this point all in one go, and having reached it we may find ourselves going back on our commitment, but we must be able at some stage to make it. We are not free from sin, but the mark of a disciple is that we continually struggle against sin, including the sins of distrust and disobedience and lack of love. In a sense, everything becomes free and easy once we have made this commitment. Jesus "takes the wheel". We trust fully in Him.

Disciplemaking means making people white-hot for the Lord who can express this kind of commitment.