The Reason
Discipleship = Teaching, training, mentoring, and equipping/empowering
Disciples are or have been:
1. Transformed into the image of Christ
Christ-like in character, nature, and deeds (Jn 14:12)
The Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Rom 8:29
We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18
Everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. Lk 6:40
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Rom 12:12
2. Spiritually mature
Submission to the Father (Mat 28:20)
Equipped and empowered to do the works of Jesus (Jn 14:12, Eph 2:10, 2Tim 3:17)
Fruitful (John 15:8, Gal 5:22-23)
Becoming mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Eph 4:13
My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Jn 15:8
3. Obedient to Christ
Disciple = discipline = obedience
Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. Mat 28:19
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Jn 8:31
4. Sacrificed their life
Taken up their cross and followed Christ
A total commitment
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matt 16:24
Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Lk 14:27
Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. Rom 12:1
Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Mat 10:39
5. Died to self –
Die to world and self (Gal 2:20, Eph 4:22-23)
Give up their life for Christ (Mat 16:24)
We who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 2 Cor 4:11
Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Lk 14:33
Those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Cor 5:15
A disciple, cannot love anything more than God
Jesus surrendered his life for ours – we are to willingly surrender our life for Him
Christ died for us, so we could live with Him.
We die for Christ, so He can live with us.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20
God owns your life – He bought it with His blood
A man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Jer 10:23
Note:
If one loses his life for Christ, they will find it (Mat 10:39)
Every death in Christ must be followed by a resurrection!
If we died with him, we will also live with him. 2 Tim 2:11
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11
Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Eph 4:24
6. Become a bondslave to Christ
Follow me (Mat 16:24)
Not my will, but Thy will be done on earth (Mat 6:10)
You are a disciple when what you want (your will) becomes less important than what God wants (His will).
If you are not willing to surrender your will, then you are telling God that your way is best and better. At that point, you are no longer a disciple.
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. Jn 6:66
7. Abide in the Word
Walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:25)
Be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18)
If you abide in the Word, you are my disciples indeed. Jn 8:31
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Gal 5:25
8. Love like Jesus
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. Jn 13:34-35
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1Jn 3:16
9. Do what Jesus did (and greater)
Be Jesus today walking on earth:
Go around doing good (Acts 10:38)
Build the Kingdom of God
Make disciples (Mat 28:19-20)
Destroy the works of the devil (1Jn 3:8)
We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10
Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12
A whole new generation – a whole new mindset!
The Kingdom of God is within you. Lk 17:2
Note:
Disciples are made – not born!
We are all born with a carnal nature and opposed to God. The last thing any man wants to do is to crawl up on an altar and die by sacrificing his life.
Becoming a disciple comes only after being trained and taught what discipleship really is.
All nine of the above characteristics of disciples come only after one has been taught the truth, understands the Word, and their love for Jesus grows and culminates to a point of wanting to lay down their life and live for Him – a true transformation! (It is a process, just like the caterpillar becomes a butterfly!.
A transformed church is a group of transformed people!
A transformed church is as different from a traditional church as a butterfly is from a caterpillar.
New wine requires a new wineskin – Jesus saved the best wine for last!
Table of Contents
| The Current (Traditional) Church | The End-Time (Transformed) Church |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | Characteristics |
| The Result | The Result |
| The Reason | The Reason (this page) |
| The Effect | Read Next: The Effect |
| The Future | The Future |
| Curriculum Content (Introduction and Sample) |