Are You a Disciple of Jesus? - Part Two

Being a disciple has a price we must pay. Is the cost worth it? I believe so, for consider some of the rewards of discipleship... There is the promise of "future blessings". We shall be saved from the wrath of God which is yet to come upon the world for its sins - Ro 5:9 "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." We can look forward with joyful anticipation of eternity with God, free from sorrow, pain and death - Re 21:1-8 (read).

There are also "present blessings". Jesus offers a peace the world cannot give to calm the troubled heart - Jn 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." His words inspire joy to lift our spirits out of any depression - Jn 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." He also offers to those who follow Him the abiding love of God, which can cast out fear - Jn 15:9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love."; 1 Jn 4:18 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." And he makes it possible for us to be members of the family of God, which is able if need be to replace our physical family - Mk 10:28-30 "Peter began to say to him, "See, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life." There are many other blessings we could mention that are enjoyed by disciples of Jesus; but these suffice to demonstrate that though discipleship is costly, the rewards far exceed the cost!

Now that we understand the nature of discipleship, its cost and rewards, I hope that we want to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. But how does one begin? For the answer we return to our beginning text - Mt 28:19-20. The beginning of becoming a disciple involves baptism - Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,". Why baptism? Remember the goal of discipleship: to be like Jesus. He was holy and sinless, yet we are to be like Him. Fortunately, baptism is described as an act of faith which puts us in contact with the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ so we can be forgiven - Ac 2:38 "And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.; 22:16 "And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'"; Ro 6:3-4 "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." It is also the means by which one "puts on Christ" - Ga 3:27 "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." -- So baptism is the logical starting place for true discipleship!

But what is baptism? It is an act of submission which must be preceded by faith in Jesus and repentance for our sins - Ac 2:36-38 "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."; 8:36-37 "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."(KJV). This precludes infant baptism. For infants are incapable of believing and repenting. It is also an act of submission which involves a burial in water, in which one then rises to walk in newness of life through the power of God - Ac 8:38; Ro 6:3-4; Co 2:12 "having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead." This precludes sprinkling or pouring as a mode of baptism. For neither of these involve a "burial" nor an immersion (which is the meaning of the Greek word "baptidzo"). When done according to the Word of God, baptism then becomes an act of faith on our part which results in a wonderful working of God in our lives! Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus - Ac 22:16; Ep 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." We are "regenerated" and "renewed" by the Spirit of God so we can now live for God! - Ti 3:5-6 "he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,". It is truly a "rebirth" involving both water and the Spirit - Jn 3:5 "Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

Teaching and obedience must follow our baptism - Mt 28:20 "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."' This brings us back to the very definition of discipleship. For Jesus clearly states: we are to be taught (that is, to be learners); we are to observe (that is, to be adherents or doers). In this way we embark on a life devoted to learning and doing all that Jesus commanded.

Only those scripturally baptized and demonstrating the "marks" of discipleship, despite the "costs," can truly be called disciples of Jesus! Only they can realistically look forward to the "rewards" of discipleship, and take consolation in the promise of Jesus: "and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" - Mt 28:20. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, then the prospects of "A Closer Walk With God" and more fruitful service as a disciple should be of great interest to you. I hope the lessons to follow will help fulfill that interest.