Introduction

What is Discipleship?

Discipleship is following the One who said "I am the way, the truth, and the life" and who gave credibility to that outrageous claim by rising from the dead. Furthermore we understand his death as enabling our reconciliation with God. So we can enter a personal relationship with him as saviour and Lord, and follow him so that under the influence of his Holy Spirit our lives conform increasingly to the ethical characteristics of God's people, of the Kingdom of God.

It also involves our conscription to the purposes of God, not simply in bringing people into relationship, but renewing the whole of creation. So discipleship involves bringing his rule to every situation, outworking his love for people, and following through the implications of his resurrection so that in some measure God's creation is renewed.

Christian identity

This discipleship establishes our identity as being not only created by God in his image but also known by God. It will be contrary to many of those around us where identity may be based on fashion and consumerism, workplace role, or hedonism - especially where sexual pleasure is seen as fundamental to it. Identity is connected with our experience of spiritual formation, that never-ending and sometimes fraught process where the Holy Spirit teaches and changes us, with less than assured cooperation from us! It is also developed through our identification with others.

While our understanding of what is involved in discipleship is largely based on Jesus' teachings in the New Testament, this fills out what was inaugurated with Abraham two millennia before. God's covenant with Abraham required him to "walk before me and be blameless", following the way of the Lord (instead of many other options) and pursuing righteousness and justice. This call extended to all humanity.^[1] Being a disciple needs to be very much more than simply being a believer.

The fellowship that Christians have with one another is based on sharing this rather radical departure from being conformed to prevailing social values and consequent behaviour. Active disciples are progressively (but inadequately) changed towards God's character as manifest in Jesus. It is important that our identity is understood as being related to the future, from the character of the new creation, not from the struggles of the past and present (1 John 3:2-3).

Christian identity is not derived or discerned from introspection or personal ambition as tends to be the contemporary fashion, nor does it ultimately depend on validation by others, though we do live in a social matrix and we do have characteristics and interests which are significant but subsidiary. Our identity is shaped by our relationship with God and his people within the framework of a Christian worldview.

Christian maturing

That progressive change has also to do with personal discipline, arising from self-control, whereby we demonstrate to ourselves that we are in charge of our behaviour. Discipline is a cognate of discipleship and integral to it, and it means that we get on with life in a purposeful and not passive way, we take responsibility rather than avoiding it, and we focus our energy on serving God and our neighbours. In being disciplined and drawing upon the Holy Spirit's transforming power we are safe, protected, and able to fulfil our created potential.

Disciples need not so much 'work-life balance', as balance among: time in prayer and bible study, social interaction at all levels, focus on vocational work, some recreation, tuning into their culture and world affairs, etc. This means time management and self-control, the latter including sexual lust, covetousness, envy, etc.

It is clear from the New Testament that love is an essential characteristic of real disciples. However, both in the Bible and in common usage, "love" means many different things. The principal meaning in a Christian context is a deep-seated attitude, worked out in behaviour and action, that earnestly seeks the well-being of another person. Love as sexual attraction may or may not be connected, but very often it is self-seeking, at least to some extent. Then there is the warm, comfortable affection for another person which depends on reciprocity in relationship. Learning to discern, analyse and control our own complex motivations in this area is an outcome of maturity.

So while identity is found and based individually in relationship with Christ, individualism is anathema to discipleship. Our identity is established in relationship with others, especially other disciples, because we are all baptised into one body. The next chapter expounds some implications of this.

Another feature of increasing maturity in discipleship is steadiness. Not being seduced by success and not being overwhelmed by disasters. Neither being lulled into complacency when things go well, nor worn down by frustration when they don't.

Complacency and confidence

In modern western society we are all very well protected from hazards of every conceivable kind, and the comfortable security which arises from this has both positive and negative aspects. Positively it can be seen as a manifestation of God's providential care for each of us, negatively it tends to lull us into taking too much for granted. Perhaps the platitudinous "take care!" when friends part should be "take risks!," in the sense of don't be seduced by comfort.

In that connection we should not confuse the parameters of faith and self-confidence. Strong faith will lead us to trust God and take initiative, sometimes also take risks, where we sense his leading. This may be despite strong self-doubt and a sense of real weakness, leading to more fervent prayer coupled with due caution. Self-confidence has nothing to do with faith, and is more likely to be inimical to it in leading us to attempt things in our own strength alone. Self-doubt should not be confused with lack of faith, and if it drives us to a greater sense of dependence on God, then it is positive.

Much of the Christian church is characterised by what has been called moralistic therapeutic deism, with some idea of creator God as a cultural assumption, his benign presence assumed, people in church being good, nice and fair, and aspiring to feel happy and fulfilled before they eventually float off to heaven. This is in contrast to real discipleship, and any sense of taking up a cross.

If discipleship involves putting God as the central purpose and motivation of our lives, the alternative - and the blight on Christian discipleship too - is putting self there. In that case there are other motivations in play, collectively called idolatry in the Bible. If we reflect on what we are most mindful of, what motivation determines our priorities in life, what we most enjoy, what we most fear the loss of, these are likely to be our idols and actually compete with our discipleship.

The insatiable preoccupation with economic gain and material things, crudely "greed", is the most pervasive idolatry today. It is a deeper malaise than simply consumerism, and has competed in people's hearts for loving and trusting God since Abraham's time. It lays bare the basis of our sense of security.

Thought to action

Discipleship is more than just surface-level intellectual or social "faith". This is all too common - a "faith" without the deliberate submission, the changed values and behaviour, and the inner resources of love which characterise a changed life. The motivation to live authentically as a Christian disciple must come from within. A merely formal Christian "knows enough about Christianity for it to spoil the world for him, but not enough for it to be of any positive value" (Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, slightly paraphrased). Discipleship is not about keeping rules, though they may be helpful, it is about our attitude, disposition, character and virtue (Nigel Wright).

It can sometimes feel that Christian discipleship does little more than unhelpfully restrict us in our range of options. It limits our choice of intimate life-partner to a Christian of complementary gender, and bans us from half-hearted romantic relationships and casual sexual activities. It places obligations of love on every aspect of our lives, and obliges us to seek and pursue God's will over every step of our way. It makes us accountable for everything we do, all of the time.

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Paul’s admonition to the Ephesian church is apt for today, as our culture corrodes with many small but significant expressions of evil. Following Jesus means we need to stand out from that culture and exhibit Kingdom values, while retaining our connection with those shaped by the culture. We need to start living the life of God’s future kingdom here and now, despite cultural headwinds and crosscurrents.

Role of the Bible

Discipleship must be reliably guided. This means more than hanging out with a congenial bunch of Christians, and must start with the most direct access to the mind of God and the words of Jesus that we have: the Bible. There is ultimately no substitute for directly and prayerfully studying the Bible continually. As well as objectively being the God-given and authoritative expression of what we need to know and understand as disciples, it is subjectively how - by the agency of the Holy Spirit - we tune into what he may be saying to us day by day. While we may, and usually will, learn much from people and books, the Bible is primary and essential, so any disciple must make study of it a high priority daily.

St Paul can be given the last introductory word: "Be very careful then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity .... Therefore don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will [for you] is." (Ephesians 5:15-17)

The following chapters aim to expound and explore some practical aspects of Christian discipleship against this advice. Our hope and prayer is that this book will increase readers' delight in practical discipleship of the living God through following Jesus.

Discussion questions

• How does Christian discipleship differ from membership of a club? Or sporting team?

• Discipleship involves discipline. How disciplined would you say you are in general? In what ways do you struggle?

• What would you say is the main difference that being a disciple of Jesus has made to your life?

• How can you more fully follow St Paul's admonition in relation to being wise? In making the most of opportunities?

• How do you understand the term 'inspired' (literally 'God-breathed') in 2 Timothy 3:16 (read vv 14-17)? The authority given to the apostles means that this applies also to the New Testament we now have.

• What daily Bible study plan or guide do you use?

• How do you relate your discipleship vocationally to God fulfilling his purposes for the world and renewing his creation?

Notes