The road to discipleship begins at the place of salvation. From the moment you give your life to Christ the journey of discipleship begins. However just as you choose salvation, you must choose discipleship. It does not happen automatically. Discipleship is becoming mature in your faith.
Unfortunately, everyone does not reach a place of maturity. The good news however is that the length of time you have been saved does not determine your maturity. If you want to, you can grow, mature, and become a true disciple regardless of whether you got saved early in life or much later. You must simply decide like the old song says, to follow Jesus – no turning back.
Why Should We Have a Discipleship Relationship with Other Believers?
One of the things to remember is that Jesus saved you for a purpose. Yes, heaven is the reward but he has work for you to do before you get there. If he just wanted you to go to heaven, then he would save you and take you to heaven. The fact that he does not do that means he has things for you to do. This is why discipleship becomes so important.
Part of the responsibility of helping people grow into followers of Jesus is to also help them discover why God has saved them and what their purpose is. Beyond that it is also to help others learn how to represent Christ to the world. This is why how you live and the things you say and do matter so much. It is also why we can’t just say we are disciples, we must live like it. The more you follow, the more you obey, and the more you become like Jesus, the better you will represent him. When this happens you become a true reflection of Christ which will ultimately bring glory and honor to God in the earth.
I want to close this article with a verse from James which I believe sums up what it means to be a disciple.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).
The true heart of a disciple is not just in the learning. It is in the doing. Not doing to win God’s favor or approval, but doing to be obedient to what God desires. When you reach the place where you seek not only to be a learner or student but to really follow what God wants you to do, then and only then will you know what it means to be a disciple.
Related articles
Who Were the 12 Disciples and What Should We Know about Them?
Why Discipleship is Essential (and Where to Start!)
Why Does Jesus Say His Disciples Are “Ye of Little Faith”?
Photo credit: Unsplash/Kelly Sikkema
Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, author and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He has spent more than 30 years serving the body of Christ in various capacities and has just released his first book, The Pursuit of Purpose. If you have ever struggled trying to find God’s will, this book will help you discover the different ways God leads you into his perfect will. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com.