Good Discipleship

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations …” - Matthew 28:19

What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘disciple’? Does your mind conjure up a picture of the twelve disciples following Jesus Christ, or do you see a picture of yourself following Him? You see, that is what a disciple does: a disciple follows and imitates Jesus Christ.

Have you ever tried to imitate someone’s handwriting, a gesture or form of behaviour that you admired? You would not have been successful in your attempts if you did not have a sample of the handwriting to go by, or without the careful observation and practise of the behaviour you wished to duplicate. In the same way, we cannot successfully imitate Christ without learning about Him as our ‘subject’: who He is and what He has done for us. Jesus was the one who set things right between man and God. We had a sin debt that we had no way of paying – no amount of good works or good or moral behaviour could wipe away the stain of our sin. But God, being a just God, found a way that satisfied His perfect sense of justice while granting us mercy: He sent His Son, Jesus, to permanently pay our penalty by dying on the cross for all of our sins: past, present and future. While dying, Jesus experienced the full wrath of God against our sinfulness – a wrath too great for us to ever have been able to withstand! In suffering and dying for us, Jesus secured our forgiveness and when we place our faith in Him (John 14:6), He becomes our very own personal Saviour and Lord, and we His disciples.

Have you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ? If so, are you an active follower of the one who purchased your salvation? Or do you follow Him only passively, allowing peers, fashions and your own worldly desires to direct your steps? If you want to be an active disciple, then read His Word! The more we read about Him, the more we will get to know Him, and the more we get to know Him, the more we will love Him and want to be like Him. The more we strive to be like Him, the better disciples we will become. Let us continually ask the Father to enable us to become better imitators, better followers and better disciples of the one who laid down His life for us.