How Are We Being Discipled?

It is important for each Christ-follower to be engaged in a lifelong journey of being a Christlike disciple. But how are we being discipled? Am I welcoming God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and other trusted Christ-followers to guide my journey with Jesus? Christians need to be highly committed to being discipled by God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and other Christ-followers. Hal Perkins’ book Walk with Me challenges me to ask more searching questions. “Do I spend time with Jesus daily through interacting with God’s Word? How sensitive am I to His ever-present Holy Spirit in my everyday situations? Am I being mentored by passionate Christlike members of the Body of Christ?”

Discipled by God’s Word
“Do I spend time with Jesus daily through interacting with God’s Word?” Since knowing God’s Word is essential to being a Christlike disciple, a fruitful discipleship journey requires establishing quality time to interact with God’s Word. Jesus’ example places a high priority on learning from the Scriptures. The Scriptures shapes our knowledge of God and His work in and through us.

 
Learning the Scriptures helps us to become more like Christ. When we study the Word of God, we uncover how God loves and how we are to love God and others. We allow God to speak to us, mold us, and sanctify us. Being actively engaged in the systematic study and application of the Word of God is a catalyst for spiritual transformation and growth.

One of our Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI) core principles is “comprehensive biblical learning.” As we learn the Word of God and grow spiritually, we begin to fully understand and obey Christ’s mission to go and reach out to unbelievers with God’s love. When we allow the Word of God to transform us, we can model to others the importance of learning from and living by God’s Word.

Discipled by the Holy Spirit
The Christian life is only possible when a believer is “born of the Spirit.” Everyone who is born again in Jesus Christ has His Holy Spirit and spiritual privileges. The Holy Spirit does a transforming work in us, causing us to come to know Christ. The Spirit’s new life, presence, assurance, and leadership are ours.

In his Basic Bible Studies for the Spirit-filled and Sanctified Life, Charles “Chic” Shaver shares that when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we begin to follow Him even when problems arise. As part of our spiritual growth, we begin to study the Bible. So we need to grow mature to become what God wants us to be. We long to know more about the Holy Spirit. We can know who He is and how He will act in our lives. The Holy Spirit is our Helper. He wants to help us become true disciples of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. He wants to make us like Jesus. The Holy Spirit is God, who has the power to bring the necessary transformation.

But how sensitive are we to the ever-present Holy Spirit of God in our daily situations? As followers of Christ, we must dedicate our entire lives to God, asking Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit. We invite Him to cleanse us and make us pure. We trust that God will do what He has promised. From there, a successful discipleship journey requires time as we become more and more sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Once we are filled with the Spirit in a moment, a new quality of life begins. It is important to continue in this relationship. It is the beginning of an exciting, moment-by-moment dependence on the Spirit. We make a commitment to keep in step with the Spirit and avoid walking after the flesh. But there are some limits of what the Spirit will do in this life. So if anything breaks this relationship with God, the disciple should seek to be restored immediately.

The Christian who is filled with the Spirit and walking in the Spirit enjoys spiritual victory. Yet there are limits on what God does for disciples in this side of heaven. God does not remove all problems. We, as Christians, must face the challenging realities of life even as we continue to live in a problem-filled world. Nevertheless, the same Holy Spirit, who brings peace and purity in the believer’s heart, will work blessings through the Christian in powerful ways.

Discipled by Other Christ-followers
Are we being mentored by passionate Christlike members of the Body of Christ? As the Africa Study Bible (NLT) points out: "A disciple of Jesus Christ is someone who follows Him, receives His teachings, His forgiveness, His values, His worldview, His way of life, and obeys Him. Christ not only wants us to be disciples, but He wants us to help others want to become His disciples as well."

Our Nazarene Essentials offers many intentional discipling insights for us to apply. It is essential for Christ-followers to “prayerfully invite other mature Christians to disciple or mentor us.” Likewise, we can “prayerfully invite a small group of believers to become a part of our discipleship group.” We then “invest our lives in these disciples as we seek the Lord together.” A fruitful discipleship journey requires time being with, praying with, and being accountable with other Christ-followers for Christlike thoughts, beliefs, motives, and obedience.

 
Nazarenes are intentional about making Christlike disciples. With this in mind, we are committed to providing the means and encouragement for disciples to grow in their understanding of our faith and in relationship with other disciples and with God. We help them discover discipleship as a way of life. Through discipleship, the Holy Spirit enables them to mature in Christ. 

Take Time to Be Discipled and Be a Disciple Maker.
Would you share with us how you are being discipled? Each of us has a particular area of ministry that provides the context to our making disciples. Would you share ways you are making disciples in your context? Please communicate with me at dstanton@nazarene.org.