Have you ever asked that question? It usually comes after you’ve been challenged by a great message, or you’re just not sure what your next steps should be.
Jesus left no doubt as to what his early followers were to do. On the eve of his crucifixion, Jesus said to his closest followers: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Jesus makes clear what he expected of his early followers and what he expects of us today.
In this passage, we see three characteristics that describe what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. These three characteristics make it clear that you are a follower of Jesus.
The first is that a disciple of Jesus remains. I like to describe what it means to remain by describing it as the “get it” phase of discipleship. A Christ-follower who gets it understands the importance of staying immersed in God’s word. To understand the word of God is to get the mind of God. At this stage, you are beginning to understand the way God thinks about things. This is a growing experience. This side of heaven, we’ll never attain the full understanding of God’s mind.
However, growing through the “get it” phase moves you to the “believe it” phase. This is the characteristic where what we believe moves us to be obedient to what God says. No one can really consistently behave or be obedient to what they don’t believe. On the other hand, if you truly believe something, it moves you to act on that belief. It’s our belief that drives us to “bear much fruit.”
The third characteristic is one that moves beyond how we think or feel to how we live. This is the action phase. A person at this stage of their journey with Christ “lives it.” They are showing that they are a disciple of Jesus by how they live. This person moves beyond simply attending church to living out the word of God by being a disciple who bears fruit. They are on mission with God to reach the least, last and lost. They make Matthew 5:16 in the Bible come alive: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
A clear indicator of a disciple of Christ is that he/she desires to glorify God. When we let the light of Christ shine through us and people see the goodness of God in us and they praise our Father in heaven - that’s bringing glory to God.
So now what? Let’s take on the challenge of Jesus and show that we “get it, believe it and live it.” Then our hearts will be so aligned with God that we can ask of God knowing that what we ask is his will.
Learn more at www.newlifeonline.com or follow Steve Lingenfelter on Twitter, @stevOLL.
*reprinted from the Peoria Times
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