Christian Living
The True Disciple
By Rick L King
Jan 1, 2012
I just posted a word I believe that was from the Lord concerning 2012. I was thinking after that maybe I should write about what a disciple really is.
I looked up the following scriptures as a basis for this writing.
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple
Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mark10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
One who is the Lord’s disciple, takes up his cross, and follows the Lord. He listens to the Holy Spirit and is led by the Spirit at any cost.
According to the words of Jesus, a disciple has these traits.
They are ones that:
1. have learned how to put Jesus over father, mother, sister, brother, wife, and even self
2. must bear their cross and come after Jesus
3. have forsaken all that he has
4. must deny self
5. must give to the poor and sell all that they have as led by the Holy Spirit
These are some really tough things to do from the flesh viewpoint. We are told in Mathew 6 to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Basically then the previous list of 5 things is saying that we must put Jesus above anything. We must want His will above anything else. We must desire to follow Him more than do anything else. We have learned to listen to His Spirit and be led by Him instead of being led by our head and carnal desires. We have learned to be content with or without and are able to trust the Lord explicitly to take care of us. We have learned that it is about what he wants and not about what we want. A disciple has an intimate relationship with the Lord and the primary focus is to build the kingdom of God as led by the Holy Spirit. If we are unable to trust the Lord totally, then it is difficult to be a disciple as there is a great cost. The cost is your worldly natural life. You become like Jesus when he said that he came to do only the Father’s will. Great things can come through the person that has learned to lose his life to find it. What we find is a deep intimacy with the Holy Ghost. He uses us at the times appointed by God and we see powerful things take place. We are just the vessel. All initiation of works comes through the Holy Spirit leading, directing, and empowering. We become like Jesus and do only what the Holy Spirit says and speak only what we are told to speak. It is the straight and narrow way that few seem to find. The reason being is that many have not or will not surrender that far. They still believe life is in the abundance of things they possess. They may have a form of godliness but actually deny the power of God working in and through them. A disciple has given all to Jesus and made Him Lord over anything and everything. They want to please and do His will over anything else. They are sold out to Jesus. To be a disciple is then to be led by the Spirit and do whatever is asked by him. It is not a religious thing it is a relationship thing. The Holy Spirit is the one you allow to be in control. You have given up your control, desires, will, passions, etc. Though it may be difficult for our flesh, it is the greatest thing that we could ever do. People may think we are nuts, yet we have a peace beyond anything the world can give and we know who we are in Christ and have fallen in love with Jesus. The bottom line is that we are living by the Spirit and not by our flesh. This is a true disciple of Jesus.
Need to contact me or make a comment? Please direct all correspondence to: [email protected] (Please note that there is an underscore ( _ ) between the r and the k in my email address). Thanks so much!
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 803 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Rick King or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 803 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.
Thank you for this vital message.
Yes, to be in love with JESUS. There is nothing better to do.