Many years ago, I began to explore what it means to be a ‘disciple’. The desire to understand arose from the fact that Yahshua charged His own disciples to “go and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19, italics mine). Interestingly, my first study-stop wasn’t the Bible but the dictionary; I needed to know exactly what the word meant. I was fascinated to discover a disciple is ‘One who follows the opinions and teachings of another, believes in all his ideas, is a pupil to all His doctrines, tries to copy Him in everything and be just like Him.’ It’s an exacting standard but one which is expected from those who’ve accepted Yahshua’s salvation.
To understand these requirements, we need to study the life of Yahshua. What were His opinions, teachings, ideas and doctrines? He was extraordinary; staunchly committed to His Father’s commandments, full of compassion, blameless, filled and totally motivated by love. Incredibly, He requires the same quality of love from His disciples (John 13:34)! His teaching, stories, and parables clearly explain His beliefs and convictions, while His lifestyle and ultimate sacrifice demonstrate the richness of His love. The night before He died, He said, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Emulating Yahshua will occupy His follower for a lifetime!
Yahshua had no driving need to establish Himself, go His own way, promote His own ideas or find and fulfil His personal ambitions. He was content to do as He was told and reflect His Father’s nature and personality, even speaking whatever His Father told Him to speak! He went where He was sent, laid His own life down every day, and always did His Father’s will, choosing to submit His own will however costly (Luke 22:42-44). He was totally authentic.
We’re challenged to be authentic disciples of our Master, to demonstrate a life that is actively committed to being precisely and genuinely crafted in the image and likeness of Yahshua. No sham, façade or forgery, just an ever-increasing yearning for Yahshua-likeness, beating in the heart like an unwavering rhythm!
Photo by Seyedmorteza Mousavi on Unsplash
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The Test Of LoveWe look at our lives through a spiritual lens now, as we see how our actions as husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, friends and coaches, workers and employers relate to [Yahweh's] will.
Timothy Peck
The Congregation Of Yahweh
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