Making Disciples

Making Disciples

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:19-20.

To be able to fulfill Jesus’ commandment to go out and make disciples, I must be very exact and, first and foremost, consider my own practices. Am I personally a disciple of Jesus who has given up everything to follow Him? If those around me hear me complaining, and if I am discontented with this one and that one, that is certainly not the life of a disciple, and I am unable to teach them to obey all things as Jesus has commanded. When we are in this state we must pray to God for victory and an overcoming spirit.

If I have given up everything to follow Jesus, then I must live in a burning first love for Him so that my motive is to love Jesus with all of my heart and to please Him. I need to hate absolutely everything that comes from my flesh such as seeking my own honor.

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26. Jesus was very clear and concise. He wanted to make sure that there was no misunderstanding in what it really takes to be a disciple. It’s as if He could not have made it any more radical or clear that there are no exceptions.

So when God’s word comes into the heart of a disciple, his mind and his heart are unchangeable. This is mainly because the Spirit of truth has revealed his own self-life to him, and that is what he hates with all of his heart. Then nothing and no one is able to prevent him from being obedient to the word of God exactly as God has revealed it to him. Jesus gave us a perfect example of this in Matt. 16:21-23: “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’” Jesus’ love for His Father and for all of mankind was so enormous that absolutely nothing could stand in His way of doing God’s perfect will.

Nothing has had a greater effect on me than to experience fellowship in the Spirit with wholehearted disciples who are living a crucified life, and who are gripped of their Bridegroom. By denying ourselves and taking up our cross every day, we come onto the same way as our Lord and Master. It is very clear that in order to make disciples, we must be a disciple ourselves. Pray for love in the Holy Spirit’s power so that in all the circumstances of life the word of God and the virtues of Christ can shine forth from us.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35. When we read this verse about the new commandment that has been given by Jesus, that we love one another as He loved us, we see that this is an extremely tall order. Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But thanks and praise be to God that when we see our elder brothers and sisters who have walked upon this way for many years, the love that they show forth for old and young, is evident—it radiates from them. The examples that we have in our midst make it abundantly clear that the gospel works.