If you haven't already, read our previous post on "Go and make disciples" (the Creators command), then click the link The Creators Command. Before you continue.
I would want to take you a bit back in time and show you that discipleship has been around since ancient times.
let's look at;
Gen 18: 19-19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice,…
What Abraham will do here is what Jesus refers to as “discipleship” It is also the first thing God did to Adam after making him.
So, Jesus is repeating God's first action towards man, which he refers to as discipleship.
This has been God’s pattern from the beginning.
In this pattern, we will see that in God’s original design for man, he is designed to take instruction, and the place that information goes is in the mind.
So, the primary use of the mind is spiritual Education.
look at;
DEU 6:1— “Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and [a]be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
let’s look at the same word from the mouth of Jesus:
Matthew 22:37—Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Look how Jesus explains this text. He calls man’s response to the commandment, “loving God with all your mind.”
Remember, the mind has a tendency to forget, so God will instruct man to keep the commandment in his heart (guard).
The commandment was given to the mind of man. The spirit is all-knowing, but the mind is not. So, I will need information (education, instruction, or a message)
The man was made with a mind primarily for spiritual education. The maximal use of the mind is to engage it in learning of God and His ways.
There is false knowledge, and we have all been trained in it.
That’s why the first action of God towards man was to satisfy his need to learn. God is mankind's first and true Discipler.
But here is a problem we are faced with in life.
In Gen 3-
Man was introduced to another kind of knowledge that is contrary to God's word.
The rebellion of man has now been rooted in this knowledge that he partook of, which was passed down from generation to generation and is now institutionalized.
It’s the knowledge of rebellion against God, and it is dominant in the world in which we have been raised.
We can’t define man's rebellion outside of God. God gives meaning to all things.
Everything will derive its true meaning from God if God existed before all things.
Col 1:17: —And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
John 1:3 — “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
As a result, everything that exists, from man to animal, and even human civilization throughout the ages, will derive its meaning from God.
We cannot establish the true meaning of anything separate from God unless it existed before God.
Hence, the truth about everything we see today is directly or indirectly connected to God.
From life to meaning, from poverty to wealth, from ambition to power, from relationship to marriage.
Everything finds its true meaning within God’s existence and His wisdom.
The concept of truth is found in God, anything that is not understood in the light of God’s existence is false.
YES, there is false knowledge, the first rebellion of man was because false knowledge was sold to a man. see Gen 3:4
Over time, man has attempted to give meaning to things outside of God.
It is clear that man’s rebellion included rejecting God for who He is to him. (The creator). Gen 3:5
By rejecting God, man is forced to give meaning to things outside of God, but man’s judgment cannot be regarded as true because man is also a created being.
Hence, the truth can only be found in God’s wisdom, which is revealed in God’s word.
Again, we see the value of God’s word, it protects us from a false evaluation of life and the things therein.
The world as we see it today is a reflection of how man has dealt with God’s word.
The pain and brokenness are all evidence of despising God’s word.
This brings us to the question, “Why discipleship?”
We have been educated and built on false knowledge.
Our priority has been changed. Things that should matter more are now becoming things that should matter less.
False knowledge has a tendency to place man at the center of everything instead of God.
The adversary spreads false information about you, your purpose, and your life by distorting God's word.
This false knowledge will eventually be institutionalized and become the core of human civilization.
It would become what the Bible calls “THE WORLD.” A system of thinking, evaluation, lifestyle, and values that are manmade and opposed to God.
So discipleship now becomes:
How I demonstrate my loyalty to God’s kingdom by learning of Him.
How I acknowledge God's lordship over me is by becoming committed to learning of Him and using my mind for the first reason why it was made (spiritual education).
It becomes part of our worship. It is an expression of our conviction that God is our creator.
This is why we can’t have faith in God without expressing it through discipleship.
So, we say that a believer who is not a disciple is not a reality in God's mind. A believer who is not a disciple is a logical contradiction.
Side note:
In fact, the word "Christian” completely loses its meaning without the word Disciple, because it was the disciple that was first called Christian.
Act 11:26— ……And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
The term "Christian" originates from a culture in which followers of a particular master or school of thought were given names based on their master in order to distinguish themselves from followers of other beliefs.
As a result, "Christian" is a term used to distinguish Christ's disciples from others.
A Christian who is not a disciple is an anomaly; an abuse of the word.
Just like a disciple who is not learning or practicing is an anomaly; an abuse of the word.
DISCIPLESHIP AS MANKIND NEED
Eccle 12:13— Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
psychologist agree that there are 4 basic human needs;
The need to love pertains to humans’ need to be social and have relationships with other people in which they can love, be loved, and feel they belong.
The need to live involves your physical needs for survival, including food, shelter, clothing, good health, and money. Need to live a legacy or interact with God.
The need to leave a legacy pertains to a more spiritual desire to live a life of purpose and meaning, in which you feel you’re contributing to society.
The need to learn is your need to continuously nourish and develop your mind.
The need to learn is a necessary part of human existence in order to function and survive. But, the learning of God is what makes man whole, and the lack of it is what causes man to be dysfunctional.
Discipleship is the learning of God and God's wisdom for the purpose of restoring man's wholeness.
Being a disciple is my journey back to God’s wholeness; rejecting it is my stand with the brokenness we find in the world.
Learning God's commands is the foundational learning that mankind was designed to have. That is what brings wholeness to mankind.
That is the foundation on which other humans’ activities find their true meaning and essence.
Note;
Man is made with a mind which indicates a major need for man to learn.
A man who is not learning is not living
All we know today was learned
All our behaviors flow from the learning we have received consciously or unconsciously.
WHY ARE WE MADE WITH A MIND?
The God who made man with a mind must have things he wants to communicate to man.
We must be careful to note that the mind predated science, philosophy, or `any form of man’s discovery that has become education.”
Man’s mind will therefore be for something more.
The primary essence of the mind would be to learn from the one who made man.
This is a call to Discipleship. This is a call for the proper use of your mind.
Make a commitment to use your mind for the primary reason it was created, TO LEARN OF GOD.
Pray with me: Father, I now realize I have been in rebellion as to why my mind was first given to me. Rather than you, I have used it more for other purposes. Today, Lord, I repent and start learning of you, Jesus. I hide your commands in my mind and in obedience, I will live to do your will. Amen.
Thank you.