A BLOG SERIES ON THE PATH OF A DISCIPLE
Did you know that the word “disciple” appears in the New Testament of the Bible over 260 times? How many times do you think the word “Christian” appears? Three –the words Christian appears only three times in the New Testament.
If you were to look up the definition of a disciple in the Merriam-Webster dictionary you would find that it states that a disciple is “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another”. If you were to open that same dictionary to define the word, Christian, you would read that a Christian is “One who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ”. So, if we were to get technical, a disciple of Christ accepts (or believes) the teachings of Jesus and in addition to this they take part in sharing that same doctrine with others. A Christian, by definition, not only believes but professes that belief in Jesus and his teachings. If we profess something, then we openly share it or spread it to others.
Therefore, I think we can conclude that if we are to say that we are Christians then we must also say that we are Disciples of Christ as well. And because we are Christians and Disciples then we have been entrusted with the task that Jesus left his eleven disciples in Matthew 28:19
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
But what happened before this? Did Jesus just meet these eleven men and then tell them to go make disciples? No, the first thing he did was lay the proper foundation for them. Jesus took time to make sure that these eleven chosen men understood fully what it meant to be His follower. And to do this, it was necessary that they sit under his teachings and intentionally learn. And the same still holds true for His followers today.
Did you know that because we have the Bible, we have the gift of having today the inspired Word of God? We have the amazing pleasure of knowing that we can open our Bible and read the stories of Jesus the Messiah from beginning to end. Though Genesis was written well over 1000 years before the birth of Christ we see the evidence of Him in the third chapter of the Bible. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden when they chose to eat the forbidden fruit our need for a Savior becomes evident when God tells the serpent, the tempter of Adam and Eve
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring;he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Through reading God’s Word from the very beginning, the foundational truth of the Bible is established. God created a perfect world. A world where He could walk in the cool of the day with His Creation. But through the deceitful temptation of the serpent, sin had now entered and for the remainder of the days of humanity on the earth, we would need someone to save us from our sin and brokenness. Therefore, the offspring –or seed of the woman (Jesus) would defeat the enemy, sin, and death as he crushes the head of the evil one.
And while I wish that I could sit across the table from each of you in a cozy, comfy, and quiet little coffee shop and take a deep dive into the many truths of this one verse and the beautiful hidden gems weaved in and out of these words, I know that isn’t feasible. But what is possible and totally necessary for your life lived as a follower, Christian, and disciple of Christ is that you open this book for yourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to use these words to lay the most important foundation you could ever have for your lives.
Are you spending time daily in God’s Holy Word? What does this look like for you? How have you grown from it? If you are not, what is hindering you from this discipline of Bible Study? I would tell you with certainty that if you are to be a Christian and a Disciple of Christ –one who professes, accepts, and spreads the truths of the Bible and the Gospel message then you must know it. And in order to know it, we must read it.
My prayer for you all today is that you would see and understand the vital importance of Bible study in the lives of Christians. If you have already implemented this into your daily walk with the Lord, then share it with those around you. If you have not then I desperately want to encourage you to intentionally plan a time each day to read and study God’s Word and allow Him to lay a steady, solid, reliable, and trustworthy foundation that He can build upon as you discipline yourself to seek Him day after day.
Are you looking for a tool to help you incorporate Bible Study into your daily walk with Christ and hold you accountable along the way? Check out my most recently published book, Growing in God: The Bible Study by clicking the link below
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