Deal with the untruth

“If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” (John 8:31-32)

A disciple is a follower, for sure, but with the intent of learning from the master. I read lots of woodworking articles, observe how things are made, and yet I am not a disciple of any particular 'woodworking master'. I just do it for a hobby. Christianity is more than a hobby - it is us committing to serve the master (Jesus), sit under his tutelage, and take what we have learned to others so they can learn it, as well. Too many may view it as a mere 'hobby' - calling themselves 'Christian', but lacking any real life change, spiritual power, or deep knowledge of how God responds. 

Peter Marshall reminds us, "God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty." Discipleship doesn't assure us of any 'easy ride' in this lifetime. In fact, it may mean just the opposite, for this 'dying to oneself and living for Christ' is kind of difficult at times. It takes constant focus, unwavering attention to life's details, and a willingness to respond appropriately when the challenge to revert back to an old way of living exerts unending pressure upon us. Great blessing may just be all about the journey and not so much the moment. It may just be made up of a whole bunch of little moments where the disciple responded in faith to what he knew to be true.

Truth is a very freeing thing. Don't believe me? Try it! There is likely some 'half-truth' we have all believed somewhere along the way, only to come into greater knowledge at some point, having our minds blown for having believed the untruth so easily. Truth may be harder to grasp than untruth because it brings conviction. As long as we hold onto the untruth even a little bit, we will never be totally free to embrace truth entirely. The disciple commits to truth - whatever form it takes - no matter how hard it is to embrace. When he does, he is assured of life - deep, meaningful, purposeful life. Just sayin!

Through and through

The reality test of discipleship: Living out in your daily life exactly what Jesus tells us. All the world is into the fad of reality shows. At every turn of the day, new ideas for reality shows spring up - everything from being marooned on an island to trudging across country without anything at all to your name, dancing with famous people (whether you have rhythm or not), or making an absolute fool of yourself in the name of entertainment. These shows often push the envelope and exhibit the basest of human nature - it is truly "no hold barred" as far as they are concerned. People eat it up! Why? Perhaps because we are living "posthumously" through those on the screen - not really wanting our life's calamities portrayed for all to see, but associating with the ones we see up on that screen. Maybe we want validation that we are not any worse than others. Regardless the reason, the shows are prospering - they are big business these days. Not all that makes it in 'big business' is really all that refreshing or rewarding, though.

Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." Surprised, they said, "But we're descendants of Abraham. We've never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, 'The truth will free you'?" Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. (John 8:31-35)

There is one "reality test" that would never make it to the top reality show ideas, though - the test of walking daily as a disciple of Christ. I imagine some would see this as too "tame" for the widescreen. Still others might see it as too "ordinary" or "mundane". I feel sorry for those who would make that judgment without ever experiencing the reality of the walk. In fact, they'd discover that there is nothing "ordinary" about a walk with Christ. It is challenging at every turn. There is more dedication required in one simple act of obedience than all the challenges of the reality show realm could combine! There is more 'test of the will' in each step of transparent truth about one's self than any journey on these shows. This walk is not for the weak of heart - it requires determination, commitment, and endurance - all the things our hearts have more than a little trouble with. The neat thing is that if we lack any of these, Jesus provides what we need!

The result of discipleship: We will experience the truth. As with the reality show programs, there is an end result - something that is desired as an end result. The disciple of Christ is to be transformed into the image of Christ. There is to be an exchange of nature - resulting in the revelation of Christ through us. Truth is freeing - even when we don't know we are bound! The Pharisees were questioning Jesus about the reality of his ministry when he spoke these words about being free or bound. He was called upon to explain who he was, what he was all about and what he was doing on this earth. In response, he challenges them toward discipleship and reminds them that they need to be free of their bonds of sin. Now, if you know anything about the Pharisees, you probably know that this did not sit well with them!

You see, we don't realize the benefits of the "result" until we have a revelation of the "resistance" put up to keep us from ever realizing those results. Sin is resistance - we are resisting the control of God in our lives, choosing our own way over his. In turn, we get all bound up in sin. At every turn there is "resistance" in our lives. If we experience enough resistance, we often reach out for different "results". Jesus promises the result that really matters - being set free from all that brings resistance into our lives. The reward of discipleship is that the truth will make us free. As with the reality shows of the widescreen, there is a reward to those who choose the path of discipleship. The truth makes us free! If you are struggling with the walk of a disciple today, I challenge you to see that the reality is that you lack nothing to enjoy both the results and rewards of discipleship. Everything you need is revealed in Jesus - he is the truth that will set you free. Just sayin!

Bringing God into the Picture

Disciple:  A pupil; one who is in a place of learning.  To this end, we can all admit we are disciples - in a place of learning.  As Jesus faced his disciples day after day, his main purpose was to help them learn what it meant to have the Kingdom of God in their midst - the presence of God dwelling among them.  Isn't this the purpose of all our tests and trials - to get us to the place we understand we have the presence of God within us at all times?  Disciples have sever unique characteristics, but I think the one which becomes most evident is the awareness of the presence of God - the Teacher, instructing those who remain in a place of willing submission to his teaching.

Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.  (Luke 14:33 MSG)

A disciple doesn't concern themselves with the "what can I do" mentality in life.  Instead, they make the shift from the "what can I do" to the "what will Jesus do in and through me" if I yield to him right now.  What a disciple does well is to bring God into the picture.  The disciples who traveled with Christ day after day had a purpose - they went ahead to get a place ready, to find the meals, to prepare a meeting spot, etc.  They were preparing the way for God to be "brought into the picture" for those out ahead of them.  Even when they didn't do a good job of preparing, they still had an active role in bringing God into picture - such as when they were told to see how much food they could scrounge up to feed the 5,000.  There role was to get the loaves and fish - preparing the way for God to be brought into the picture for those who sat on the hillside hungry and worn.

Maybe one of the things which keeps us from being a disciple - one willing to be taught at the feet of the Teacher - is our fear of the adventure.  All of life is an adventure, but not all in life are adventurers!  Adventurers are willing to get out of their comfort zone - to enter a new realm.  My grandson is an adventurer - a creator of sorts.  He often wants to go and do what others haven't done before - maybe because he is spurred on by the survivalist shows he watches, but most likely because he has this creative and always learning mind.  One thing I noticed about him - he is always looking for the possibilities.  He doesn't limit himself by the impossible - but is always looking for the way around, through, or over the impossible.  I think God honors that kind of heart in each of his disciples - willing to move beyond the impossible into the realm of possibility.  

Disciples don't always have an explanation for what it is they learn at the feet of the Teacher.  There are just some things of God's grace, wisdom, and majesty we can only reflect, but will never fully understand.  Sometimes this is all God asks of his disciples - the willingness to reflect him, even when we don't understand all we are reflecting.  It is the things we sometimes don't understand which have the greatest impact in the lives of those touched by them.  God is busy behind the scenes creating things greater than we will ever be able to take credit for - simply because he is using us to bring him into the picture of those within our circle.

Probably the most telling characteristic of a disciple is the abandoning of all other alternatives to follow the Teacher - to listen to his voice, obey his teachings, and to see his glory displayed in our midst.  In other words, we allow a shift of priorities to occur so what once consumed so much of our focus begins to be abandoned - laid aside - for the magnificence of what Christ does when he is brought into our present.  For most, abandonment is kind of a scary concept.  It means the leaving of something we often consider to be quite secure and comfortable in order to embrace something with seemingly less comfort, and therefore, the perception of it also being less secure.  When I get on a plane, I am abandoning my need to remain in contact with the earth - placing my trust in the pilot to successfully bring me from point A to B.  I abandon my control because one who knows better than I how to operate the plane is at the controls.  All the Teacher asks of the disciple is to be willing to abandon themselves in similar manner - knowing the control is best left in his hands.

Sure, the disciple is asked to participate in the revelation of the Teacher.  We do this best when we reflect his actions - things like grace, purpose, and love. What we have the power of bringing into the midst of any situation is the connection of the pupil with the Teacher - to open the way for God to come on the scene.  Maybe if we'd abandon ourselves to this purpose today, we'd see what God might just reveal when we do!  Just sayin!