The other day I was reminded of a section in Jim Robbins' book Recover Your Good Heart that talks about how (in my own words) we're holy, righteous and complete in Christ, and yet at the same time we're growing in it day by day. A section in one of the chapters is How can it be both/and?
How can it be that in Christ we're perfected forever (Heb 10:14), we've become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21), we're holy (1 Cor 3:17), we're born again of incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23)... and so much more, all by the gift of God's grace, and yet all of this doesn't always show in our outward behavior (and even in our inward thoughts and attitudes). In other words, how can all of this have been an absolute transformation at the time when Christ came to be our life, but yet we're still in a process of being transformed?
Robbins' provides a helpful explanation:
"...I am always beginning with a firmly established holiness and wholeness within me. Further, I can only change as I rest - rest in God's unshakable favor for me. I therefore learn to live from a new purity in increasing measure while I live buoyed by his delight and already-accomplished work in me. I continue to be transformed into "ever-increasing glory." (2 Cor. 3:18) As I do this, I mature in the goodness that God has already given me. That goodness may be as yet not expressed, but nevertheless still present in me. Discipleship is the process by which I enjoy and continue to express an already-present holiness and wholeness within me." (bold emphasis mine)
Over-complicated Discipleship?
Isn't that really what discipleship is all about? Do you feel as I do that the church has over-complicated discipleship? Does "go and make disciples" really mean "go and get people to follow you?" Does it mean "get people to church every week, and involved in all kinds of church programs and activities?" Does it mean "get people into accountability groups?" Does it necessarily mean one person leads and another person follows? Is discipleship about becoming a "better" Christian and making sure we do all the things Jesus did? Is discipleship about learning all the do's and don'ts and how-to's of the Christian life and applying them as best we can?
To "disciple" simply means to teach. To be a disciple is to learn in such a way as to grow in maturity. As a disciple of Christ, I'm not trying to become more of something. I already am what I am, but I'm in a lifelong process of learning and maturing in who God has already made me to be. I don't believe discipleship is meant to be some tedious process by which I learn all the rules and get my act together more and more. Rather, I take Jesus' words to heart, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30)
Now there's a type of learning I can relate to! Why do we make it so hard, and so exhausting, monotonous and laborious, when it was never meant to be that way!
True Discipleship
Don't we really disciple one another? Sure, there are wonderful close-knit one-on-one relationships that form within the body of Christ, in which great discipleship takes place, but in the body don't we all teach one another and learn from one another? Aren't we all to build one another up in love and grace, and spur one another on toward expressing the love that is already in us and the good deeds that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them?
Thoughts?
Related Post: The Starting Point
