“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.” Matthew 28:19-20
What is Discipleship? This is an important question since every follower of Jesus is a disciple, and every disciple is commanded to make disciples. Knowing the answer to this question is thus paramount to obeying Christ’s command. So, what is it?
Jesus lays it out for us in the command itself—in the Great Commission. Believers are to make disciples, to baptize them, and teach them to obey Jesus. In other words, once a person is converted and is baptized, discipleship is the life-long process of learning to follow Jesus in obedience.
This means that discipleship is one word that should describe the Christian life. All Christians are disciples. All Christians are to be continuously taught and are to be constantly growing in their faith. New believers and mature believers alike are disciples. For all Christians learning to obey means to have more than knowledge. Discipleship is more than receiving information, it is humble submission to ALL that Jesus has said.
Christians never arrive in this life to a point where they fully know or have somehow arrived at a point where they can coast. There is no neutral gear for a disciple. A disciple is always driving forward, ever increasing in the faith.
Since Jesus’ teachings were given to his Bride, the Church, and can only be followed collectively, Christians thus need to be in community with one another. Discipleship cannot occur without community—an individual Christian is not his Bride. Individualism is counter to discipleship. The church, Jesus’ Bride, is critical to disciple-making. While there is certainly personal aspects to our faith, being in community with one another helps us live out Jesus’ commands. The worshiping, teaching, and communing that occur in the local church are vital to discipleship. True growth only happens by being together with fellow believers in the local church.
I have not always seen it this way, I had to grow. Knowing what Jesus says and submitting means turning from our understanding to his infinite wisdom and love. Jesus means for every disciple to be part of the local expression of his Bride. The church has become for me a beautiful place for growth and joy and experience of his presence. I hope it is for you. Only together can disciples be discipled.