The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Disciple

  • Disciple New Believers

    “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

    2 Corinthians 11:3

    Paul gave his life in service to the Lord to reach the lost for Christ. We read of his three missionary journeys taking the Gospel message to those who had not heard of Jesus. Paul cared deeply for the people whom he led to the Lord. He not only taught the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, but he proceeded to teach those new Believers how to live that new life daily (for an example, see Ephesians 4:17-32). Because these new Believers were beginning a whole new life, there was much for them to learn. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). It would take much time and patience to teach them. God had many places for Paul to go in order for people to hear the Gospel Message. When he could not stay in one place long enough to disciple a new Believer himself, he left men he trusted in charge of these new Believers to teach them (Acts 20:28-32). These new Believers formed the first churches. Today, we call this “discipling new Christians”. This is when a new Believer is instructed how to live this new Christian life according to God’s Word, and taught the reasons why we are to live this new life in Christ.

    Keep in mind that when God is working, changing the lives of people, Satan tries to thwart God’s work. Remember what Jesus warned as He taught the people. “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:15). Satan tries to take away the Word, immediately. Paul understood this. Paul knew that God wanted him to continue on missionary journeys (even when he wanted to stay with the people), and Paul obeyed God. However, he warned the people of dangers when he could not be with them. “2. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2-3). Chaste means “chaste, pure; predominantly used to express freedom from defilements or impurities.” It is important to remember that Believers, collectively, are the bride of Christ (“espoused you to one husband”). Paul was jealous for new Believers, for he understood that Satan would try to steal the Word from them. If he could not steal it from them, he would corrupt their understanding of God’s Word, just as Satan did to Eve in the garden. Paul so wanted them to be presented to Jesus as pure and free from defilements. So Paul warned them of the subtlety of Satan. Subtilty means “adroitness (shrewdness, clever skill, or high ability), that is, (in a bad sense) trickery or sophistry (the use of clever, deceptive reasoning or argumentation that sounds superficially plausible and logical, but is actually false or intellectually dishonest, typically used to trick or mislead).” Paul did not want their minds corrupted. Corrupted means “to corrupt, that is to seduce to evil company or corrupt opinions.” They must be grounded in their faith.

    Paul’s warning: “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:4).

    There are three specific things of which Paul warned them:

    1. Some would preach a false savior: “if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached”: Jesus warned of this: “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:24).
    2. Some would come having a false spirit: “if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received”: There are deceiving spirits. Remember the test of the true Spirit of God: “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 12:3).
    3. Some would teach a false salvation (gospel message): “or another gospel, which ye have not accepted”: There are false teachings of ways to be saved other than Jesus. We know: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

    Paul also wanted them to consider, “ye might well bear with him.” Paul did not want them to listen to, or tolerate, these teachings. This would be wrong. Paul warned them again: “13. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). They are wrong and very dangerous.

    Pastors, teachers, and Christians mature in their faith should be discipling new Believers – and even those who have never grown in their faith. They need to know how to live, why we live this new life, and be warned of Satan’s subtlety.

    Are you grounded enough in your faith to be able to disciple a New Believer?

    Are you faithfully doing it?

  • A Departing from the Faith

    “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”

    Hebrews 3:12

    We are warned of something that will happen in the “latter times”: A departing from the faith. “1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2). The departing from the Christian faith is called apostasy. See what that word means: Apostasy is “a falling away… the act of a professed Christian, who knowingly and deliberately rejects revealed truth regarding the deity of Christ and redemption through His atoning sacrifice. It is different from error, which may be the result of ignorance. Apostasy departs from the faith, but not from the outward profession of it (see 2 Timothy 3:5: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away”). Apostasy is irremediable and awaits judgment. Apostates apparently can only be professors and not actual possessors of true salvation…”

    This is not new. However, it seems to be more prevalent in these days. Jesus dealt with it when He was on the earth. Remember – Jesus knew what was in man’s heart (see John 2:24-25). “64. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:64-66). Even many people who met Jesus (and even became His “disciples”) turned from Him. We have a warning of this behavior: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). They did not believe in Jesus, departing from the living God that walked among them. For those who chose to turn away, that is apostasy.

    The Bible has much to say about those who become a “disciple” (what we might call a Christian today), but later chooses to turn and live that life contrary to what the Bible teaches. There is a great difference between one who professes Christ and one who possesses Christ. One must understand what a believing faith is. Faith means “a technical term indicative of the means of appropriating what God in Christ has for man resulting in the transformation of man’s character and way of life; i.e.: namely, Christian faith; a firm and confiding belief in Jesus and His gospel.” The Bible teaches that when one has true faith in Jesus, that old life passes away for they become a new creature in Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). (See also Romans 12:1-2.)

    Read about one who professes Christ only: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” (James 2:14). Faith in James 2:14, 17, 18, 24, 26 means “simply a knowledge and assent to religious truths without good works and therefore, false faith.” So according to this definition, a person who says they have faith, yet there is no evidence (appropriating what God in Christ has for man resulting in the transformation of man’s character and way of life), that is not true faith; it is a false faith. “17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:17-20). These verses describe a dead faith. Saying one believes in God (or Jesus) does not make one a true Believer. Remember that the devils believe, but we know they are not Christians. The works (transformation of man’s character and way of life) is what reveals whether that one had become a new creature in Christ. Remember what Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). One who does His will reveals the faith that is within.

    Understand the truth of Jesus Christ: His death, burial, and resurrection enabling one to gain a new life in Him: see 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” If you are not sure, Jesus told you what to do: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). Go back and read what the Bible teaches about Jesus and why He came. To search the Scriptures and miss Christ would be a great tragedy. However, after one has learned the truth of Jesus Christ, then chooses to turn from Him, that is eternally fatal. For a vivid picture of this, read 2 Peter 2:20-22. It is a description of one who has heard the truth, maybe even having a temporary outward change, yet ends up turning from that truth. That one has no hope.

    Do you have only a professing faith?

    Or

    Do you possess a life transforming faith?

    How to become saved.

  • Follow Jesus

    “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him,Follow me.”

    John 1:43

    God’s people were to be watching and waiting for the day their Messiah would come. The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, reminds us of that promise. “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple…”(Malachi 3:1a). God revealed that He would send a special messenger to prepare the way before God, Himself, came born as Jesus. The book of John tells us of this messenger who prepared the way, and for whom that way was prepared. “6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light” (John 1:6-8). The man we call John the Baptist was that man sent from God who was the witness who told others of the Light. That light is Jesus (see John 8:12).

    John had baptized Jesus, recognizing that He was the Son of God (see John 1:34). “35. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35-36). Notice that John the Baptist declared Jesus as the Lamb of God. Not only that, but we see that John had disciples. Disciple means “a pupil or learner; more in that it is one who adheres to and accepts the instruction given to him and makes it his rule of conduct.” These men had heard John’s teachings of repentance and had obviously adhered to his teachings. Notice what we learn as we continue. “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus” (John 1:37). From John’s teachings, they understood they were watching for the promised Messiah, and then John declared Jesus was the Messiah. So, they followed Jesus. “38. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye?They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 39. He saith unto them, Come and see.They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. 40. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother” (John 1:38-40). Notice that these men left John to follow Jesus. John had done His job: he had directed the people’s attention to the Saviour of the world, Jesus. Notice that John’s disciples called Jesus Rabbi (Master); yet another indication that they had turned their focus from John to Jesus. They were ready to hear the teachings of Jesus now that they had met Him.

    After hearing the good news that Jesus was the Lamb of God and spending the day with Him, read what Andrew did. “41. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said,Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas,which is by interpretation, A stone” (John 1:41-42). After Andrew believed in Jesus, he immediately found his brother, Simon, and took him to meet Jesus. Today, when a person meets Jesus, becoming a Christian, the immediate response should be to introduce others to Jesus, too.

    “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him,Follow me” (John 1:43). Jesus called Philip, too. What did Philip do? “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). Philip understood that Jesus was the Promised One that Moses and the prophets had written about in the Old Testament. Immediately he went and found Nathanael to bring him to Jesus. (Remember, that is what Andrew had done. Andrew immediately went and found his brother, Simon.) “46. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!48. Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.49. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. 50. Jesus answered and said unto him,Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these” (John 1:46-50). After Jesus told him where he had been, Nathanael believed. Why do you think he would believe after hearing what Jesus told him? (Remember what he must have learned from God’s Word – just as we have learned this from God’s Word. “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” Proverbs 15:3.) Nathanael recognized that Jesus was the Lord. Remember that each person has the choice – to believe or not to believe. Nathanael believed.

    Have you recognized Jesus and chosen to follow Him?

    Have you then introduced your friends and family to Jesus?