Go Therefore and Make Disciples

Go Therefore and Make Disciples

Matthew 28:18-20  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Along with telling His disciples to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 16:15), Jesus Christ commissioned them to make disciples from all nations.

A disciple is a learner, a follower of Jesus Christ. These disciples are not made by coercion or enticement, but must be called by God (John 6:44) and must of their own free will respond to this call.

Those who respond will follow Peter’s teaching in Acts 2:38, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

It is the job of the Church of God to teach “all things” Christ has commanded—the entire message of the Bible inspired by God. This is a daunting task and a lifelong commitment.

Acts 11:26 tells us, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

The word “Christian” means “a follower of Christ.” The word “disciple” in this same verse means “student” or “pupil.”

• A Christian is not merely someone who professes to believe in Jesus; rather he or she is a follower of and a student of Jesus Christ.
• Being a Christian is an ongoing lifelong process of following the example of Jesus Christ.
• A person who claims to be a Christian should demonstrate his or her belief by living the way Christ lived—doing what Christ did—and avoiding what Christ avoided.
• Christianity is a way of life. The disciples of Christ will follow Him and work at patterning their lives after His life.

There is a lot more to being a Christian than first meets the eye. To follow Christ, we must study His life and see what He did and how He lived. The apostle Paul instructed Christians to “imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, emphasis added throughout). We are to imitate or live our daily lives following Jesus’ example. Being a Christian goes far beyond just using the title “Christian” or having an emotional experience of “giving your heart to the Lord.”

 

 

 

 

A Christian is working to overcome sins and is busy working at becoming more like Jesus Christ, and trying to become “perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

 

It is a lifelong effort, not just merely a one-time emotional decision or experience. And it is a commitment that has eternal rewards—to inherit the Kingdom of God with our elder Brother Jesus Christ forever!  Amen