DEFINITION OF A DISCIPLE
March 8, 2010
As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way. - 2 Corinthians 6:4
Let us not measure how we are becoming like the Christ upward from a zero mark of nothing, but rather downward from the hundred mark of his example. – Adapted
In our passage under consideration, 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, we read of the hardships of Paul. In fact, that is the title of this section in my NIV. Woven in amongst the hardships are some character traits of a true disciple of Christ. He, Christ, suffered hardship, deprivation, torture and death. Paul’s life mirrors his as he displays similar lifestyle traits of his Master. We would do well to live similarly as we go about our life. We may not be called to such hardships, praise God. But we are called, none the less, to live like Christ.
The first trait we find is endurance. Hardship certainly calls for endurance, but standing firm in the face of peer pressure can wear on one’s Christian witness, not to mention, one’s perseverance. We, too, must endure, carry on. Second, we are called to purity, a holiness of living and a clean heart. We must remain clean while living in a dirty world. That is tough to do. Understanding is the next trait that we need to display in our life. We must be understanding with those who are still held captive by the world and Satan. Our understanding is displayed by our “patience” and “kindness” (6:6).
We can 0nly have all the traits listed as we live “in the Holy Spirit.” His fruit will be shown in how we live. Our openness to Christ and our closeness in following his example will be seen in how we interact with our world. A hallmark of that closeness to Christ’s example is seen as we display “sincere love.” In a world that thrives on lies, we will be distinctive with our “truthful speech.”
We are engaged in a spiritual warfare. The victory for all was won by Christ who lived with “the power of God.” We, too, can manage a victory only by being filled by and trusting in the same divine power. We must be real, “genuine.” There must not be any hypocrisy in us. Despite hardship, trouble, or persecution we must live “rejoicing.” I believe that, somewhere and somehow, we have missed the joy of the Christian life.
Perhaps we have missed the joy because we have missed the “nothing.” Caught up in the worldly pursuit of and the possession of things, we have badly missed the mark. Paul wrote, “Having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” Everything we truly need is found in Christ. In the world’s view, the true disciple has nothing and is nothing. Few, if any, of us meet that definition. I, sometimes, worry about that in regards to my own life. Maybe we should rejoice that God’s grace has granted us an exception to hardship. Then again, our world richness may be hindering our discipleship. You can see my own ambivalence regarding this. I suspect you may have similar feelings.
We must rededicate ourselves again to following Christ regardless of where it takes us, whether into nothingness or into plenty. Nothingness or plenty matter little. Christlikeness is “everything.”
OMG, today have your way with me to make me into your own likeness as seen in Jesus Christ. Amen.
copyright 2010 by Richard Hugh Manlove
I read today in devo about a man who had purchased the cocoon of an Emperor moth. The moth finally began to emerge. After hours of struggling the moth seemed to not be able to free itself from the cocoon. The man cut away the cocoon and a moth with an enlarged body and small wings emerged. The man thought the insect would eventually turn into a beautiful emperor moth and fly away; however, the moth never changed and died in a few hours. God made the moth so that the struggle of freeing itself from the cacoon would force fluids out of the body into the wings. Could this also illustrate the transformation that takes place in the disciple that endures the hardship to become beautiful?
Good stuff.