Passing the Test
Today’s Verse:
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. ~John 13:35
The goal of every Christian life is that we testify of our commitment as disciples to our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the task of the Great Commission. We are to go and teach all nations. The Greek word for "teach" is where we get our word "disciple" from. Jesus repeatedly taught His disciples about the importance of being vital disciples. We are to be committed as disciples, and we are to be making disciples. This morning, we want to examine one of the key traits of a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is the title of discipleship.
The Greek word for disciple means “a follower of a teacher.” It has the idea of someone who has devoted himself to following the precepts and practices of a teacher. In the context of the Christian life, our testimony is to bear witness that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Master, Mentor, and Model. As disciples, we are to follow Him in faith, philosophy, and fervency. Our testimony is to bear resemblance to everything about Him. We are to be so like Him that there is no misunderstanding on anyone’s part that we are His disciples.
There is the test of discipleship.
A key test of discipleship is: do we love one another? Loving one another is perhaps the most difficult aspect of discipleship. Loving one another implies no favoritism or prejudice. It implies going out of my way for another believer, even when doing so is a hardship. It implies loving that other believer in spite of an open sin. It implies loving that other believer even if he has disappointed and hurt us. When there is hostility and reluctance that believers have to each other, the outside world sees this as hypocrisy and a poor model of Jesus Christ. They have no desire to be a part of something where there is no fervent charity among fellow believers. Loving one another includes loving those who are unlovable.
There is the task in discipleship.
Loving one another is to be a premeditated and unbiased discipline. This task calls upon us to be proactive in our love. It calls upon us to be sacrificial in our love. It calls upon us to be patient in our love. Loving one another will require us to take the high road when we have been offended or hurt. It calls on us to forgive seventy times seven times. It calls upon us to heap coals of fire upon one another’s head.
There is the trademark in discipleship.
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples....” Is there a better marker than to see Christians loving one another? Love attracts and does not repel! Love gathers and does not thrust out! Love gives and does not take! There is something that is attractive and magnetic about Christians who have a purposeful love for one another. It stimulates unto love and good works. It is the trademark of a spiritually healthy believer and church. It demonstrates a church that is serious about its representation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
True discipleship demands that we love another with a pure heart fervently. Cultural, financial, and educational differences should not divide believers. What draws all believers together is the special love that should flow from every heart for fellow believers. Do you love other believers without any reservations? Is your love motivated by what others are doing for you or by what you should be doing for others? Follow the love test that the Lord Jesus left for us, and make sure that your branding is testifying that you have an uninhibited love for other believers in Jesus Christ. Can you pass the test of discipleship?
Have a committed God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Nehemiah 12-13