Discipleship

A disciple is literally a follower of a leader.  And as Christians, we are all called to be followers of Christ, to be His disciples.  A Christian is a disciple.

Discipleship is not about a course or a program that certain members of a church take, upon completion of which they become "disciples."

Christian discipleship is the process by which disciples grow in the Lord Jesus Christ and are equipped by the Holy Spirit, who resides in our hearts, to overcome the pressures and trials of this present life and become more and more Christlike.  This process requires believers to respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting to examine their thoughts, words and actions and compare them with the Word of God.

Four key characteristics of discipleship that honors God:-

Firstly, God-honoring discipleship is about remaining in Christ - consistently walking in the way of the Lord, which is a teaching given to believers throughout the whole of Scripture.  It demand that true Christians progress and grow as we remain in Christ.

Secondly, God-honoring discipleship is about obeying Christ.  This is what Christ means when He says that His words remain in us.  Further, the Great Commission demands that we strive to obey everything that Christ has commanded.  There can be no discipleship without training.  And training requires obedience to instructions.

Thirdly, God-honoring discipleship is about bearing spiritual fruit.  If a disciple remains in Christ and is a pattern of obedience, that person will bear spiritual fruit.  Such fruit is inevitable as the nature of the fruit and the source of the fruit are both from God.

Finally, God honoring discipleship is about glorifying God in all that is done.  This is, ultimately, the goal of our lives.

[Extracted from Living Life-July 2012 "Honoring God through Discipleship" by Steven Oh]