Disciples aren’t just people who show up on Sunday to put out a good image to the world. Real disciples follow Jesus, imperfectly but authentically, and it changes who they are and how they live their lives.
We are called to be disciples whose lives are an act of worship to God. When we live this way, God gets a hold of our hearts and transforms how we think, how we love, and what we hope for until we are almost unrecognizable.
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17 New International Version (NIV)
“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
John 13:7 (NIV)
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NIV)
Just like God has brought us back to Him and transformed our lives, part of our act of love and worship is to bring other people that same hope.
Spreading the love of Jesus can truly be anywhere while you’re doing anything, even softball or social media.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
There will come a day when you don’t have to hurt anymore, and you don’t have to suffer, and you don’t have to go back to the addictions, and the struggles and you don’t have to sell yourself short anymore, you don’t have to do any of that anymore, that’s not who you are.
Being a disciple isn’t about suddenly being perfect. God is the only perfect one.
Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
Being a disciple also doesn’t mean everything is always amazing and there’s no trouble
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)