Dr. Duke Jeyaraj put the biblical ingredients of discipleship in an acronym D-I-S-C-I-P-E
Who is a disciple of Jesus? What the Bible teaches on this can be put in acronym, D-I-S-C-I-P-L-E.
D for“Dearest”
Jesus’ words in Luke 14:26—“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” is THE requirement for Discipleship. We love our phones and even perhaps our ministry more than Jesus! Sad! No one or nothing should take the position of Jesus in their lives. He should be the one who is truly the dearest in their lives.
I for “Instruction-follower”
Someone wrote, Used thirty times in the Book of Acts, the word “disciple” speaks of one who is “learner, seeker or student” is “learner” learns the Words of Christ. This “seeker” seeks knowledge about Christ. He obeys instructions without asking questions. He says, “We must obey God rather than man!” (Acts 5:29).
S for “Stay-in-Jesus-Presence”
Mark records the purpose why Jesus chose disciples: “And he (Jesus) appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him…. (Mark 3:14).” Suzanne Watts Henderson writes, “he (Jesus) establishes (here) the Twelve (disciples) for the primary purpose of continuing in his presence.” To do much for God, we must be must with God (as they say).
C for Carrying the Cross
This brings us to another call that Jesus issued to those who desired to be his disciples: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:27).” But hasn’t Jesus carried our Cross and thundered “it is finished”? John Stott’s explanation here is helpful: “In this way, one might say, every Christian is both a Simon of Cyrene and a Barnabas. Like Barnabas we escape the cross, for Christ died in our place. Like Simon of Cyrene we carry the cross, for he calls us to take it up and follow him.”
I for Invite via Evangelism Efforts
The disciples were called by Jesus to invite others to the Kingdom of God (Mark 3:14). He further writes, “…the character of discipleship as a community organized to support missionaries reaching out to others with evangelistic urgency and to maintain a witness by the very quality of a community life was there from the beginning.”
P for People-Lover
Certain Bible characters who were addressed as “disciples” have excelled in serving people they met in practical ways. Herbert Lockyer writes these lines about little-known Bible character Mnason: “This early disciple from Cyprus accompanied Paul on his last journey, and Paul lodged at his hospitable home (Acts 21:16).”
L for “Led”- Being Led by the Lord and the Spirit
Luke records that the “disciple” Ananias was led by the Lord through a vision to be of spiritual help to a new convert of the Christian faith, Saul (Acts 9:10-17). Disciple Ananias clearly told Saul it was the Lord Jesus who sent him to be of help to him (Acts 9:17).
E for Endurance
Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 14:62). A true disciple of Jesus must be willing to endure till the end, come what may. Rose Dowsett put it this way: “Jesus’ call to his disciples is a call to embark on a journey, a pilgrimage, lasting all the rest of our lives.”
Let us be faithful-unto-death disciples of Jesus in the One life we have!
Are you a Jesus Disciple?
(Dr. Duke Jeyaraj, who lives in Hyderabad, India, is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission. Find out more at http://www.dukev.org.)
