THE DEVELOPING DISCIPLE
A formal definition stating the purpose of Christian discipleship would be something along the lines of, "to conform to the image of Christ." Or, in simpler terms, "to be like Jesus." Considering the monumental nature of this objective it could rightly be said that Christian discipleship is a journey and not a destination. Meaning, as a disciple of Christ you never "arrive" because there is always another step. While this never-ending journey might sound discouraging at first glance, the actual process resembles a piece of iron being drawn closer by a magnet rather than someone trying to climb an endless set of stairs but never getting anywhere. Therefore, it is not until we are finally clothed with immortality will our journey for Christlike perfection be brought to an end. This ending reminds me of a poem Robert Murray McCheyne wrote:
When I stand before the throne
Dressed in beauty not my own,
When I see Thee as Thou art,
Love Thee with unsinning heart;
Then, Lord, shall I fully know-
Not till then-how much I owe
With this in mind, the natural question that should arise is, "what sort of things does this lifelong journey of discipleship entail?" Jesus-speaking to His own disciples about the conditions of discipleship-explains simply and succinctly in one verse:
Luke 9:23
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Jesus is essentially saying, "any disciple of mine must do three things: first, deny himself; secondly, take up his cross; and thirdly, follow me." Therefore, from this verse, we can gather three specific actions and three specific objects that a person must deal with on this discipleship journey toward Christlikeness.
It is safe to say that in order to fully understand the intricacies of discipleship taught here by Jesus, each of these three specific actions-along with their correlating specific object-should be observed in their original verse sequence. Thus, "follow" should not come before "take up" and "take up" should not come before "deny" due to the fact that the insight gained from the first action will lay the foundation for the second and similarly the second for the third. In other words, there is no motivation to do number three if number one and two are not first completed in successive order.
For clarity and simplicity each of the three main actions and its object will be labeled as developmental phases while the secondary points within each of these developmental phases will be called sub-phases.
DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE 1: DENY SELF
The first action that Jesus says His disciple must do is "deny," which denotes the act of casting aside, putting down, or utterly rejecting. The correlating first object that this action is referring to is "himself" or simply "self." When put together, the first developmental phase in Jesus' chronology (or time-line) of discipleship is to "deny self." Meaning, to set aside, put down, or utterly reject a person's own being. While this may sound quite impossible it is actually a paradoxical statement, as the following sub-phases will explain in further detail.
SUB-PHASE 1-SALVATION: A SPIRIT ISSUE
With additional study of Scripture it is possible to see that this command from Jesus has several levels or various meanings to it. The first, and most important, sub-phase involved in becoming a true disciple of Christ is to know Him personally, an act identified as salvation. Naturally, unless a person has come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ it is impossible for them to genuinely grow in Christlikeness (outwardly perhaps but never inwardly due to the lack of the Holy Spirit's presence).
Building upon this idea of denying self in the salvation process, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" In another of his epistles, Paul makes similar comments by writing, "We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with" (Rom 6:6).
With this in mind, the command to set aside a person's own being becomes somewhat clearer. It deals with the unregenerate (lost) sinner who recognizes his plight and plunges into the forgiveness available through Jesus' shed blood (Rom 6:23). Therefore, this first sub-phase is the total rejection of a person's natural, sinful, and old being in order to receive (become) Christ's new, cleansed, and spirit-filled creation. This is the non-negotiable foundation upon which all subsequent discipleship is built. Again, without this first step there is little motivation to deny your flesh the sinful and worldly passions that it so often craves.
SUB-PHASE 2-TRANSFORMATION: A MIND ISSUE
Once the old self of sin has been cast aside and the new person of Christ has been put on the action of denying self is still not complete. This brings us to the second sub-phase, which deals with the transformation of the mind.
Even though the sprit, after salvation, is a new creation the mind will still invariably be stuck in the old body's habits and until this second area (the natural mindset) is also denied or cast aside the disciple will never be fully ready to move to the next sub-phase let alone the next developmental phase. It is within the mind that the battle over the flesh is won or lost. Therefore, this particular sub-phase deals not with salvation but with embracing God's mindset in order to also embrace His perfect will, direction, and path for the disciple's life. The old agenda and habits must be denied in order to receive the new; both cannot co-inhabit within the same person. Like oil and water the two do not and cannot mix. Such a person is, "a double-minded man, unstable in all he does" (James 1:8). [Even though the context of this verse in James deals with a person asking God for wisdom yet, at the same time, doubting that he will receive it, it can rightfully be applied to the situation of a person trying to have the mind of Christ yet, at the same time, is unwilling to give up the world's mindset.]
Paul has much to say this in Romans 8:5-7
"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so."
While it is easy to dismiss the references to the "sinful nature" and "sinful mind" as speaking about non-Christians, Paul is actually warning the believers in Rome (as well as believers today) that such a rebellious attitude can still be held by the Christian who is not submitting fully to the Spirit's control. Paul also emphatically stresses that such a sinful mind, even when held by a Christian, is hostile to God, cannot submit to God, and cannot please God (8:8). Therefore, the mind is literally one of the greatest battlefields known to mankind because Satan and his host of fallen angels know that if they can control the mind they can control the entire rest of the person's being; while Christian's cannot be demonically possessed due to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, they can be demonically oppressed, which will greatly influence that Christian's actions. Speaking again on this subject of the mind's importance Paul says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then [and only then] will you be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will" (12:2). [See also, Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:1-17; 1 Cor 2:16b; Phil 2:5-11]
Paul is not the only one concerned about the believer's mind. Jesus Himself states that the first and greatest commandment is to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt 22:37). Meaning, no part of the heart, soul, or mind should not belong completely to God. Likewise, Peter weigh in on this subject when he says, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Pet 1:13-16). Peter would not have told his readers to "prepare your minds for action" if he knew that there would be no internal conflicts. However, Peter warns the believer that he must prepare his mind for the inevitable struggle that will occur within it. The unprepared mind is as defenseless against Satan's attack as a mud hut against conventional weapons. Over and over and over again throughout Scripture you can read of the spiritual war raging around and within each of us. It is amazing the amount of "battle lingo" used (James 4:1; Eph 6:11-12; 2 Cor 10:3-6; 1 Pet 2:11; Rom 7:23; Gal 3:22-23)
SUB-PHASE 3-CRUCIFIXION: A FLESH ISSUE
The third sub-phase of this first developmental phase, again, uses the same language yet, at the same time, embodies a totally different concept. Whereas the first dealt with the spiritual and the second the mental the third deals with the flesh, which cannot be overcome without spiritual salvation and mind transformation. While the first two sub-phases consisted entirely of internal and invisible issues this third one reveals the external and visible actions of the Christian life. Even though these actions can be mimicked by the non-Christian, without inner victory they cannot be sustained for very long or in adverse and trying situations. Therefore, in denying self the disciple of Jesus must also learn how to set aside, put down, or utterly reject the flesh, which is referred to in some translations as the "sin nature."
Speaking on this issue of flesh crucifixion, or, in other words, bodily submission to the Spirit, Paul says this: "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24). Meaning, that the obedient disciple has decided to not be mastered by the flesh but to master the flesh through the Spirit's power. Earlier in the same epistle Paul used similar wording in order to convey the exact same meaning: "I have been crucified with Christ and I [the flesh] no longer live, but Christ [and His Spirit] lives in me" (2:20a). Two passages with further articulate this flesh crucifying principle of denying self are found in Romans 8:9-14 and Galatians 5:13-25.
The initial act of denying self, salvation, is a one-time event that never needs to be repeated and, in actuality, cannot be repeated. However, the old self or sin nature that was crucified, dead, and buried continually tries to resurrect itself and reclaim ownership of the body through the desires and weaknesses of the flesh, which is nothing more than the earth-suit that the soul wears as it awaits its ultimate and eternal glorification in heaven. If the disciple is not careful to continually die to self and live in the Spirit he will eventually end up indulging the old nature instead of rejecting it thus falling back under sin's destructive influence.
Not surprisingly, Paul also addresses this issue of self vs. Spirit control in both Galatians and Romans. In Galatians 6:7-9 Paul warns his readers about the universal law of the harvest: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." In Romans 13:13-14 Paul recommends the following: "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." For a further example of the struggle between the desires of the sinful flesh and the desire for holiness read Romans 7:7-25.
CLARIFICATION ON DENYING SELF
The previous explanations on the above three sub-phases focused primarily on what "denying self" meant and consisted of, perhaps it would also be wise to define what this action does not mean and does not consist of; especially when dealing with the topic of denying the flesh or body. For example, denying the flesh does not mean that a disciple must starve himself, physically harm himself, or expose himself to certain unhealthy situations. It also does not mean that the disciple can only wear old worn out clothes, drive an old dilapidated car, eat only the blandest of foods, and sleep on the floor. Pain, misery, and sickness do not automatically bring a person closer to God nor "cleanse" the body of sin as some have taught in the past. There is nothing wrong with luxury, health, or comfort in the disciple's life if God has graciously seen fit to bestow them.
There have been those throughout the history of the Church that have claimed that the way to true holiness is through physical self-abasement Meaning, in essence, self-ordained torture. Such people try to restrain or repress the sinful tendencies of the body with harsh forms of physical punishment like licking floors clean with the tongue, crawling long distances on hands and knees, or even hitting the body with whips. To a small degree this is also what the Catholic priests are doing when they impose a physical sentence upon someone at Confession. The penitent person tries to absolve their sin, or at least show their sincerity, through some outward action even when this is taught nowhere in Scripture! 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess (period, nothing more and nothing less) Christ will be faithful in forgiving and forgetting our sins as well as purifying us from our unrighteousness.
Those that support this harsh treatment of the body have wrongly used several different passages in the Bible. One such passage if found in 1 Corinthians 9:27 which says, "I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." When Paul wrote these words he did not mean that he literally physically beat his body. The context of the preceding verses (starting at vs 24) show that Paul is using the illustration of an athlete training vigorously for a competition. The actions of such an athlete are focused on a specific goal and performed with the object of achieving that goal rather than aimlessly performing any task. In the athlete's strict training, diet, and mental preparation he, symbolically speaking, brings his whole body into subjection. Paul is merely comparing the way he "trains" spiritually for spreading the gospel to the intensity in which a world-class athlete trains physically for competition, and it just so happens that some scholars have translated this idea as "beating the body." Furthermore, verses 19-23 reveal just what kind of physical "punishment" Paul puts his body through and incidentally you find no references to self-mutilation. Therefore, those who physically torture the body are only half right. Sin does creep into the heart, soul, and mind through the fleshly lusts of the weak body, however, the remedy is not physical mutilation but rather developing a mindset toward righteousness and constantly living in the Spirit, which are guaranteed to override any of the body's moral weaknesses (1 Cor 10:13).
Another passage of Scripture used to support the harsh treatment or mutilation of the body is found in Matthew 5:29-30 which says, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." When Jesus spoke these words He did not mean for them to be taken literally. Jesus' teaching here in Matthew 5 addresses the faulty mindset of the Pharisees who were more worried about the outward appearance than true inward purity and holiness. Jesus was stressing that the inward motivation heart was just as important (if not actually more so) than the outward action of the hand. The following statement about gouging out the eye or cutting of a limb was a drastic overstatement made for the express purpose of driving home His point to those who were listening. Moreover, Jesus often employed this homoletical practice of exaggeration in His teaching (Matt 19:24, 23:24). Jesus' point illustrated the seriousness of sin in God's mind as well as the extent a person should (symbolically speaking) go to in order to rid themselves of all sin. Again, any sin can be successfully dealt with by living according to the Spirit whereas self-mutilation leaves you minus an eye or limb but still trapped in sin.
Paul dealt with this wrong interpretation of "denying self" in his letter to the church at Colossi: "such regulations [false teachings] indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence" (2:23). Meaning, that even after a lifetime of harsh physical treatment the practitioner would be no more righteous than when he began. Scourging the body doesn't cleanse the soul; again, confessing sins to Jesus Christ does (1 John 1:9).
Examples can be seen throughout Scripture and the modern-day church of both rich and poor believers, low and high standing believers, hungry and satisfied believers, sick and healthy believers, welcomed and persecuted believers, as well as believers in many other diametrically opposed situations. Therefore, the believer must seek God's personal direction in his life in order to find out just what exactly the command to "deny self" actually means in the context of material and fleshly possessions because it will differ drastically from person to person. However, no matter what the circumstance, Paul has some good advise in Philippians 4:11-13 for those who pause to read it: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
This first developmental phase with its three sub-phases entails a huge adjustment. This phase will invariably take many years in order to cultivate because the human nature is naturally selfish and the act of "denying self" is a new concept that must be learned and written over the previous self-centeredness, which seems to bleed through every now and then. However, with this surrendering and denying the disciple is able to release everything he desires in order to get everything God desires for him, which is a more than fair trade. All of a sudden our rights become privileges given by God who may or may not see certain things as advantageous to spiritual growth. Nevertheless, for every shovel full of "self" that a disciple scoops out and tosses aside God takes His infinitely bigger shovel and scoops a heap of Himself into the disciple.
While the apostle Paul wrote frequently on this subject of denying self in many of his epistles perhaps the best example can be found in Philippians, which Paul wrote from prison. However, the resounding theme of this short letter is joy and rejoice (Phil 1:4, 1:18, 1:25, 1:26, 2:2, 2:17, 2:18, 2:29, 3:1, 4:1, 4:4, 4:10). Over and over again Paul told his readers to rejoice or to have joy in every circumstance even though he was behind bars and uncertain of his next day's life! Only a disciple who has learned to deny his spirit, mind, and flesh could possibly say, and mean, such things (Phil 1:21). With spirit salvation, mind transformation, and flesh crucifixion Paul could honestly declare: "Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him" (Phil 3:7-8). While these are exceptionally hard words for any disciple to honestly speak, in truth, Paul realized that he could lose it all in order to gain even more. Paul not only understood but practiced the act of denying self, which is the first item upon Jesus' discipleship journey.
Two final thoughts for this developmental phase are: first, denying self is a never-ending action; and secondly, the paradox of this phase is to empty yourself in order to be full.
DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE 2: TAKE UP THE CROSS
It is now time to look at the second developmental phase in Jesus' time-line or chronology of building a mature disciple. The focus changes from denying self to taking up the cross. However, before I continue with the sub-phases of this action and object series I would like to reiterate the importance of the sequence. As I have already said several times, the order in which each of these three phases and their sub-phases are undertaken is important. You cannot skip over or neglect a preceding step and still achieve the goal of increasing Christlikeness any more than you could skip over learning how to add and jump straight into a calculus class. Each phase has its own unique set of lessons and tests, which properly prepare you for the next. If you choose to omit the "denying self" phase in order to proceed directly to "taking up the cross" you will be woefully unprepared to meet the requirements of this stage and only end up frustrated. By trying to sidestep any part of Jesus' curriculum you will only end up sabotaging yourself rather than speeding up the process. If you think of it in terms of physical strength, it would be like trying to lift 200 pounds when you know you can't even lift 50 yet.
With this in mind, let us focus our attention upon what it means to "take up the cross." To begin with, the life of the disciple is not just an endless process of laying things down through the denying of self but it is also just as much a matter of picking or taking things up. The key to this phase is the same as the first-being sensitive to the Spirit's directing-however, in this case, it deals more with the awareness of the things God would have His disciples to take up rather than the things He wants His disciples to put down. Therefore, just as there are certain non-negotiable things which must be cast aside there are also certain non-negotiable things which must be taken up. After casting aside the old cloak a new one must be put on or the disciple will be left unprotected and exposed to attack. Thus, with the Spirit's guidance, the process of "taking up the cross" becomes one of learning how to determine the difference between the valuable and invaluable. Being able to tell the difference becomes imperative when you realize that Satan and his fallen angels have sown many damaging and destructive landmines among God's blessings and beneficial provisions. Again, if you were to think of it in physical terms, it would resemble being able to tell the difference between fool's gold and real gold. Why carry the dead weight of useless rocks around when there is an abundance of gold to be found?
This illustration of being able to evaluate between common rocks and gold can be taken a step further to portray the inseparable and important link between Jesus' first two developmental phases. For example, picture a man who is only strong enough to carry a total of 50 pounds at any given time. As he starts down life's road he is carrying a 50-pound rock. Some time into his journey he comes across a 50-pound bar of pure copper. At this point the man has reached a dilemma. He knows that he cannot carry both the 50-pound rock and the bar of copper at the same time, but he also knows that the copper is more valuable that the rock. Tossing aside the rock he picks up the copper he continues on his way. Further on he comes across another 50-pound bar but this time it is made of pure silver; again the dilemma and again the same response. Naturally, he tosses aside the copper, picks up the silver, and continues on his way. Not much further on he comes across a 50-pound bar of pure gold. For the third time he is faced with the same dilemma and again for the third time he casts aside the less valuable in preference for the more valuable and continues on his way. As he continues to walk he periodically passes 50-pound rocks, copper, silver, and counterfeit gold bars. In fact they are so numerous he has to be careful that he doesn't trip over any of them; however, he never thinks twice about discarding the pure gold that he is carrying in order to pick up any of the others.
I have said all that to say this: Let the man in this illustration symbolize the disciple desiring to become more like Jesus. Let the rock be a picture of that disciple's own will for his life and the pure metal bars be pictures of God's progressive will for that disciple's life. Starting out all the disciple has is his own will, which is useless in God's economy. However, the disciple soon comes across a valuable piece of God's will for his life. Because of what he learned in the "denying self" phase and "taking up" phase he quickly discards his will for God's. He also knows from the "denying self" phase that he cannot carry both his will and God's at the same time. As the disciple continues to walk upon life's path he will periodically come across a fuller and more valuable piece of God's will for his life. When he does he is faced with the choice of continuing on with what he has or casting aside the less valuable for the more valuable. However, Satan has also placed counterfeit bars along the path not only of copper and silver but also of gold in hopes of catching the eye of the disciple and ultimately misleading him. Imagine how appealing a gold bar must look to the disciple carrying only a copper one and imagine how quick he might be to cast aside the pure copper bar for what he thinks is a pure gold one when, if fact, it is nothing more than a painted rock. While all of this might sound a bit simplistic my purpose for taking the time to include it is to show how important it is to not only learn how to cast aside the invaluable things of Satan but also to learn how to take up the real and valuable things of God.
SUB-PHASE 1-CARRY THE CROSS
There are several things that stand out in this second developmental phase that could possibly be viewed as sub-phases. The first is to "take up" not "drag around" the cross, and the second is to carry "your cross" not "someone else's." To often Christians, leaders included, see taking up their cross as a burden rather than a blessing and therefore drag their assigned cross around in the dirt behind them. This attitude gives a negative picture not only to other Christians but also to the non-Christian who is supposed to see a peace and joy that surpasses understanding abiding within and gushing out of every follower of Christ. Paul says in Philippians 2:14+15 to, "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." Complaining and arguing accompany the work of the Lord so often that some who have grown up within the church have never seen a time when Christians were not engaged in it. When complaining is going on the focus is off of the Lord and His work and on the individual called to participate in it. The attitude of, "I'll do it but that doesn't mean I have to like it," brings with it hateful division instead of loving unity. In Philippians Paul was basically telling his readers not to whine but rather to shine. One of the fruits of the spirit is JOY!
This concept of the cross being a blessing rather than a burden can be applied to the disciple's life perfectly with an illustration of the marriage ceremony; and because Jesus calls the church His bride this illustration doubly fits. In the marriage ceremony when the man and woman joining together to become husband and wife want to show each other, as well as those gathered to witness the event, that they now belong exclusively and only to each other they place a ring of ownership upon the finger of their partner. This small band of metal symbolizes everything that that marriage stands for whether it is staying together in sickness and in health or staying together in poverty or wealth, etc. This ring is now an identifying mark that tells everyone who looks that this person is now no longer available to anyone else. The same is true of the Christian, the cross is an identifying mark that tells Satan and his demons just who this Christian belong only and forever to. Also, in a healthy marriage relationship this ring does not become a burden to wear physically, mentally, or emotionally. Those involved in a healthy marriage do not roll out of bed, look down at their hand, see their ring, and then groan with misery at the thought of carrying it around all day. The same should be true of every Christian every morning as they roll out of bed and "take up their cross daily." Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to keep the proper attitude not only about the Christian's relationship with Jesus but also the responsibility given by Jesus. The cross should be a pleasure not a pain, and a delight and not a distress. Study the attitude of the writer behind these verses:
Romans 8:18
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
2 Corinthians 4:17
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."
1 Peter 4:12-14
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."
SUB-PHASE 2-CONSENT TO YOUR CROSS
The second problem or sub-phase within this second developmental phase comes when a person tries to take up someone else's cross instead of the one Jesus has for them. The root of this problem stems mostly from a person deciding what they want to do for the Lord rather than asking God what He wants them to do for Him. The Christian caught in this trap follows his will and tries to get God's stamp of approval upon it rather than following God's already approved, provided, planned, and perfect will. Since God is omniscient and omnipotent (all-knowing and all-powerful) compared to man's finite mind and limited strength the outcome of a person following his own will is rather obvious, it is marked and headed for disaster.
The position of a pastor within the church is great but if everyone became a pastor the church could not function. Paul speaks extensively about the subject of diversity within the church-one body with many parts-in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. If everyone was an eye where would the mouth, legs, hands, arms, feet, or ears be? God is not in the cookie cutter business that spits out the same thing over and over but rather individually molds and crafts unique people. In order to become a godly leader the maturing disciple needs to stop looking around at other Christians for direction and start asking God what it is He wants him to do. Taking up the wrong cross is comparable to trying to stick the wrong caliber bullet into a rifle, which leads to one of three possible outcomes: first, it will not fit into the rifle; second, it will fit into the rifle but do nothing; and third, it will blow up the rifle. Regardless of these different possible outcomes there is one thing in common with each, the bullet went nowhere. If the disciple is going to make an impact upon the world for Jesus Christ he must "take up the cross" that was made for him just as Jesus did when He was born, while He lived, in death, in resurrection, and finally in ascension back to God in heaven.
Ephesians 4:11-16
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
1 Peter 4:10-11
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."
Romans 12:4-8
"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
1 Corinthians 12
The paradox of this stage could be stated in two ways: release in order to hold; or hold in order to release. Meaning, when we release things to God we usually end up holding on to them and when we hold on to the important things we end up releasing the unimportant.
DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE 3: FOLLOW JESUS
Likewise, if you skip the first two phases and try to follow Jesus without first denying self or taking up your cross you are in for a disappointing ending. Much like heading out to a classical music concert (right place) but showing up dressed in a bathing suit (wrong attire). Thirdly, you can deny self, take up the cross, and then neglect to follow Jesus by following your own plan. This would be like having the right tool but ending up going to the wrong jobsite. Even if I have every possible tool known to man for fixing a car yet when I got to the jobsite realize that I need to unclog a toilet and don't have the right tool for the job I would be worthless and unable to do the assigned job. In order to have victory you have to get three out of three and in the right order.
After successfully progressing through the first and second developmental phases on the time-line set forth by Jesus in Luke 9:23 a maturing disciple has accomplished what could be called the "exchanged life;" he has exchanged "self" for "cross." However, as important as it is for the developing disciple to get here the process is not yet complete, there is still a third and final developmental phase. This last phase's action is "follow" and its object is "Jesus." Therefore, after putting aside the hindrances and putting on the helps a disciple must now learn to "follow Jesus." This third developmental phase can also be broken down into two sub-phases: the first deals with what it means to follow while the second deals with the road that Jesus and His following disciples walk upon.
As I said earlier, you can have the first two steps right. You can deny self and desire what God has for you. You can take up with joy the cross that God has specifically designed for you. However, if you decide to now follow another person or yourself all the hard work you just did becomes void and to no effect. Following where Jesus leads is a must in order to become like Him. If you don't follow Him you will most likely end up in some pit He tried to lead you around or end up stepping on something that is going to cut up your feet and hinder your walk. Follow someone else they may lead you wrong, die, or mess up then where would you be?
SUB-PHASE 1-THE RHYTHM IS SYNCHRONIZED
During His life upon the earth Jesus was well known for telling those He met, those gathered around Him, and those asking questions of Him to "follow me." This command is recorded over twenty times in the Gospels. Also, the Greek word for "follow," akoloutheo, is used over 75 times in the Gospels in reference to following Christ. Such a repetition of and emphasis on this specific entreaty surrounding Jesus clearly indicates its importance. In order to fully understand the process of becoming a godly leader the disciple must not ignore the significance of "following Jesus" but rather must carefully investigate every aspect of it. Therefore, with this in mind, what exactly does it mean to "follow Jesus?"
The word "follow" can imply many different things; some of which are not going in the opposite direction, not running ahead, not lagging behind, not wandering to the left, and not drifting to the right. However, "following" is walking in perfect unity of step directly behind another to the extent that the learning pupil immediately occupies the lead person's just vacated footprint. By stepping from footprint to footprint in this way the pupil, or disciple, becomes very much like a shadow, which does not mean that he is void of substance but rather moving in flawless synchronization with the One casting the shadow. In truth a shadow, just as a reflection within a mirror, is not capable of doing anything that the Caster is not doing at that very moment. Such beautiful and precise harmony of motion should be the desire of every mature disciple. However, even if a disciple does learn how to perfectly follow, the action, yet neglects the direct object, Jesus, all the previous effort up to this point has little to no lasting value. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance not only to learn how to follow but also to make sure that it is Jesus that is being followed.
3 Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?
Amos 3:3 (NIV)
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Gal 5:25 (NIV)
SUB-PHASE 2-THE ROAD IS SKINNY
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matt 7:14 (NIV)
5 My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
Psalms 17:5 (NIV)
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalms 119:105 (NIV)
13 For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
Psalms 56:13 (NIV)
45 I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.
Psalms 119:45 (NIV)
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:12 (NIV)
The Paradox of this stage is, Follow in order to lead (1 Cor 15:58)
Conclusion
If I can be honest with you after thinking about all this, do you know where God showed me where I was on the "discipleship scale?" Was I at #3 following Him or #2 taking up my cross? No, I was all the way back at step #1 still struggling to deny self!
I tell you what, that took a bit of the wind out of my sails. I am still fighting with giving up my plans for my life in order to embrace God's plans for my life. I think I know better or I am complaining to Him or I am just plain unwilling to move. Perhaps this is the hardest, longest, and most complicated step there is but I doubt it.
God is doing something in my life even though I can't understand what it is or where He is leading and I am probably moving slow because I am scared. I keep wanting to have God shine a headlight out into the future to show me what I will be doing moment by moment for the next 50 years. Do you know what God said to me? Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
Do you hate it when God does that! I have a light unto my feel so that I can only see the next step in the path so that I have to trust God that where I am going is the best for me. I am also reminded by God in Isaiah 55:8 that, "my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways."
