ChosenRebel's Blog

Thursday is for Discipleship

There is a myth in the Christian community that goes something like this: “If we really live passionately for and like Jesus, the world will beat a path to our doors and follow us to Jesus.” It’s a myth.

The reality is that if we follow Jesus, really follow Jesus, not pretend to follow Jesus, not just admire Jesus and sing love songs to Jesus, and feel all warm and  cuddly when we think about Jesus, but rather, we really live passionately for and like Jesus–the result will be that the world will eventually hate us. Not just disagree with us, not just consider us crazy or backward or irrelevant–they will hate us. That’s what Jesus said. Check it out for yourself:

Matthew 10:24-25 (ESV)
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

It’s a myth to believe that if you live passionately for and like Jesus everyone or even most people, will love you. No. If you live like the Master, if you say the kind of things that the Master of your soul said, if you use every breath to point people to God, and live for the glories of heaven rather than the trinkets of earth, if you hold up the will of God as the supreme value of your life, you will be “maligned.” You will be called names, horrible names. You will be “persecuted” said the Master-echoing Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:12, for “all those who desire to live godly in Christ will be persecuted”.

But Jesus still says, “It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.”(Matthew 10:25a) 

So here’s the question: Is it enough for you to be conformed to the image of Christ, if the result in this life is persecution, sorrow, and the maligning of your good name, maybe even worse, maybe even death? Is Jesus still enough?

Church planters: Preach that way. Live that way.

Brothers and Sisters, leaders and followers, young and old, rich and poor, black and white, first world and third world: Preach and live this way everyday and one day, the Master will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant, … enter into the joy of your Master.” (Matthew 25:23)