Christ-like

“Go and make disciples” - Jesus

At first glance, these four words seem simple, sweet, and straightforward, right? But honestly Jesus made this a little vague. I wonder what Jesus really meant by “disciple.” Why didn’t he just say believer or Christian? Why “disciple”?

Over the next several articles, I want to dive into what Jesus meant by saying “disciple” and what that means for us now living in the 21st century.

Before we even start talking about discipleship, however, let’s talk about being a Christian. We often use the word Christian to talk about our religious affiliation which is great and true. When we break down the word Christian though, it takes an even more personal twist. The suffix “-ian” means like. When we say Christian, it literally means Christ - like.

Wow, that’s challenging! How many times do I fail in being Christ like? A whole lot… But the goal of the Christian life is to become so close to Christ that our hearts beat in the same rhythm with Christ’s, and our actions are completely aligned with Christ’s actions.

This doesn’t just happen. It implies a journey, a conversion, and a clarity in direction. It is essentially the task of DISCIPLESHIP.