ARE YOU A DISCIPLE OF JESUS?

Acts 9:26 (NKJV) And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

When Saul (later, Paul) first became a Christian, the Believers in Jerusalem could not believe it!  They were afraid of him.  After all, he was one of the chief persecutors of Christians in that area.  He had Stephen stoned.  He was, by admission, the chief of sinners.  But he was also, among the people of the land (not the Christians), considered to be one of the best Jews there were.  He was educated at the feet of the brightest - Gamaliel.  He led others in the fight against this new Christian movement.  He was one of the most zealous fighters for keeping the "traditional way of life" of all.  Who could believe that he had been converted into a Believer in Jesus Christ? 

What did it take for them to accept that he had become a disciple?

The answer to that question is the point of our Thot for today, and it lies in the word "disciple." 

What is a disciple? 
A disciple is a person who is under the tutelage and discipline of another.  The key word is "discipline."  It means learning to think, act, and value the way the teacher thinks, acts, and value what he values.  A disciple of Jesus was disciplined to bring his life under control of the Holy Spirit, and to reject the ways of the world as a governing power over one's life. 

Are you a disciple of Jesus? 
Disciples of Jesus don't just subscribe to a creed of ideas they like and agree with; they practice living the way Jesus lived.  That doesn't necessarily mean walking everywhere, dressing in ancient middle-eastern clothing, and the like.  It DOES mean learning to care for others, relate to the Father, and serve Jesus with a whole heart.  It means doing good for others rather than serving self.  It is a transformation of heart and mind that cannot help but change the way one acts and the things one does. 

If you are a disciple of Jesus, you will let the Bible be your guide, studying it to get to know it; you will spend time each day in prayer; you will love the church (Christ did, and teaches us He died for her, so we should love her as much); you will submit to the authorities in the church and out (unless any require you to go against God); you will care for others, even when that's hard to do.  These things are all actions that come from the heart, not the head, if you are a disciple.  If you are a disciple, you won't be able to keep from sharing your faith with others.  If you are a disciple of Jesus, you will not quit on Him; if you do, it will only be temporary - you won't help but come back to Him and His church and His way of life.

Are YOU a disciple of Jesus?

Is there enough in your life to convince others that you are a disciple of Jesus? 
Like Paul (Saul), at first, your life needs to change.  This takes time.  The moment you ask the Lord to be your Savior is a great moment.  But it's not the evidence people need.  God is convinced - He judges the heart.  But the rest of us cannot see the heart.  We can only see the outside.  We, the people (we, the church) need evidence that you've changed.  That evidence comes by a changed way of living and doing things.  Does that evidence show up in your life?  How? 

This is a great challenge for all who take it seriously.  Those to whom we profess to be a Christian will be looking for that evidence (the believing and the unbelieving alike). 

If you haven't had time to show it, do you have someone to vouch for you while you start to show it?  Is there someone who witnessed your conversion?  Your Baptism? 

We all make mistakes.  Being a disciple is not about getting it perfect.  It's about a life change.  Do you clearly want and do things more in line with the will of Jesus?  When you don't, are you saddened, humbled, and willing to make the changes needed?  Or do you quit.  For the disciple of Christ, quitting is not an option.  One cannot quit being what one is.  If you are now a child of God, you cannot quit being a child of God.  You have only one course of action - be a child of God!  That is what a disciple is.  He is not a student at a school that he can dis-enroll in.  He is a new creature - and he practices living a new way of life.

Be the disciple, Christian, that you are.  Don't live in such a way that others cannot tell that you are a Christian.  God may just do something through you that changes the world.  He did with Saul (Paul). 

And that's Just a Thot for today!


May you be blessed in your discipleship today!