CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP

It was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who says: When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. You would observe in our previous discussion the emphasis we placed in separating discipleship and followership. This is paramount at this stage as we observed the conditions for becoming a disciple. Discipleship is not a life of enjoyment; presumably dinning and winning in the Holy Ghost. It is a life of commitment not only to enjoy Christ but to suffer and die for Him (Acts 21:13; 5:41).


What are the conditions of been a Christ’s disciple:


  1. Born Again (John 3:1-7; 1 Corinthians 2:13-15). You can’t discipled an unbeliever. He first has to come to the knowledge of the Master.
  2. Self-Denial (Matthew 10:32-39; 16:24). Self is an easy thing to discard with. Been a psychological construct, it is the reason for our existence. Self is why we are better than another. It is our means of expression and uniqueness. Now, Jesus is saying that anyone who decided to follow Him must throw his uniqueness and means of existence in garbage. This will now be his confession: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians 2: 20).
  3. Leaving all (Luke 14: 33). Do you know the difficult involve in leaving all? Kindly read Matthew 19:16ff with sense of humility and you will discover what difficulty it involves when you have to leave all—certificates, honours, wealth, etc.
  4. In John 8: 31, Jesus makes steadfastness and continuity in His word as conditions to sustain discipleship.


We cannot exhaust what God required of those who are taking the decision to follow Jesus. But it pertinent to note that it is hard training and God required a life of separation for those who would follow Him in discipleship manner.

This study is sure to continue

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