Discipleship = Love

By Chad McComas

We make discipleship too hard. We have classes, textbooks, seminars, methods, resources, sermons, door-to-door efforts, shame…

I may be too simplistic, but when I read what Jesus had to say about being a disciple it gives me a clue what discipleship is really all about. Notice:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” John 13:34,35

It seems that to be a disciple I must love other disciples. If I have hard feelings towards others in the church, in the fellowship, in the body of Christ…then I’m not really a disciple and I’m not really showing discipleship. How often do we see Christians “dissing” each other when they are not of the same opinion or of the same tradition? No wonder the world around us isn’t too excited about “joinin’” up. Why would they? Why would anyone want to be part of Christ’s disciples when those inside can’t get along?

John made it a point in all of our writings in the Bible to point out just how basic and important love is. He says: “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did…anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” 1 John 2:6,9-11

There are many “blind” believers in our midst. It is so easy to justify why we don’t get along. We can rationalize that it isn’t our fault we can’t get along. It has to be the other person’s issues and closemindedness…can’t be ours.

Yet…the words of Jesus tell us: “All men will know that you are my disciples IF you love one another.”

If…so it is up to us! We are disciples IF we love. Nothing else. That simple.

So, how do we love? “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7,8

“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

I’m so glad that love comes from God! It certainly can’t come from me. I can’t create love inside...it is a gift from God. Paul told us that love is definately part of the “fruit” of the Spirit. If God lives inside of us...we will love!

Paul said: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22,23

When I’m born of the Spirit...I get the Spirit’s fruit. I then learn to love as God loved me. As I learn to love God...I learn to love God’s people, His disciples.

Discipleship = loving God, loving each other. The rest means little to our Lord who wants us to follow Him.

Chad McComas writes from Medford, Oregon. info@thechristianjournal.org