Are You a Christian or Disciple?
What type of fruit are you producing?
The term Christian means “little Christ”. Part of being identified as a Christian should involve an association with being like Jesus. Jesus was a reflection of the Father, and we are to be a reflection of Jesus. So, what does it look like to “be like Jesus”?
Salvation and Multiplication
Romans 10:9 states that If you declare with you mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. It is easy to become a Christian because there is really no effort needed on our part. Salvation comes with verbalization of Christ’s Lordship, and belief that He lives today. It cannot be earned, but is freely given to all who accept this eternal truth. However, if we are truly obeying the command of Jesus, we would be making disciples, not just converts to Christianity. Some of the last words of Jesus before he went back to the Father in Heaven are found in Matthew 28:19: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything that I have commanded you”.
To make disciples, we must first be a disciple. A disciple is a follower or student of Jesus. We have been commissioned by Him to go and make other disciples, who (if obedient to the teachings of Jesus) in turn should be making more disciples. This principle of multiplication to cover the Earth was not a new concept at the time Christ spoke this command. Adam and Eve were told to multiply and fill the Earth in Genesis 1, and Noah’s family were told to multiply and fill the Earth in Genesis 9. The Great Commission was Jesus restoring a Heavenly mandate from the beginning to increase and cover the land with those who represent His kingdom. There are far too many people who make the decision to become a Christian without responding to the mandate that we Christians were given to reproduce. When Jesus talked about how to see a true or false prophet, He said that we would know them by their fruit. He also spoke about recognizing true or false disciples: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me ‘Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name and in your name, drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers’” (Matthew 7:21-23). The words of Jesus in this scripture should motivate us in our walk with Him to know Him and do the will of the Father. A disciple knows their teacher and studies to learn all that they can from them. Jesus came to Earth to model for mankind what the Father looks like. Jesus said that when you look at Him you see the Father because they are one and the same. As disciples of Christ we should not only be a reflection of who Jesus is, but we should be teaching others how to be a reflection of Jesus as well. We will produce fruit after our own kind, just as would any seed-bearing plant. A disciple’s desire is to know and follow in their teacher’s footsteps. Don’t just know of Him, but really learn to know His ways. As we interact with others, we want to represent who Jesus is to them through our actions. Teach others what you have learned and model for them what it looks like to be a disciple. My prayer is for all who come to the knowledge of Christ to reproduce after the one who they are reflecting. This is the will of the Father, that the world may know His great love for them. Go and make disciples who will be fruitful and multiply.
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