Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:24-25
Jesus lived in total obedience to His Father and exemplified that man can live in the same way. He said to His disciples “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [24] He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” John 14:23-24. A proof of our love and devotion to God is that we live in total obedience as He did. Yesterday, we said that the practice of obedience is essential to all who are disciples because this is the mark of sons. We also mentioned that the heart beat of the Lord Jesus is for His Church. This should be the chief joy of all who will be disciples.
Sharing in labours of love is a key to our consecration as disciples. 1 Corinthians 12:6-7 says there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. [7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. A disciple is sharing in the labours of love when he identifies the gift God put within him and uses it to God’s standards with love and a heart of service. This service however is done from a place of friendship with the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, John 3:29-30. From this angle, the disciple will not be concerned with the praise and rebuke of men, because he seeks to please His friend and Lord only.
Often times, like in the case of Jesus, those who are being served may not appreciate it. They may even the ones to persecute. In the case of Jesus, those who He served tirelessly cried out “Crucify Him”. This brings us to another key. Being a disciple of Jesus therefore also means we have the same loving disposition to persecution that He did. Jesus never decided to stop His labours of Love because people reviled Him. Paul was settling a dispute in the Corinthian church where one of the saints defrauded another and it resulted in a court case. You would think Paul would rebuke the offender or validate the offended. Instead he said in 1 Corinthians 6:7 “Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” In our culture where people fear being doormats, this may not be readily acceptable, but it is the Word of God nonetheless.
Being a disciple of Jesus is no easy task, but it is possible and most rewarding. We are to take up our cross and die on it daily. Paul encourages us to examine ourselves, 1 Corinthians 13:5. He said in 1 Corinthians 11:31, For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. It is good to have self examination on how we are fairing in the light of what we have learned of Jesus by observing Him. This is the last key to note. If we sit down daily before the judgement seat of the Holy Spirit and let Him tell us how we are fairing, we can be sure He would point out areas still needing work, but we will also appreciate the growth we have experienced by observing Him and living as He did. The beauty of being a disciple is that where He is, we will be also, John 14:1-4. Not as servants but as friends, because He gives us a unique insight into all that He does. This honour is exclusive to friends of God.
Prayer for today: Lord Jesus, I appreciate You. Thank you for not living us in the dark of what man should be. You came and lived out what man in the image of God looks like. Jesus help me to love like you loved, even those who revile and offend me. Give me Your kind of love that is patient and kind and does not keep record of wrong. The kind of love that will turn the left cheek and not leave the post of service because of an offense. Lord examine me, I already know I fall short in many areas, lead me in the path of life, for You are my God in Jesus name. Amen.
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