Anything else besides predestination or free will.

Good idea and good question.

I happen to believe that discipleship is salvation. In the great commission Jesus didn't tell us to go into all the world and make converts. He told us to go into all the world and make disciples.

That being said, I understand how you would tire of all the threads talking about the nature of salvation.

I, in my teaching, tend to see discipleship as a very simple thing to explain. You read the Word of God, and then, relying on the Holy Spirit, you obey the Word. That seems to be the way Paul explained it over and over. While it's easy to explain, it's definitely harder to live.

I, too, would be very interested in what others have to say.

 

This is a good question. I think the essence of discipleship is learning to be what we have been declared to be - righteous. It has less to do with how we act outwardly and more to do with what we are becoming inwardly. Too often "making disciples" has to do with teaching people how to act in ways that are expected. We ought to spend more time teaching people how to think Biblically, and once the mind has been renewed the right actions will follow.

 

True discipleship = being conformed to the image of Christ; becoming more Christ-like in thought, word and deed. It is a lifelong process that will be fully realized at our glorification.

Romans 8:29-30

 

To be a disciple is to be a follower. One obeys that which one follows.

The hitch with Christianity is that we cannot obey on our own and need the rebirth of the Holy Spirit and His indwelling to be able to love as we should love and obey as we should obey. So, in that sense, discipleship is the outflowing and natural response of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit after a person has been born again.

Edit: I almost did not even open this thread because of the title....

 

I am with helen. A disciple is a follower. Discipleship to me is investment in another person or people in order to help them learn to accomplish a task on their own. (not be a clone)
I consider regenerating church musicians (which is part of what God has called me to do) as discipleship, as well.

 

regenerating church musicians? Is this another thread or can I ask what in the world that is?

Joseph Botwinick

 

Teaching old ladies to turn from their organs to keyboards????

 

True discipleship is teaching and discussing the issue of predestination or free will. Okay, just kidding, but I couldn't resist.

 

In the past the issue of being over-ridden with C/A issues was solved by opening a C/A forum.
HINT

 

Because the calvi vs armin forum was shut down and the argument needed somewhere to spill into. I liked it better when there was a designated forum for it. It was easyer to ignore. Kind of like the KJVO forum.

 

Somewhere along the way I was taught that discipleship is related to discipline - you can see the common word root. So it would be one that is participating in a discipline - hence, we have within our doctrine of the church something we call "church discipline". So if this is the case, discipleship would have to be more than just sitting and learning, it would also involve the exercise of faith and holiness under the authority of the word. ??

 

Do you think that sometimes in our churches discipleship is seen as something that only the pastor or church leaders can do?

I see it more as a joint effort with as many church members as possible helping in the process of a new Christian learning how to be more Christ-like.

 

lol, Joseph. Regenerating church musicians is my term. There is such a need for them at least in my experience, and I feel part of my calling is to create them. But not to be clones of me.

As for discipleship, I see it kind of like Paul/Timothy. Paul poured himself into Timothy's life, but Timothy was ready to receive it as well. Its a 2 way street.

 

Tiny:
Good discussion. I was thinking along the lines of Tater. Do you believe that a new convert (a true one) is given a desire to be discipled by the Holy Spirit? So many times new converts must be hunted, chased and begged to avail themselves of the opportunities that the Church offers for personal growth and ministry. What's the answer?

 

GLC,
I think its comparable to the parable where the seed's effectiveness is choked out by the cares of this world. That passage seems to be saying that in that case the fruit was what was hindered, not the salvation of the person.

I guess in those cases we try to help them become interested in something spiritual, and then help them grow through that.