CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP – Part 6 - by Leland Earls

CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP – Part 6 - by Leland Earls

[This article is posted by Joel Jones with permission from Word of Life Fellowship, Shelton, WA.

To contact the owners of the copyright to the writings of the late Leland Earls, please visit www.wordoflifefellowship.com where several writings are available online.

More online articles by Leland Earls are availbable at www.firstloveministry.com ]

In the last part of our study, I was dealing with the "proofs" of Discipleship. I will quote one scripture I was dealing with again, because there are some further thoughts I want to share in its application. In John 13:34-35, we read: "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

I pointed out that the word for "love" here is the Greek word agape, which always indicates the Divine kind of love which is unconditional. It is based primarily on an act of the will, not on "feelings". It is a word of action -- the willingness to do good (even to sacrifice) for the well-being of another, regardless of how one may "feel "towards that person. It is a self less, sacrificial act of giving simply because of the value of the object loved, with no motive of receiving in return.
Jesus based this love on His own example, for He commanded them to love (proving their discipleship) "as I have loved you." I pointed out last time that this expression of love was based on what Jesus did before His supreme act of love in dying for them on the cross, so just how did He show this agape love towards His disciples while He was living with them?

I answered this in part in the last issue by saying that I believed it was expressed, by His unconditional commitment to His disciples. Refer back to what I wrote in "Part 5" of this series of studies. Essentially, my point was that in spite of all that Jesus had to "put up" with in the problems, inconsistencies, unbelief, hardness of heart, etc., of these men, (which would "try" the patience and commitment of even the Son of God). He never wavered in His loyalty to them or ever used any occasion to "cut off or "break fellowship" with them. Even Peter's betrayal was used by Jesus as a "living lesson" in agape love as He restored Peter to fellowship; and even cemented a stronger relationship between them than ever before (read John, chap. 21).

The thing that disturbs me is that Jesus said that the proof of our discipleship is that we would love one another AS (with the same kind of unconditional commitment) He loved them. Yet I find that most Christians do not have that kind of love commitment, that refuses to let any misunderstanding, offense, difference of opinion or doctrine, personal irritation or rivalry, etc., break the bond of agape love and fellowship between them. On the contrary, it seems that most Christians tend to "break fellowship" as a regular practice over offenses or differences which are far less drastic than anything experienced between Jesus and His "erratic", hard-headed disciples. Yet Jesus' unconditional love surmounted all personal difficulties and "cemented together" a relationship between Himself and His disciples that made it possible for these men, even after Jesus had finished His work and ascended to the Father, to confront the world with a unity of love that demonstrated a gospel witness with power and world-shaking results.

When Christians, for various reasons already mentioned, are tempted to "break fellowship" -- or even worse, as often happens, end up in quarrels, debates, strife, anger and enmities, a choice has to be made: go "the way of the flesh" and divide, with no further fellowship possible; or take seriously discipleship to Jesus Christ and obey His Word in Mt. 5:23-24, 18:15-17, with a view to understanding, forgiveness and reconciliation. When offences arise, as they surely will (Mt. 18:7), one can choose to ignore Jesus' agape love of unconditional commitment and "break fellowship!' or we can choose to follow the path that Jesus gave us by His example and "build a bridge" to a stronger relationship than ever existed before.
Pondering the matter of proving our discipleship by loving one another as He loved His disciples, besides the demonstration of His unconditional commitment to them, I believe a further demonstration of this love was his willingness to serve His disciples. On one occasion He said to them: "I am among you as he that serveth.” (Lk. 22:27). Then in Mt. 20:25-28, He exhorted His disciples regarding serving one another as the only path to greatness, and then declared, "just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Since the gospel accounts are very brief and give only "sketchy" details of Jesus' day to day relationship with His disciples, we don't know all of the ways Jesus may have served His disciples. But if we are to take His words seriously, then He must have ever been seeking ways in which to be a servant to them. We certainly can't limit such "service" to just the one classic example of His washing the disciples feet as recorded in John, chap. 13. I'm sure His service to them was a daily matter throughout their sojourn together.

If we are truly Jesus' disciples, then the proof will be a "servant's spirit" to all of our brethren in Christ. Any spirit of self-promotion, self-ambition: wanting to draw others to ourselves to get whatever recognition, praise, support, etc., that we desire; or "using" others for our benefit in any way, is certainly contrary to the spirit of "service", and seriously lacking in understanding of what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus Christ Beloved, I have only "scratched the surface" in this presentation, but I hope you can begin to perceive that Discipleship to Jesus Christ is not an option for those who would be changed from self-centered, immature, offense-prone, irresponsible spiritual babes and children, to a complete re-orientation of one's inner and outer life around a Christ-centered "passionate" pursuit of following Him all the way (regardless of the cost) as Teacher and Lord, seeking to please the Father in all things and growing into maturing SONS: who seek first the Kingdom, live for others, and become responsible, trustworthy, loyal and faithful "candidates" for the "elect" company who shall be "called higher" to RULE WITH Christ in His Kingdom GLORY.

One more thought on the perspective of our love to others -- as Jesus loved. Only two places in the Sermon on the Mount is the word "son" used. One of the fundamental attitudes given inn Mt. 5:1-11, which must BEcome an integrated part of the character of those being "disciplined by Jesus Christ is declared as follows: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." Here the Lord indicates that those who are maturing into "sonship" have grown out of the spiritually infantile state of fighting, quarrelling, taking offense, getting mad, separating, etc., and have become active peace-makers: forgiving, apologizing, making amends, fostering harmony, seeking solutions, obeying Mt. 5:23-24, 18:15, 21-22, Gal. 6:1-2, "building bridges", and acting as a reconciling force wherever necessary, that harmony, peace and unity may prevail among brethren at all times wherever possible„ And the place where such peacemaking must begin and be practiced at all times is the home. Then extending out to others. How about you? Are you actively putting into practice this "mark" of growing sonship?

The other place in the Sermon on the Mount where the Greek huios ("son") is used is found in Mt. 5:44-45. I commented on this passage in Part 5 of this study so will not repeat here. It is quite obvious, however, as we ponder the emphasis that Jesus' makes in these passages, is that the goal of Discipleship --"sonship" (spiritual maturity) is irrevocable connected to how we relate to others with agape love; learning to fulfill Jesus' commandment that "ye love another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Both in Mt. 5:9 and 45, the King James version has wrongly translated the Greek huios as "children". The Greek word for "children" is teknon and is correctly translated as such in the King James version in Mt. 7:11. Remember, as you meditate on these passages, that the focus of Jesus' teachings, as well as that of the whole New Testament, is that it is SONS who shall be "brought to glory" (Heb. 2:10), not spiritual babes and children.

THE PRIZE OF DISCIPLESHIP

This brings us to the next point of our study: the ultimate "prize" which awaits those who have "given their all" to Jesus Christ, to be disciplined by Him as their absolute Teacher and Lord. I had previously indicated that Peter had raised the question: "Lo, we have left all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" (Mt. 19:28). Jesus answer to them, as recorded in Lk. 22:28-30 assured them that they would be WITH Him in HIS KINGDOM, sharing His intimate fellowship and rulership: "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones -judging the twelve tribes of Israel." I had commented previously on Jesus' similar words as recorded in Mt. 19:27-29, and His "veiled reference to the 100 fold catagory of "overcoming" Christians. Certainly the "twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev. 21:14) will have a special place of authority and relationship to Jesus, "judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Mt. 19:28), but ALL of the 100 fold catagory of Christians will also be "called up higher" to "rule with Christ" in His Kingdom Glory.

Jesus made it clear in Mt. 4:1-20 that His Word-seed produces three categories of Christians (4:20); the 30 fold, 60 fold and 100 fold. The same three groupings are given in a different parable form in Mark 4:26-29 as "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Now stop to think You do not go out to your garden and pull up new "blades", freshly sprung up, or even green or half-filled "ears", but only that which is ripe (the "full grain in the ear"). Do you think that God acts any less intelligently than man!

Only the 100-fold (full -- mature -- grain in the ear) Christians will ever go UP to be lift-up out of that which is earth-bound, and to function in the "freedom" of glorified bodies. The 30-fold ("blade") and 60-fold ("ear") Christians will be "left in the earth" (or brought back through resurrection) in order to continue to "ripen" (mature) during or after the millennium. These will have immortal physical bodies: living in perpetual youth and health, but still earth-bound. Sometime after the millennium or beyond, they will have the opportunity to have their physical bodies changed to glorified bodies.

Jesus called disciples because He had a "calling" (vocation) for them to be prepared for (to be WITH Him as co-rulers over this earth and its inhabitants in the coming Kingdom age.) Likewise, Jesus apprehended the apostle Paul, not only to preach salvation to the gentiles, but also to explain to these saved gentiles this "calling" (which he termed a "mystery", "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men" (Eph0 3:1-11), that the Gentiles, along with the Jews are to be formulated by God's grace into a "new organism" (body), to be "raised up" to "sit" (and "rule") with Christ "in the heavenlies" (in the atmospheric envelope surrounding our earth -- with headquarters in the New Jerusalem which will be lowered into our upper atmosphere). Thus in the "ages to come" (Ephes. 2:7, 3:10) the Lord will be demonstrating His wisdom, and the riches of his grace through these "elect" ones who will be helping Him to "shepherd" the nations.

It is God's desire and challenge for all saved to heed this "calling". Unfortunately, however, even as Jesus declared, "many (saved) are called, but few are chosen ("elect"). Why? Because it requires "diligence", as emphasized by Peter's epistle: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election (choice) sure; for if ye do these things (read all of II Pet., chap. 1), ye shall never fall ("stumble" or "fall short" of the "calling") -- II Pet. 1:10.
A careful study of Paul's writings makes it clear that he clearly understood the difference between salvation and "the calling". In II Tim. he tells us that God "hath saved us, AND called us with an holy calling" (II Tim. 1:9). He tells us clearly to what we are called in I Thess. 2:12: "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory." Inheritance in that Kingdom of GLORY (functioning: in "glorified bodies" like unto Jesus -- Phil. 3:21), cannot be ours just because we are saved, but because we are willing to submit to the "call" and requirements of Discipleship to Jesus Christ. Paul uses the term "the PRIZE of the high calling" (Phil. 3:14), for which he said that he had "suffered the loss of all things" that he might WIN Christ and His kingdom GLORY (Phil. 3:8) founded on Jesus' words. Jesus did not use the word "prize", but he implied the same thing by the use of such expressions as "reward in heaven" and "treasures in heaven. For example, in one of the beatitudes, Jesus said: "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven. "It seems reasonable to assume that only those living a life of dedicated discipleship would run the risk of being so persecuted. A "reward" is not a gift (as salvation is), but definitely points to the "heavenly prize" for those who put forth a conscientious and zealous effort to fulfill the commands of Jesus and to conform their inner life to the principles of kingdom truth and righteousness.

Another expression Jesus used is "treasure in heaven". In Mt. 6:19-21, Jesus admonishes: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Did you ever consider the question: "how does a person who has been saved lay up treasure in heaven? I want to show this by a passage referred to before in a previous study, but I think it best answers this question. In Mt. 19:16-22, Jesus dealt with a young man concerning the question of how to obtain eternal life. Having settled that issue according to the requirements of the Law covenant, which was still in force at that time, the young man then indicated his desire to do more in His relation to God, and asked, "what lack I yet"? Jesus answered him in terms of the goal of discipleship (SONSHIP) and said: "If you wish to be perfect (complete, spiritually mature), go sell your possessions, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven, and come follow me."

First, we need to note that "treasures in heaven" is something beyond "eternal life" -- that "life", whether received through the old Law covenant (provisionally), or through the new covenant of grace (in positive possession), "Eternal life" ("age-less", or "age-resistant life") is a life that can be lived right here on earth (when the full kingdom is ready to be manifested) in a resurrected or changed immortal body -- and will be by all saved under the old covenant, and by most saved under the new covenant -- simply because most Christians have not been taught what is required to gain that "higher calling" of "treasure in heaven" (the heavenly, glorified, kingdom realm where Jesus and His "elect" will rule over this earth.)

Jesus' answer to the young man was essentially the same as we shared under the section on the "Priorities of Discipleship" -- that the "heavenly treasure" ("prize", "reward") can only be attained by "forsaking all (undue attachment to anything) for Jesus", by investing the priorities of our lives in totally giving ("title to") ALL that we have and are to Jesus, and centering all the focus of our lives on loving and pleasing Him above everyone and everything else.

After pondering this matter, in this section on the "Prize of Discipleship", I think I can do no better than to reprint an article I called "The Gift and the Prize" which was first printed in the "Manifested Sons" booklet #1, although it was first written over twenty five years ago Those of you who have read this article will benefit by re-reading it, and I know there are many on the mailing list who have never read it. May God bless and add to your understanding.

[Note: Leland Earls’ original mailing of this “Part 6” of “Call to Discipleship” was indeed followed, at this point in the document, by “The Gift and the Prize.”]