A disciple begins with devotion to Jesus
The first dimension of a disciple is that they are devoted to Jesus. That is, this person has become convinced that Jesus is the Christ and that salvation is found in no one else but him. This is where disciple-making begins. It begins when a person turns from their sin and turns to Jesus as the forgiver and the leader of their life. There is no disciple apart from conversion. Jesus modeled this for us. As he picked up the preaching mantle and began to lead the movement John the Baptist had begun, he started preaching a simple message. It only had two points: “Repent and believe” (Mark 1.15).
A conversation that revealed an important question
I remember having coffee with a young man at a crowded Starbucks.
He had been attending a church for several years and was feeling an urge to go into vocational ministry. He asked if I would visit with him about it so we agreed to meet.
As we settled into our seats I asked him about his spiritual journey and how God was moving in his life. He was a lean, sharp young man in his early twenties with a tight haircut, untucked shirt, and pressed shorts. He leaned forward, and with excitement in his voice spent the next half hour talking about how much he loved the people in the church and how he really enjoyed serving in the church youth group.
I listened intently. Then, while drawing my cup up close for another sip I said, “So, tell me when you gave your life to Christ.”
He paused and looked at me as if he didn’t understand the question, so I rephrased.
“I mean, tell me when you became a Christian. How did that happen?”
He mumbled something along the lines of,“I’ve always believed in God. I was confirmed at the age of twelve,” but he was obviously grasping for words.
Explaining the gospel in a crowded coffee shop
That night, I spent my time talking to him about Jesus. I shared with him how much God loves him and that God created him to know Him in a deep and personal way.
I explained that our problem is that sin has separated us from God and we are all cut off from him.
I remember saying, “Look around this crowded coffee shop.”
His eyes scanned the room, briefly glancing at the faces of the people standing in line to order.
“Everyone in this room, and everyone in our world has fallen short of God’s design for them. Everyone of us is separate from God and helplessly lost.”
I could see his demeanor change as he absorbed the heaviness of those words.
I continued, “But that is why Jesus came. God sent His only son, Jesus, to die on a cross. On that cross, he absorbed the wrath of God for us and paid the penalty of sin on our behalf. He died. He was buried. Three days later he rose again, conquering sin and death and the grave. If you will turn from your sin and turn to Jesus, he promises to forgive you and restore your broken relationship with God.”
I let the words hang in the air.
Then I asked, “Have you ever done that?”
After a good while, he simply said, “No, I haven’t.”
In fact, he wasn’t sure he was ready for that kind of commitment. Going to seminary was one thing, but actually following Jesus was altogether different.
The difference between being involved and being converted
As we left that coffee shop, I wondered how many other people are just like this young man – churched, involved, and sincere, but lost.
The first step in becoming a disciple is coming to faith in Jesus.
Paul put it simply: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God that raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10.9).
What biblical conversion really means
A biblical conversion involves an acknowledgment of my sin before God, a belief that Jesus is the Son of God and only his death and resurrection can pay for my sin, and a turning from my sin and turning to Jesus in simple faith.
This is what Jesus meant when he said, “You must be born again” (John 3.7).
Just like you are born into your earthly family, in the same way you must be born into God’s family. That happens through placing your faith in Jesus.
Why even religious people must be born again
Nicodemus was a religious man. He knew Bible facts. He was devoted to ritual and tradition as a Jewish Rabbi.
Jesus told him, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3.3).
A true disciple is one who is devoted to Jesus and has been born into God’s family through faith in Jesus.
This blog features an excerpt from one of our books, Bold Moves.
