What does it mean to be a fan of something or someone? Well, it comes from the word fanatic, and it means that you are a person full of excessive zeal for something or someone. As in, I am a big fan of all things Star Trek, rock music, gardening, or The Office tv show. But, when it comes to Christ, oh, I’m a disciple!
What does it mean to be a disciple of something or someone? Well, there is a difference between fanatic and disciple. Being a disciple means that I am willing to follow the person or cause of which I want to learn and be disciplined. It means that I need to be disciplined and be following in the teachings and understandings of the person of whom I am a disciple.
Being a disciple of Jesus is what we are called to be not just fanatics!
Being a disciple means:
- I am crucified with Christ – Galatians 2:20 -“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”
- It means I am willing to die to sin – Romans 6:1-4 – “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
- It means I live a new life – Colossians 3:5-8 – “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.”
- It means denying self and following Jesus – Luke 9:23-25 – And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?
Are you a disciple or just a fan? Maybe both.
Let’s be fanatic disciples!
I love you,
Alexander