Ephesians

Can You Be a Christian Without Being a Disciple?

February 13, 2020 by Tim Sherfy

I heard a caller on a radio show ask, “Can you be a Christian without being a disciple?” I have been wrestling with this same thought of late. Before diving in, we should define the terms, so we are all on the same page. The term “Christian” now means many things in our world, but for this discussion, I mean someone who has trusted Jesus is who He says He was and has surrendered their lives to His Lordship.

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A disciple, again for our discussion, is someone who is constantly and consistently pursuing Jesus, desperate to live their lives as He lived His. My inclination is to say you cannot be a Christian if you are not a disciple. I could be wrong but let me give you some reasons for my belief, and then I’ll say a few words about why I might be wrong.

A New Creation

December 26, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

When you give your life to Jesus, everything changes. It’s not only your eternal destiny that changes, but your life right now is transformed. God gives you a new identity. Everything you’ve thought about yourself is no longer true. You are no longer what anyone else has labeled you. You are no longer limited by your own beliefs or those of others. When you make Jesus Lord of your life, you become a child of the King.

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From that moment on you are not a failure, you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). You are not an aimless wanderer, you are a person of purpose, created with unique gifts and talents to accomplish things for the Kingdom of God only you can do (Ephesians 2:10). Your old limitations and fears no longer apply. You are a new creation in every way (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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Friendly Fire

December 19, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

It seems to be in vogue for Christians to attack other Christians publicly, decrying their stances on issues with which we may disagree. I am 100% about standing on Biblical truth. If we’re going to do that, we need to stand on all the truths of Scripture, not just the ones we choose. I recently was forwarded an email originally from a prominent person in Christendom. In the email, the individual called out many professing Christians for their stance (or lack thereof) regarding a particular sin.

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The list included corporations, athletes, and entertainers. There’s something wrong with us if the best use of our time is attacking fellow believers in Christ. Each of us has sin in their lives. We also must recognize not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a true follower of Jesus. As many before me have pointed out, it is far better to be declaring Who we are for rather calling out those things we are against.

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Controlling My Reactions

November 21, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

I struggle with controlling my reactions. When someone says something to offend me, or does something unscrupulous, or even holds an opinion diametrically opposed to my own, my reaction to those people can get me in trouble in a hurry. I want to be loving and given time to formulate my words, I do my best to say things that build people up, not tear them down (Ephesians 4:29).

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But at that moment of a split-second reaction? I don’t fare so well. I know I’m not alone in this as it’s easy to observe the way others react as well. Still, I know controlling my reactions is important to living a life that looks like Jesus.

Doing the Work

September 12, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

Without a doubt, we are saved solely by the grace of God; there is nothing we can ever do to earn our salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). On our own, we are all disqualified from salvation, because each of us has sinned and fallen short of God’s standard for eternal life (Romans 3:23). If not for the loving grace and mercy of God, we would all be lost and without hope. Thanks to His love though, we need not despair.

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Because of His amazing grace and the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, we can be saved from the hopelessness of sin. We can have hope because death is not the end for those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. I believe the sincerity of our faith is proven by doing the work He has given us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Our salvation is free, but it is not cheap.

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