Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Revelation

Can You Be a Christian Without Being a Disciple?

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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.

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When Tragedy Strikes

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When tragedy strikes our lives, it can be difficult to see past the pain. We know God is still there and our hearts are still towards Him.  Still, our day to day activities can become daunting and our vision blurs.  All we can see is the pain immediately before us. In these times the best we can do is to stay focused on Jesus. He is the One who calms the storms (Matthew 8:23-27). Only He is going to be able to pull you through safely to the other side.

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The world will offer its temptations, its own versions of comfort and false solutions, but we know better. Jesus has brought us this far, and He will see us through.  God is God when the times are good, and He is still God when the going gets rough. His love for you does not change.

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Nominal Christians

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I despise blasé Christianity. Nominal Christians have done great damage to the Kingdom of God from the inside out. Nothing agitates me more than a nominal Christian. I know, because too often I am one myself. When we practice Christianity in name only we do a great disservice to our Lord. The term Christian is supposed to mean we look like Jesus. Christians, by definition, live for Christ.

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These days, it has come to mean many things and rarely does it mean someone who has completely devoted their lives to serving Jesus and building His Kingdom. In fact, I’m pretty sure those of us who choose to stand firm in the pursuit of Jesus are going to be branded as being politically incorrect and out of step with modern society. Good. I’m okay with that. They said the same things about Jesus.

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Go All the Way

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While apparently never finding truth himself, Buddha is credited with a wise quote I find applicable to our Christian walk. It is reported he said, “There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth…not going all the way, and not starting”. How tragic it is for anyone who never embarks on a journey of pursuing Christ. I don’t understand it. I can’t even conceive how they get through a single day.

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I find believing in anything but Jesus requires far too much faith and suspension of disbelief. But that is all fodder for a different article. Since I’m assuming most if not all the readers of this blog believe Jesus is indeed the Son of God, I want to focus on those who begin their faith journey but quit too soon.

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Church on Auto-Pilot

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Recently I was reading a challenge I thought was so good I had to pass it along. The challenge was to think of all the ways you attend church on auto-pilot. Most tend to park in the same spot, sit in the same seat, and talk to the same people. We don’t even think about it. So, what could you do differently next week to step out of your comfort zone and do something you have to think about rather than coast on auto-pilot?

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image © Stuart Monk via Fotolia

What if you reached out to someone you’ve never met and struck up a conversation? What if you gave up your favorite parking spot so someone else could have the shade? Most of all, what if we made the point of our worship all about Jesus?

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