Discipleship part 3
"Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be)" (Matthew 28:19-20 AMP). The great commission, right? Go and save souls... right...? Well... let's look at it. Baptizing people--which I preached and Ranted about many times--is about immersing people. And the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the Lord Jesus Christ. So we're really not (supposed to be) concerned with giving people fire insurance as much as drenching them with the God who is love. Which is precisely how we make disciples! A disciple is a student of love. Being loved and loving each other isn't something we're just expected to do. And I totally believe that there is an aspect of this love that lives inside of us that comes out completely naturally. But for the most part it's something we learn. And we learn how to be loved by letting someone love us. Not by trying to earn it... but simply by receiving it. And that can sometimes be the hardest thing in the world. Because we have this mindset that says, "Work hard and get as much as you can." So we often feel like--or at least I often feel like--if someone just GIVES me something then I don't deserve. Kind of a poignant thought on my birthday, eh? I really think it's hard sometimes to just receive though. It's easier to take something--good, bad, or ugly--if we feel like we deserve it. But that's not what love is all about. That's not what discipleship is all about. How important that Jesus hits home the fact that He will be with us all the days of our life. Perpetually. Uniformly. On every occasion. Every day in every way. No matter what. He loves us when we're at our best, and He loves us when we're at our worst. He loves us not because of what we do... but because of who we are. And who HE is. He is our loving heavenly Father. We are His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Being baptized in His name--and I'm not saying anything at all against the awesome experience of water baptism--is about being immersed in His NATURE. His love for us flowing through us. I'm telling you... the only real way to make true disciples is by following the New Commandment. By loving them the way Jesus loves us. By showing them a more excellent way. By affirming instead of condemning. By serving instead of demanding to be served. By sharing what you've got instead of trying to get something. By letting the love that you are loved with overflow out you. Naturally. Not "faking it 'til you make it." Not forcing it. Not, "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine." Simply... I love you. Daddy loves me and that means I have love to share with you. I'm a student of love. I'm learning what it means to be loved, and what it means to love. And I'm learning with you. Practicing on you. Making you a disciple, even as I am a disciple.