I was in a small group the other day when someone asked if one could be a Christian and not hunger for God. That’s a good question isn’t it? I have another one, an you be a Christian and not be a disciple of Jesus? In the Western World many would immediately answer yes, but if you come to the Word of God you would have to say no.
“Christian” is the main term for followers of Jesus, but it is only used three times in the New Testament. Three times, but the word “Disciple” is occurs over 260 times in the New Testament. Dallas Willard said, “The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples of Jesus Christ.”
To be a disciple is a way of life. If you are a disciple you are a follower and following is not an option. You either follow and are a disciple or you do not follow and you are not a disciple. Think about what Jesus called us to do in the Great Commission—He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus didn’t call us to go and get converts—Jesus called us to go and make disciples. Jesus told us to make disciples by baptizing them and by teaching them to obey Him. In other words, He taught us to make disciples by teaching them to follow Him. That means as we follow Jesus we are to teach others to follow Jesus.
The Twelve left everything to follow Jesus—they hungered more for Him then they did for earthly things. With the exception of John, everyone one of the Twelve died a martyrs death (Judas is excluded from this, but it is true of his replacement)—they hungered more for Jesus than life itself.
Bonhoeffer saw the danger of “un-discipled disciples” in 1937 and this led him to write The Cost of Discipleship. He attacked what he called ‘Cheap Grace’ and masterfully said, “When Christ calls a man He bids him come and die.” That’s discipleship and that is what it means to be a Christian.
Can you be a disciple and not hunger for Jesus? No…you may have periods of carnality in your life, but you can’t have an entire life of carnality and call yourself a disciple of Jesus. Let me ask you—do you hunger for Him? That hunger should drive you to do several things,
- Spend time in solitude with Him,
- Spend time in His word daily,
- Spend time learning to pray without ceasing,
- Spend time in community with other disciples of Jesus,
- Spend time making disciples for Him.
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