Apprenticing to Jesus bears fruit of the finest variety – kingdom fruit. God’s kingdom is that place where his will is done, “Thy kingdom come”.
Once a clear “Yes, I’m in I will be a Jesus-apprentice” is resolved, a new kind of season gets underway. And, hopefully, goes forward into a lifetime.
This is the season of habits, but habits leading to something far richer than the mere exercise of repeated practices. The season of habits, employed under the guidance and power of the Spirit offers promise of immense gratification.
This is the joy of inside-out transformation. Think of it. You and I humbly growing/changing through clearly laid out movements, into a vivid likeness of the one who invites, “Learn of me”.
We need to ask ourselves a question. Is the average, everyday Jesus-follower called to this radical kind of thing? Incorporating specific practices into routine life that would lead the believer to full-on Christlikeness? What about you?
Over and over the New Testament makes clear that every Christian is granted salvation with an assumption that life-long growth and change lie ahead,
“. . speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ”*
Men and women through history affirm the high aspiration, A spiritually mature Christian is “one whose whole character—dispositions, words, and actions—emulates the character of Jesus Christ himself.”**
Want.
Training for a life as a bull rider when you are, at your core, wired to work with spread sheets in the accounting field is a path that might well lead to despair (if not an injured spine).
Being a Jesus’ apprentice happens only in the life of the person who wants it. A genuine inner desire will mark the man or woman, youth or senior, who chooses discipleship to Jesus as their core life aim. Without a hungering for life in the company of Jesus, any ‘choice’ of apprenticeship can take the person to one of two places. Neither, a really fun place to be.
©2022 Jerry Lout *Ephesians 4:15 **Stephen Rankin
Paul, in Romans, tells that God has predetermined that we will be conformed to the image of Christ. However, just a few chapters later, he tells to be transformed by the renewing of our thinking. One is something that seems to be God’s responsibility (being conformed to Christ’s image) the other seems to be a command to us, that we are to engage in transformation by renewing our thinking.
Thanks for another great blog!
So grateful for your input and perspectives, Chip. Thank you.
‘A genuine inner desire’ to be all-in. Excellent!
Thank you, RJ!
The Spirit dwells within us, then “a genuine inner desire” will start to grow.
Yes, Alex, that is it exactly. Thank you.