A Christian Disciple

Introduction

Growing in maturity as a Christian disciple is a process that occurs over time and in different areas or spheres of the Christian life. The Apostle John highlights this growth process in his first letter by identifying people in different stages of maturity in their Christian faith. John states, “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one . . .” (1 John 2:12–13). John identifies “children,” “young men,” and “fathers” in the faith; this is an indication that a Christian matures spiritually in their faith in a similar way as a human physically matures from child to adult. This paper will examine the growth process of a Christian disciple by discussing the five stages and four spheres of discipleship. The author with present a self-assessment of the author’s status of spiritual growth related to the five stages and four spheres. Lastly, this paper will examine what it means for a Christian disciple to be in submission to Christ.

Stages in Christian Discipleship

Jim Putman, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman in their book DiscipleShift: Five Steps That

In Colossians 3:23-24, the Apostle Paul writes, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” This is the attitude toward work and the perspective on work that the Christian disciple is to have. Sebastian Traeger and Greg D. Gilbert in their book The Gospel at Work: How Working for King Jesus Gives Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs explain the implication of these verses in Colossians 3:24-25 regarding