The Nature of Discipleship

The Nature of Discipleship

It might be of value here if we considered briefly the nature of

discipleship. It is a word in constant use among aspirants in

Christian lands, as in the oriental religions. Discipleship could be

defined as the final stage of the path of evolution, and as that

period in a man's experience in which he is definitely self-conscious.

It is the stage in which he knowingly pledges himself to impose the

will of the soul (which is essentially the will of God) upon the lower

nature. Upon this path he submits himself to a forcing process, so

that the flower of the soul can unfold more quickly. The inevitability

of human perfection underlies his willingness to make the attempt to

tread the path. This perfection can be attained in two ways. It can be

the result of slow and steady evolutionary growth, carried forward

under nature's laws, cycle after cycle, until gradually the hidden God

can be seen in man and in the universe. Or, it can be the result [6]

of systematized application and discipline on the part of the

aspirant, producing a more rapid unfoldment of the power and life of

the soul.

In one analysis of discipleship, it has been defined as "a psychic

resolvent, which eats away all dross and leaves only the pure gold

behind." It is a process of refining, of sublimation and of

transmutation, carried steadily forward until at length the Mount of

Transfiguration and of Illumination is attained. The hidden mysteries

and the forces, latent in human beings, need to be discovered and

require to be utilized in a divine manner and in line with divine

purpose, intelligently apprehended. When they have thus been utiliz...

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... our Lord Jesus

Christ, and making disciples.

º All who are walking in obedient faith to Jesus Christ and are born

of His Spirit are members of His Church. Therefore, membership in an

organization is irrelevant. Staying in fellowship with Christ, obeying

His Words and being directly accountable to Him is the essence of

being the church.

If you have found institutional Christianity lacking and have departed

from that context in order to more fully follow Jesus and do His will,

we would like to hear from you: both those who were known as "laymen",

and those who once served as "clergy". If that applies to you, and you

are pursuing God's righteousness and His Kingdom by the empowerment of

the Holy Spirit, please use the contact form to introduce yourself. We

desire fellowship with those of like mind and like faith.