Tag Archives: intimate

To be an intimate disciple

 

116 Clique – Tedashii – Carry Mine

 

Esther challenges me to prepare myself to be the intimate disciple that God has asked me to be in order that I may carry out His plan and His will.

She has become an example of how to live the obedient life. She did the right thing, made the right decisions, and said the right words.   She moved in faith.

It almost feels that we were able to watch Esther grow up spiritually. I would say that when introduced to her she had a weaker character and by the end of her story she definitely had a heroic moral stature.

I would like to believe that she modelled a disciple’s life by listening to her mentor.

Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her. – Esther 2:10-11  ESV

I get two things out of this – Esther, I am sure, had no way of knowing why her mentor left her these instructions, but she followed them anyway and did not question the intent. The other is the amount of time and energy her mentor put into her life. He was available to her every day. He invested into her life.

Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordeci just as when she was brought up by him. – Esther 2:20  ESV

They ended up working together as a great team accomplishing God’s plan for their day and time. Each had to do their part.

Another model is the disciple Thomas – who does not get much respect – but he laid down his life for Jesus. He was discipled by Jesus and knew what it meant to follow Him.

So Thomas, called the Twin,[b] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” – John 11:16  ESV

Thomas statement here led him to a place where he could lay down his life at anytime for Jesus. He eventually did as he preached the gospel in Persia and India.

Imagine, if we found ourselves in a worship service filled with unrestrained praise to the tune of Psalm 150. Is that not unrelated to Thomas’ move from restrained disciple toward a proclamation of unrestrained praise —

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” – John 20:28  ESV

 

 

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Willing to repent and believe that it is safe

 

If we have been taught that there is safety in repentance then we can break through the dynamics that put issues ahead of our desire to seek the kingdom of God. One of those I mentioned earlier was how people think of me. If I do this, I will come to the point where I will not worry on how people think of me.

Now, I could do this or I could do what St. Benedict did when he was trying to erase the temptation of a woman. St. Benedict of Nursia (480-547 CE),  according to legend, cast himself into a thorn bush while naked.

I struggle staying away from the things that take me away from the kingdom of God but I also struggle to do the things that one would do if they were walking in the kingdom of God. Romans 8 I mentioned in an earlier post is the antidote for Romans 7. These truths help me follow Jesus in this area of struggle. Especially looking at my struggle to share the gospel, or an area in my inner life where I hope God does not want to deal with. Then I ask myself what I think it would look like for me to “go deeper” in my discipleship.

This was the promise from Jesus who walked a hidden life with God. He overcame sin and was able to fulfill the incredible plan of salvation for mankind.

 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. – Romans 8:3-4  ESV

I conclude then that Jesus; taking upon Himself human nature, condemned the sin in human beings, so that I, His disciple, who has the same nature, can now follow Him in this way, regardless of my background, personality, or where I live.

Here are some other lessons I have learned from Romans 8.

  • There is a house analogy describing the Spirit living in us just as a person would dwell or reside in a home.

    • You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus[d] from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. – Romans 8:9-11  ESV

  • In the same verse above there is the Holy Spirit described as the key identifier, the essential possession of a disciple of Jesus.
  • There is an adoption metaphor where the Holy Spirit has put together a connection between us and God so that we are truly His adopted children, and thereby, heirs of all that is His.

    • For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.. – Romans 8:15-17  ESV

  • The verses above also reveal the Holy Spirit providing the inner testimony or the prompting that calls out to God in an intimate way – “Abba! Father!” and provides the assurance that we are His children.
  • The Holy Spirit makes alive our spiritually-dead spirits and connects us to God.
  • The Holy Spirit is the same as Christ’s Spirit and God’s Spirit. They are one and the same.

 

 

 

 

 

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