Matthew 7:13-14

The American poet Robert Frost wrote about standing in the woods looking at two different paths. They were “about the same” even though one was “grassy and wanted wear.”¹ Frost took the less traveled road and then philosophized as to whether he would ever have the chance to take the other road. Jesus also referred to two roads (Matthew 7:13-14). These roads are not similar at all. They are different in quality (rough vs. smooth) and different in destination (destruction vs. life). In the New Testament epistles (Romans—Jude), there are many references to the Christian road. This is a reference to Christian conduct or the manner by which a Christian regulates his life. The word that describes this way of life is the word “walk.”

The Bible compares the Christian life to a “walk.” Walking is a basic means of transportation. Until recently in world history, most people walked everywhere they went. Cars were not available until the 20^th century. Horses were available before that, and people have ridden horses for centuries, but horses require care and often that care was too expensive or too time-consuming. Most people, for lack of better means, walked. Because of this, the Bible uses the familiar idea of walking as a synonym for living the Christian life.

The Pre-Christian Walk (smooth and destined for destruction)

The Bible describes unsaved people as blindly living in sin. Their “walk” is not the same as the “walk” of a believer and they are not exactly aware of this fact. The apostle Paul states that the unbeliever’s “walk” has three aspects. (1) It is according to the course of the world (that which is opposed to God). (2) It is also a “walk” according to Satan. (3) This “walk” has other unbelievers for company (Ephesians 2:2). There is a sense of ease in this life because it goes with the rest of the world; because it goes with the encouragement of the Devil; because it has company for the journey. This is why Jesus described the pathway as “smooth.”

Likewise, the apostle John states that this “walk” of unbelief is evident in three ways. (1) It is evident because it is characterized by spiritual darkness (1 John 1:6-7). There is no authentic spiritual life in the journey of unbelief. Those who make their way by their own guidance do so in complete spiritual darkness. The apostle Paul describes them as someone fumbling about in the dark for the light-switch (Acts 17:27). (2) It is evident because it is not like the life of Jesus at all (1 John 2:6). Some of the common perceptions of Jesus are way off the mark. Jesus was no political radical who got Himself killed for his political views. He was not a reformer who sought to encourage some change in the Pharisaical class. Jesus is the Son of God who came to bring spiritual life to those who trust in Him. (3) It is evident because it is characterized by hatred for Christians (1 John 2:11). The apostle Paul wrote the same thing (Romans 14:15). Unbelievers do not like believers. Jesus warned His disciples that they should not be surprised when they learn that the world hates them because they hated Him first (John 15:18). Those who follow Jesus find that they experience “afflictions in the gospel” (2 Timothy 2:8). There is something real about suffering for the Lord’s sake.

Some of the common qualities that define this “walk” are sins such as moral impurity and idolatry, anger, rage, and malice, blasphemy against God, lies, and wicked speech (Colossians 3:5-9). Other examples of the sins that characterize the lives of those on this particular path are being drunk, being jealous of others, and being sexually immoral (Romans 13:13). Now it may be that you are still on this non-Christian path, but you believe that your life is not characterized by these particular sins. This does not contradict the Scriptures. If you look at your own heart honestly, you will discover that there are a variety of sins you commit, some of them quite regularly. Be honest. Do you ever get angry and lose your temper? Are you ever selfish? Have you gossiped about others? Are you ever prideful? (2 Corinthians 12:20-21) Have you ever stolen something? Have you ever worshipped a god other than the God of the Bible? (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) Do you love yourself? Do you love money? Do you boast about yourself? Have you disobeyed (or are you disobeying) your parents? Do you forget to thank God for what He has given to you? Have you lied about others? (2 Timothy 3:2-5) The pre-Christian walk, the road that Jesus says leads to destruction, is a life filled with sin. It may not be the “worst” sorts of sins, but it is still a life separated from the righteousness of God.

The Christian Walk (rough but destined to life)

The Christian life is completely different from life of an unbeliever. Saved people live a “new life” that is “in Christ.” This connection is obvious. Paul wrote: “as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6). This is the “identity” part of discipleship. He encouraged Christians to “walk in a manner worthy of your calling (salvation) by which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:12). This is the “conformity” and “activity” parts of discipleship. It is a lifestyle that rejects anything that goes against God (Ephesians 4:17). Instead, this walk is a lifestyle that is in a manner worthy of the Lord by both (1) pleasing Him and (2) by bearing fruit in every action and attitude (Colossians 1:10). This lifestyle is that which Paul taught new believers that he discipled (1 Thessalonians 4:1). Trusting in the gospel of Jesus means being “buried with Him” in His death so that even as He rose from the dead, so we also “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). It is a life characterized as “according to the Spirit” rather than “according to the flesh” (Romans 8:4). It is also a walk that is by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

The most comprehensive explanation of this “walk” is in Ephesians. Because Christians are saved by grace through faith (2:8-9), they have been created in Jesus for a very specific divine purpose. God has pre-ordained that those who are saved in Christ would do “good works.” This is the Christian way. Salvation is by grace, not good works. However, the Christian life is all about doing good works (God’s will through complete surrender to the Holy Spirit) to the glory of God. Salvation is not by works of self-righteousness, but by God’s mercy (Titus 3:5). The Christian life, however, is about maintaining good works (Titus 3:8, 13). Paul writes: “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:10). What are the good works that make up the Christian “walk?” The emphasis in Ephesians is on the personal transformation that occurs (sanctification) after our decision to follow Jesus (salvation).

The Christian’s Change in Christ

A Christian should not have the same attitude as he did before he became a follower of Jesus. It is God’s will that a Christian lives his life in a manner that is worthy of his calling to salvation (Ephesians 4:1). The character quality that Paul emphasizes here is humility. A Christian should have a humble opinion of oneself (lowliness) accompanied by a mild demeanor (meekness). This humility is one of the quintessential character qualities of mature believers. Think about it this way—how weird does it seem that someone who is self-described as a prisoner also has an uppity attitude? Servants of Jesus (or slaves/prisoners of Jesus—4:1) must have a right view of self. He should never lose his temper at other people’s faults. When someone sins against him, he should forbear and forgive because he is called to forgive other people to the same threshold of God’s own forgiveness of his sins. “Be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). He should also work to maintain peace with others, especially within the church.

The Christian life should also be characterized by righteousness. Humble believers readily put away spiritually harmful sin. Instead of lying, a follower of Jesus should “speak the truth” (Ephesians 4:25). Instead of being sinfully angry, he should put away wrath (4:26). Instead of stealing, he should work so that he can give to others (4:28). Instead of speaking corrupt words, we should speak edifying words (4:29). Instead of speaking bitter towards others, he should speak peace (4:31-32).

The Christian life is also about love (Ephesians 5:1-4). Being controlled by God-like love is part of Christian discipleship (5:1-2). This love is compared to the way that Jesus loves His people. This is sacrificial love. This requires one to put the interests of others before his own. A good example of this godly love is a rejection of committing sexual sin. Man-centered love (5:3-4) is steeped in fornication, sexual activity outside the marriage bond; it is exemplified in uncleanness such as sexual lust (voyeurism, pornography); it is sexual covetousness such as sexual lust for a person who is not his or her spouse. Moreover, even within the boundary of marriage, such lust only seeks to fulfill one’s own desires, not considering the needs of the other spouse. This is not how God ordained marriage to be. Sacrificial love is also expressed verbally. We should not be man-centered love in our words (5:4). We should not use obscenities, engage in “dirty” conversation, or even joke about sexually impure things. This is commonly seen in the “comedy” on television, on the internet, and in the movies, producing laughs. This is not for believers.

Rather, the Christian life is about living in the “light” of God’s truth. Salvation begins the sanctification process whereby a Christian begins to progressively put away sinful activities that characterize unbelievers. These are described as “walking” in a spiritually mindless fashion (4:17). This is because non-Christians are spiritually blind and are without spiritual life (4:18). Just as a Christian should progressively become more like Jesus, unbelievers progressively become more like their “master,” Satan (2:2, 4:19). Unbelievers are becoming increasingly corrupt (4:22). Consequently, Christians should not participate in their sin. Believers should not become attached to unbelievers so as to come to practice their sin. Psalm 1 indicates that the blessed man (the “happy” Christian) is one who disassociates himself from those who provide ungodly counsel, who practice sinful things, or who scorn God’s way. This same concept is reintroduced in the wisdom passages at the beginning of Proverbs. “If sinners entice you, do not consent.” (Proverbs 1:10). This is why God’s wrath is coming upon the wicked (Ephesians 5:6-14). While believers were, at one time, a party to such behavior (or would have been if not saved at an early age), a new life in Christ should mean a complete break from the old life so that there is no participation in sin. Now, instead of being characterized by sinful (death) behavior (5:8) Christians are characterized by righteous (life) behavior (5:8b). Followers of Jesus are to order their lives in righteousness, not in sinfulness. This is what God loves. When the Spirit of God is in control, a formerly sinful person produces the “fruit” of the Spirit, described as goodness, righteousness, and truth. If something is described by God as “the unfruitful works of darkness,” a Christian should not engage in these things but rather, reprove them (5:11). It is shameful for a believer to even talk about such things. Instead, God’s people should expose them in the light of God’s truth (5:13).

This kind of living only occurs as believers live in wisdom of God. Christians must observe to take each step in wisdom and not folly (Ephesians 5:15). The Bible defines wisdom as the combination of three essential qualities. Wisdom involves the knowledge of God. Knowledge itself is not wisdom. There are many very smart people who are really “fools” (Romans 1:22). Knowing God, however, is where true wisdom begins because God is truth. Everything that is right and true is from Him. The second essential quality is ability. This is the skill to apply the knowledge of God to life. Knowing that something is true alone is not wisdom. It must be applied to the life in order to qualify as wisdom (James 1:22-25). The final aspect of wisdom is discipline. This is the actual will to action. Knowing the truth and how to apply that truth to a situation is not wisdom if it is not actually done. The will must be there to do it (Proverbs 22:3). Those who just go with the flow of life are in danger of living in folly. They adopt the same values as their culture. They rear their children in the same manner—they rear fools. Those who go in the will of God adopt His plans for themselves. They know what God wants and are determined to do it.

The Christian’s Enemy and How to Fight Him

The enemy of Jesus is Satan. He is exposed as such (Ephesians 2:2). His desire is to destroy people (John 8:44).² Peter compares Satan to a hungry lion who is roaming about looking for someone to eat (1 Peter 5:8). He cautions Christians to be on their guard against him. John refers to Satan as a dragon and a serpent signifying both his power and his subtlety (Revelation 12:4, 9; 20:2). It is paramount that Christians do not give him any amount of influence in the life (Ephesians 4:27). He has methods (6:11) that can are dangerous to the Christian’s life (they are described as fiery darts—6:16). Unfortunately, Satan has two accomplices in his effort to harm. These are the sinful flesh and the world (2:2-3). While the world is external, the flesh is internal. Christians take their sinful flesh with them everywhere. It is something that cannot be escaped in this life.

It is paramount, then, that Christians learn to fight against Satan, the world, and their own flesh. God has not left His people empty-handed in the fight. Christians can be “strong in the Lord’s strength” (6:10) by putting on God’s armor. The pieces of this armor are comprised of truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, and salvation (6:14-17a). He also holds in his hand a weapon of great power when put to use—God’s own Word (6:17b). This is described as “the Spirit’s sword.” It is wielded through prayer as the Christian prays for himself personally and in intercession for others.

It is also important to remember that Jesus is greater than Satan. The armor God provides is perfectly able to protect us against the Devil (Ephesians 6:11). While he is in the world and against us, and has our own sinful flesh as an ally, the One who is in us is greater still (1 John 4:4). The fiery darts of Satan cannot harm those who hold onto the shield of faith.

Personal Application Questions

1. In what areas of life (of the five mentioned in Ephesians) is your “walk” different from your “talk?”

2. What specific sins do you need to “put off” so that your lifestyle mirrors your position in Christ?

3. What practical things can you do to help other believers in their “walk” with the Lord?

Discussion

1. Read Colossians 2:6-7, 3:1-4:1.
2. What does it mean to “walk in him (Jesus Christ)?” (from 2:6)
3. What does it mean to “seek” the things above (3:1) or to set our affection on things above (3:2)?
4. What does it mean to you when Paul writes “you have put off the old man” and “have put on the new man?”
5. Recount a few times when you have forgiven someone or needed someone to forgive you.
6. How should your Christian “walk” influence your daily life at work and home (3:18-4:1)?

Matthew 16:24

The word “discipleship” never occurs in the Bible. Consequently, when discussing discipleship, it is important to realize that the concepts are principles. “Discipleship” is a derivative of the biblical word “disciple” or “follower” (mathetes). In the first century, a disciple was a student who followed and learned from a rabbi, a teacher of the Jewish law. For example, Gamaliel was a famous rabbi who trained the apostle Paul in Judaism. Though He was not trained in the rabbinical schools, Jesus was a rabbi. He taught those who followed Him about God and the law (Matthew 28:20).

A Christian disciple is someone who follows Jesus Christ. For anyone, this is the highest and most noble pursuit in life. It is a commitment to forego whatever blessings this life affords in order to gain the blessings of the next life. A disciple is a simply a follower of Jesus. A good definition of a discipleship is a disciple who demonstrates that he follows Jesus as he “identifies himself with Christ in all things, conforms his behavior and attitudes to reflect Christ for the purpose of living out His commission.” The key concepts are (1) identity, (2) conformity, and (3) activity. These are progressive to the extent that as someone identifies with Jesus, the more he will conform his behavior to reflect this connection. Further, the greater extent someone conforms his behavior with Jesus, the more he will actively do the will of God. This lesson is an overview of the whole concept of Christian discipleship.

Identity

The first step in the Christian life is authentic identification with Jesus. It’s basically saying: “I’m with Him.” In fact, a new Christian literally takes on the name of Jesus Christ. “Christian” means “little Christ.” There is also a kind of false identification. If someone professes to be a Christian, but is unwilling to follow Jesus, then he is not a real Christian. He may claim to have “prayed a prayer” to accept Jesus as “personal Lord and Savior.” Jesus indicates that many will say to Him in the day of judgment “Lord, Lord, have we not cast out demons in your name and done many wonderful works?” Then Jesus will make a public pronouncement: “I never knew you.” Then these will be cast into Hell. The prayer of salvation takes its meaning from a decision to become a follower of Jesus—to authentically identify with Him.¹ Jesus explained the disciple relationship this way: “If any would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24). This statement begins with the conditional “if” meaning that discipleship requires a personal choice to follow Jesus. Of course, we know that there is a lot of spiritual activity going on behind the scene when someone chooses to follow Jesus. Jesus stated that no man comes to Him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). We also know the that work of the Holy Spirit is to convict men of sin and judgment (John 16:8). Nobody chooses to follow after Jesus all on his own. God is the one who brings a person into a discipleship relationship with Jesus. At the same time, we also know that a Christian is someone who has made the personal decision to follow Jesus.

This decision has two basic parts. The first part is the choice to deny self. This denial means that you must determine that you have no real connection with your own ambitions or goals. It is to forego any selfish motive or pursuit, to lose interest in preserving or promoting oneself. This is particularly difficult because we are hard-wired to be selfish. When Paul wrote that men should love their wives as much as they love their own bodies, he was admitting that self-love is the normal human state. To be a disciple of Jesus, we have to set aside this selfish approach to life.

The second part of the decision to follow Jesus is the choice to “take up your cross.” Think about what Jesus was commanding these people to do. In the ancient world, the cross was an emblem of a shameful death. It was the worst form of capital punishment. The victim being crucified had his clothes stripped away. He was then further degraded by the use of torture such as severe flogging. Then the victim was fastened to the cross with ropes and nails. The end result was prolonged suffering followed by death either by exposure or suffocation. Any who lingered longer than the Romans wanted (if they were in a hurry for the crucifixion to end or if they felt particular pity for the victim) would have his legs broken.

Both self-denial and cross-bearing together form the basis of Christian discipleship. This is how you identify with Jesus. Jesus, even though He is equal with God the Father, did not consider this equality something to hold onto, but made Himself to be of no reputation, took upon Himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man. Further, Jesus humbled Himself to the point of crucifixion (Philippians 2:5-8). To be a disciple of Jesus, you have to admit: “I am with Him.”²

After salvation, the first step of discipleship is usually baptism. See Appendix 1 for more information about the biblical rite of baptism. If you have never been baptized, or if your baptism was not biblical, your pastor will gladly help you publically identify with Jesus in baptism.

Conformity

Identification with Jesus is very important, but it does not immediately confer upon the new believer “maturity status.” Every new believer starts off the Christian life in spiritual immaturity. A new Christian is just beginning a longer journey where he will learn more about Jesus, feel stinging rebuke over his sin, make difficult choices to change, and then learn to live out that change on a day-by-day basis. Following Jesus centers around five personal commitments. These are:

1. New life in the Spirit: this is learning to live daily in the power of the Holy Spirit. The biblical phrase is to “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). This means that this life in Jesus can only be lived successfully as it is ordered through the instrumentality of the Spirit. Some new Christians, because of their zeal and love for the Lord, believe that adopting new “Christian” rules of living is the way of discipleship. Jesus never presents discipleship that way. Discipleship is not a return to Old Testament law-keeping. It is an adoption of a new way of living by ordering one’s life entirely through the power and control of the Holy Spirit.

2. Private worship: this is learning to worship God daily through personal Bible reading and prayer; through giving to His church; and by adoring Him as we meditate upon Him. Discipleship is not showy (Matthew 6:1). It is predominantly private as we learn to come to God individually. It is a work of the heart as we commune with God.

3. Public Worship: this is the result of our private worship. It is learning to sing songs of praise to the Lord and make melody in our hearts to Him. It also involves listening to God’s Word through preaching (Ephesians 5:19).

4. Wisdom in tests: this is learning to seek His guidance when facing personal difficulty, either from a trial or temptation (James 1:5). Most new believers do not know how to weather the storm of trials and temptations. They even sometimes question the circumstances God leads them through.

5. Christian Service: this is learning that every part of life is about serving God. Like an offering laid upon the altar to be burned up before God in worship, so Christians are to give their bodies to be “living sacrifices.” Instead of living like our culture, we are to live a transformed life by the mind being renewed in Christ and thereby accomplish God’s perfect will for us (Romans 12:1-2). This is called “yielding” ourselves to God.

These five commitments are difficult. The Christian life is not easy. Jesus compared it to walking on a rough and difficult road (Matthew 7:14). Many Christians stumble and fall as they attempt to develop these commitments. The key is to get back up when you fall down! There are many who have been saved for many years who have not progressed spiritually to the point where they know how to apply God’s wisdom to their trials or have the ability to call others to follow after them.

In His foresight and grace, God has given us three “friends” to help us make the journey successfully. Our first friend is the Holy Spirit. He is God dwelling in us. He comes alongside us to give the encouragement we need exactly when we need it. The indwelling Holy Spirit illumines God’s Word (1 Corinthians 2:9), teaches us (John 14:26, 16:13), seals us to salvation (Ephesians 1:13-15) and gives us assurance of salvation (Romans 8:17-23), empowers us to do Christian service (Acts 1:8), enables us to live a godly life (Romans 8:4, Galatians 5:16), guides us (Romans 8:14), and changes our character (Galatians 5:22). Our second friend is the local church. It is imperative that Christians take part in the life of a local church (Hebrews 10:24-25). God did not intend for Christians to live alone in isolation. It is a strange phenomenon that many professing Christians live in some sort of connection with unbelievers but in isolation from fellow Christians (Ephesians 5:11). We all need the benefit of other Christians speaking God’s truth into our ears. We need the mutual encouragement we have through the ministry of other disciples of Jesus (James 5:13-16). Our fellow church members pray for us; preach to us; encourage us to live a godly life through their example; admonish us when we are wrong; give comfort to us when we are hurting; rejoice with us when God gives us victory over sin (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Furthermore, these are all things we do for them. Our third friend is the Word of God. The Bible reveals God to us (2 Timothy 3:16). We learn from the Scriptures what creation and and our conscience both tell us—that God exists (Romans 1:17-20). The Bible is also our source of ultimate truth. While it is true that “all truth is God’s truth,” the Bible is considered special revelation because it reveals God to us in a special way. Further, the Bible provides for us a way to view life. This is what we call “worldview.” We look at life through the “eyes” of God when we see it from the Bible’s perspective. It gives us instruction as to how to live. Our culture (culture means “how people live”) has its own instructions for life. These are often in conflict with God’s instructions. Christians must know that the Bible is the final authority. The Bible also gives us hope. Through the testimonies of other God-followers, we gain encouragement in their successes and failures. The Bible reveals the men and women trusting God when their situation seems humanly impossible. Finally, the Bible also gives us warning against sin. It teaches us God’s absolute moral standard. It helps us progress from spiritual immaturity to wisdom.

Activity

Identity and conformity is naturally followed by activity. Specifically, the Bible clarifies that this activity is one where the disciple assumes the role of disciple-maker.³ This is accomplished through two distinct activities— by evangelism and by example. Jesus said to His disciples: “follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). Jesus is promising that if they would follow Him, they would be personally transformed. The three years they spent with Jesus in His earthly ministry were years of their learning to both identify with Him and conform their attitudes and behavior to His will. After Jesus died, was buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven, the disciples unleashed on the world their faith in Him. This is the final aspect of discipleship is activity. This transformation from “fishermen” to “fishers of men” began producing results. Even the Pharisees noted that “they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Their years of following Jesus allowed them to call other disciples to follow after them. They became disciple-makers. They spiritually “fished” for men. Acts 2 presents a powerful story about Peter preaching at Pentecost and thousands of people accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is an example of being a fisher of men in a congregational setting. In Acts 3 there is a story about “fishing for men” that is more personal. A lame man asks Peter and John for some money. Instead of money, they gave to him a greater blessing. Peter said: “in the name of Jesus, rise and walk.’ This more personal example of “fishing for men” led to thousands more being saved. The book of Acts is full of activity of those who followed after Jesus. The activity of a disciple is to call others to salvation in Christ.

The second activity is being a disciple-maker by example. The Apostle Paul called out: “follow me, as I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:6). This call requires some measure of spiritual maturity. The disciple-maker calls others to discipleship through his personal example that he is himself a follower of Jesus. He sets this example by his own godly testimony among the other disciples in his local church. His call for others to follow his example means that he sets a godly example. This is true in his behavior. A disciple-maker lives a moral, God-fearing lifestyle. He approaches the things of life asking the important questions such as: will this activity please the Lord? Will this activity cause others to be offended and stumble? Could this activity bring others to salvation in Christ? Is it possible that others will question my own spiritual walk with the Lord because of this activity? Will this harm my testimony? The disciple-maker is calling people to imitate him. He is faithful in his commitments to the Lord. This faithfulness is evident because of the fruits of the Spirit which demonstrate that he is controlled by the Spirit.

Personal Reflection

1. Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? Explain your answer. What indicators are there in your life that lead you to your conclusion?

2. Have you followed or do you actively follow another believer in discipleship? Describe that relationship.

3. Have you ever led someone or are you actively leading someone in discipleship? Describe that relationship.

Discussion

1. Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10.
2. What are the three things that Paul said they remembered in prayer for the Thessalonians? (v. 3)
3. What was their “work of faith?” (v. 9)
4. What was their “patience of hope?” (v. 10)
5. Their “labor of love” is mentioned in chapter 4. Can you find the verse? What do you think their “labor of love” referred to specifically? (Hint: there might be two answers found in chapter 4)
6. How might we become more active in discipleship?