{"id":1805,"date":"2015-07-22T11:44:30","date_gmt":"2015-07-22T10:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/?p=1805"},"modified":"2016-02-13T12:11:24","modified_gmt":"2016-02-13T11:11:24","slug":"discipleship-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/discipleship-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Discipleship (2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the study \u2018Discipleship (1)\u2019<\/span><\/a> we explained what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Living according to the will of God, under the authority of Jesus, is strongly emphasized in this respect.<\/p>\n

In this study we throw light on how God comes to the aid of the disciple, by renewing his heart.<\/p>\n

The disciple and the Holy Spirit\u00a0– God who comes to the aid of weakness.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Paul exhorted the slaves of his time:<\/p>\n

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ<\/strong>. Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ<\/strong>, doing the will of God from your heart<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Ephesians 6:5-6)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

From your heart<\/strong> is the translation of the Greek: ex psuche<\/strong>.
\nTranslated literally:\u00a0 from the soul<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Paul encourages the slaves to obey their master, not from fear, but from the soul<\/strong>.
\nI.e.: To take the decision<\/strong> to make the effort to carry out the work of a slave as an ambassador of Christ.
\nPaul calls this: living as a slave of Jesus Christ<\/strong>.
\nThis is not only an instruction to the slaves, but to every \u2018slave\u2019, every disciple<\/strong> of Jesus.<\/p>\n

Living as a disciple, as a slave of Jesus, is only possible with God\u2019s help.
\nHe promised more than 600 years before the birth of van Jesus Christ:<\/p>\n

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart<\/strong> and put a new spirit<\/strong> in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh<\/strong>. And I will put my Spirit<\/span> in you<\/strong> and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Ezekiel 36:25-27)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This promise applies to Israel, the people of God, the posterity of Abraham, but it also applies to the spiritual descendants of Abraham, the believers who have accepted Jesus Christ in their heart<\/span><\/a>.
\nGod renews the heart of the disciple who consciously places his heart under the authority of Jesus.
\nHe replaces the natural heart, the \u2018heart of stone\u2019, which is incapable of submitting itself completely to the will of God, with a willing heart, a \u2018heart of flesh\u2019.
\nThis is a heart that, in the spirit, is focussed on God and on Jesus, to be taught by Him and to live under His leadership.<\/p>\n

This is how every disciple grows to adulthood, in obedience to Jesus Christ.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That does not happen automatically. It requires perseverance in continually trusting in Jesus and allowing the temperament of one\u2019s own heart to be changed through the influence of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

The disciple and the law.<\/span><\/h3>\n

The apostle Paul writes:<\/p>\n

We also glory (we are happy) in our sufferings (our difficulties), because we know that suffering (difficulty) produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God\u2019s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit<\/strong>, who has been given to us.\u00a0\u00a0 (Romans 5:3-6)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

God transforms the \u2018heart of stone\u2019 into a \u2018heart of flesh\u2019 through the working of the Holy Spirit.
\nThe Holy Spirit pours the love of God<\/strong> out into the heart that decides to follow Jesus as a disciple.<\/p>\n

This love of God, the \u2018agape\u2019<\/strong> of God, is the love that motivates servanthood<\/strong>.
\nThis love determines the disciple\u2019s way of life.<\/p>\n

It is a life of love for God and the neighbour, as He already indicated in the Old Testament when He said:<\/p>\n

Love the LORD<\/strong> your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.\u00a0\u00a0 (Deuteronomy 6:5)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge \u2026 but love your neighbour<\/strong> as yourself. I am the LORD.\u00a0\u00a0 (Leviticus 19:18)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jesus summarised these commandments as follows:<\/p>\n

Love<\/strong> the Lord your God (serve in love)<\/strong> with (from) all your heart and with (from) all your soul and with (from) all your strength and with (from) all your mind; and, Love your neighbour as yourself.\u00a0\u00a0 (Luke 10:27 \/ Matthew 22:37-40)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Paul writes:<\/p>\n

Love (agape) does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love (agape) is the fulfilment of the law<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Romans 13:10)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Translated literally: Love is the \u2018infilling\u2019<\/span><\/a>, \u2018the content\u2019 of the law.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Living under the authority of Christ, from the love that God pours out into the heart through the work of the Holy Spirit, is living according to the Divine Law.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paul describes what this love of God, which is poured out into the heart by the Holy Spirit, brings about in the life of the disciple:<\/p>\n

The fruit<\/strong> of the Spirit is love<\/strong> (which is perceived through:)<\/em><\/p>\n