This extract from Obedience Through Suffering is worth repeating; Peter said, “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21). Just as teachings that do not conform to Christ’s doctrine are false, so a life that does not conform to Christ’s example is misdirected, and will not achieve its high potential destiny to which God has called it to.
The life of Jesus serves as a template for the way we ought to live and conduct our lives. This walk with God goes beyond us becoming “Christians” by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. God desires that we become conformed, in nature and character, to the likeness of Christ. Romans 8:29; “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son”.
We were taught to accept Jesus in order to escape hell and have access into heaven. This wholly and completely misses the true intention for God saving us through the blood of His Son. Jesus left us the example of how to live that we may become what He became.
Luke 6:40 (AMP)
“A student is not superior to his teacher; but everyone, after HE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY TRAINED, will be like his teacher”.
Simply accepting Jesus “into our hearts and lives” does not configure us into His image and likeness. We need to be trained in the manner of how we should live. Born into a fallen and sinful world, we adopt its ways and manner of functioning and operating. Our souls are shaped and formed by the ways of this world. We conform to its rules, laws and standards. Therefore, when God delivers us out of this world, we need to go through a process by which our souls are purged from its ways and influence.
This “training” is accomplished through the process of – DISCIPLINE! The word “discipline” is from the Latin word disciplina, meaning “instruction and training”. It is derived from the root word discere—”to learn.” The root word of discipline is “disciple,” which comes from the Latin word discipulus meaning “student.” In Christianity, disciple primarily refers to a dedicated follower of Jesus. In the ancient world, a disciple is a follower or adherent of a teacher. Discipleship is not the same as being a student in the modern sense. A disciple in the ancient biblical world actively imitated both the life and teaching of the master. It was a deliberate apprenticeship which made the fully formed disciple a living copy of the master.
Luke 14:26;27;33 (AMP)
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God]—he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow after Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] cannot be My disciple……So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not [carefully consider the cost and then for My sake] give up all his own possessions.”
The fact that you are a Christian or Believer does not automatically make you a “disciple”. Let this be understood!!! There is a cost and a price to pay if we are going to be considered ‘disciples’. The reason we experience these “sufferings of all sorts”, is because our souls which were formed by the ways of this world, is now being conformed to the ways of the Kingdom of God. We therefore endure this sense of suffering because we are letting go of everything which once brought us pleasure, joy, comfort. We are forsaking and “giving up” all those things in order that we may show our dedication and commitment to God and His purpose. Doing this takes us through discomfort and agony, which causes us to experience a sense of suffering. But we do it because of our love for the Father.
Hebrews 12:11 (AMP)
For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness [right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God’s will and purpose].
That’s why Romans 12:2 urges us to “no longer conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing our minds”. Our minds now need to be transformed according to a new way of thinking and functioning. So even though we’ve accepted Jesus into our lives, our old way of operating is still a part of us. We still function according to the standard of our old nature. We do not yet know how to fully trust and depend on God. The old nature’s desires and pleasures are still attached to us.
John 5:30 (NKJV)
“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”
The example Jesus left us, is how to live a life completely dependent on God and totally submitted to fulfilling His will. Understand, we can confess our belief in God and have accepted Jesus into our lives, and still live according to our old nature. We must become disciples, willing to be disciplined, suffering in how to abandon the purpose, desires and pleasures of the old nature.
John 5:19 (NIV)
Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
Jesus continually displays His obedience to the Father. He reveals that anything He does and says is because it’s what the Father does and says. In fact, it is the Father doing and saying these things through Him. Jesus does and says nothing out of Himself, all is for the purpose and pleasure of the will of the Father. He has forsaken His own purpose and will through much suffering, in order that He may do the Father’s. Likewise, if there is any real hope of us truly fulfilling the will of the Father, it’s going to come by the complete and total surrender of our lives. We will need to give our lives in obedience, forsaking our own will, that we may do His will.
We need to come to the place of saying “we only do what the Father shows us to do and we only say what we hear Him instruct us to say”.
This declaration, followed by actions, will be the evidence of a life which daily bears its’ cross. A life that consciously exercises the words of John who said; ”He must increase, but I must decrease”(John 3:30).
Present day Christian culture is so focused on ruling, reigning, having dominion, prospering, conquering the “Seven Mountains”. These messages emphasized and popularized by the celebrity-like-lifestyles and (false) teachings of television evangelists, bishops and “prosperity-preachers”. And the people cling to their every word, seeking to mimic their every move in hopes of achieving the same level of “greatness” and stature. We go far and beyond to possess status, honor and position. Absent are the teachings of how to function in obedience, and void of the processes of suffering. This is far removed from the gospel Jesus taught or the lifestyle He portrayed.
“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14). Venturing beyond the cross is not something to be taken lightly. This is by no means a popular road to take, hence it’s described as narrow and difficult. Few find “it”, because few are searching for “it”. You do not find something which you are not searching for. These are those who abandon (them) ‘self’, in order to pursue the Father’s heart.
Jesus hanging on a cross was an external expression of an internal disposition. He did not live seeking to live His best life, wanting to fulfill His own plans or purpose. He lived a life only seeking to do the will of the Father.
Observing the character of Jesus, one who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, humbled Himself and became obedient (through suffering), to death (Philippians 2:6-8), one who could have had twelve legions of angels at His disposal to deliver Him (Matthew 26:53). Are these the typical attributes displayed by the current Christian culture?
On the contrary. If we experience any sort of “oppression or persecution”, the response is typically; “Don’t you know who I am? They don’t know who they’re messing with. I’ll show them.” We think so much of ourselves, we are so conceited. These teachings of “we are the head and not the tail“; “we rule, reign and have dominion“, outside of it’s true interpretation and context has grossly obscured our understanding. Not every persecution is an attack from the enemy! We often face these trials in order to learn obedience. But because we lack understanding, we remain in a perpetual state of ‘oppression’ because we’re slow to learn. There is absolutely no evidence of the humility that comes with the daily burden of bearing our cross.
To end with what we began, any life that does not conform to the example Jesus left us, is misdirected, misguided, and will not accomplish the purpose to which God has called it.
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