Discipline & Discipleship

Matthew 28:19-20 New International Version 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age

Matthew 28, 19-20, quotes Jesus as instructing us to make disciples. Verse 20 goes onto say how and what they are expected to do. But before that, we, ourselves need to observe and follow verse 20 before we preach to others and expect them to follow Christ. Titus 2:11 tells us how.

Pastor David Jacobs opens up on this in a transparent manner. While we, and as churches, blindly believe and follow verse 19 we seldom understand that verse 20 is a qualifier and a responsibility and forms the discipline of discipleship for ourselves.

Here is what he says -

"This verse tells us how to conduct ourselves in a holy manner. Titus 2:11 says: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." God has given us salvation, and we must honor his salvation by doing what he asks. God's grace is involved in the teaching of us to turn away from godless actions. Living devoutly and avoiding sin are part of Paul and God's plans.

Paul writes this letter to Titus, often emphasizing the importance of living a disciplined life. Think about how important this would be: what kind of person do you think would attract more followers of Christ? Do you think it would be an ungodly one, one that pursues his every bodily desire, drinking and hurting others along the way? Of course not. Leading by example, Christ showed us how to live a disciplined and pious life. Christ has attracted followers based on his example for thousands of years, the vast majority of whom were not alive during his time. Disciples of Christ should see his life as the ultimate example of discipline and attempt to follow suit. This is Paul's aim in his letter to Titus.

Paul writes the letter knowing full well that the conduct of the early church members will go a long way in determining the impact of the church. Think about the churches in your own communities. Churches have fallen on hard times and been devastated by scandals, some never fully being able to recover. By resisting the temptations of the flesh and being delivered from evil, we protect our own immortal souls as well as show others how God hoped that we would live."

In short "We should exhibit self-control. We should live soberly, righteously, and godly. The rest we should leave to God."