Intentional and Holistic Discipleship
This post is the next in our series looking at the Seven Foundations at Christ the King. You can also read about our new Mission and Vision statements.
Today, we will consider our sixth foundation: Intentional and Holistic Discipleship
What Is Discipleship?
At the end of his gospel account, Matthew records the words of the Great Commission where Jesus instructs his disciples to go out and make more disciples from all the peoples of the earth. These are familiar words. We know that we are all called to follow Christ. But what exactly does that involve? What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?
A disciple is a student, a pupil, a learner, and a follower. He is a student to a particular teacher, a follower of a particular leader. A disciple of Christ, then, is one who has dedicated his life to Christ in all things.
The Great Commission in Matthew’s gospel actually provides us a full picture of Christian discipleship. Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (ESV, emphasis added).
The main verb is to make disciples—that is what the current eleven disciples are called to do. And the next two verbs, baptizing and teaching, are adverbs explaining how they are to perform the task of disciple-making.
First, they are to be baptized. This is the processing of becoming a disciple. Baptism is the initiatory rite through which believers and their children enter into the family of God. And yes, we should baptize our children! Our little ones are young disciples of Jesus, but true disciples nonetheless.
Then, in the second place, they are to be taught everything that Jesus has commanded them. And where can we go to find all that Jesus has commanded? Of course, that must be found in the written, inerrant Word of God.
A disciple of Jesus, therefore, can be defined as one who has been baptized into the triune name of God, and is being instructed (and seeking to live by) all that God has commanded in his Word.
In order to better explain this kind of discipleship, we added the words intentional and holistic. Let’s look at those two descriptors.
Intentional Discipleship
Discipleship does not happen accidentally; it is a decision that one must make daily. “If anyone would come after me,” Jesus says, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). Self-denial and cross-bearing is the Christian life and it requires intentionality. Even for our young children, as we raise them up in the faith, we must constantly point them toward Christ and urge them to intentionally pick up their own cross and follow along.
At CTK, we want to be realistic about what kind of discipleship Jesus requires. This is not easy-believeism, antinomianism, or any other -ism we could use to describe it. The discipleship that Jesus requires of us is intentional. It is a choice.
Thankfully, God has given us his own Spirit that so enlightens our minds and renews our wills that we are able to make that choice! And as Spirit-filled Christians we are able to make that choice daily, although always imperfectly.
As we continue to follow Christ, and as we invite others to join us, we do so intentionally. Aware of the costs, but ultimately aware of the rich reward that is ours in Christ Jesus.
Holistic Discipleship
Discipleship is also holistic. Every part of us—body and soul; head, heart, and hands—must be engaged if we are to follow Christ. That is what we mean by holistic discipleship.
Quoting Deuteronomy 6:7, Jesus himself tells us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matt. 22:37, Luke 10:27). This is holistic discipleship. Not just one part of ourselves must be dedicated to loving God, but the whole person. Body and soul together, by God’s grace, must be brought to submission under Jesus’ feet.
Another way we can think about holistic discipleship is through the framework of head, heart, and hands. Our Vision Statement employs this framework, in fact. Our vision at CTK is to see all of us Believe the gospel (heart), Behold God in his Word (head), and Become more like Christ (hands).
It is not enough to have just one of those, or even two. All three aspects—our thoughts, will, and actions—should be aligned to Christ and his will. Our goal for discipleship, then, is that our affections would grow warmer for Christ, our knowledge of God and his word would increase, and from that overflow we would live out our faith in every area of life.
All of Life for Christ!
At the end of the day we must ask “Who are we?” and “Whose are we?” The answer to both questions is the same: We are not our own. We are in Christ. “You are not your own,” Paul reminds us, “for you were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We would do well to remember the price that was paid for us—nothing less than the precious blood of Christ on the cross.
If Christ has lived, and even more, has died for us, how can we not then live for him? As C. T. Shedd famously wrote:
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
We have only one life to live for Christ. Therefore, may we dedicate all of ourselves, body and soul, to the task, intentionally dying to self every day. All for the glory of Christ!
