Gospel Day Five

Welcome to Day Five, the last day of this course.

In Day Four we covered what it means, in practical terms, to be a child a God.

Today we are going to find out what it means to become a follower, a disciple, of Jesus Christ.

Are you ready to begin?

In Day One, you will remember the scene in the video where we saw the man being beckoned to come before Jesus, His Savior and King.

Jesus asks the man if he will go back into the world he came from, the world full of darkness, evil and despair, to perform a very difficult and dangerous mission:

To release the other prisoners.

How do you think you would respond to Jesus' request?

Next, Jesus warns the man that if he attempts to perform this mission in his own strength (using his own intellect, instincts, efforts, capabilities, etc.) he will not be successful. The enemy of God will easily defeat him.

Have you seen these casualties - Christians who set out to do good things for other people, but ended up being 'shot down' in their attempts or arrogant over their 'successes'?

If we can't do what Jesus is asking of us in our own strength, then how are we supposed to do it?

The answer lies is the next miracle of the Gospel.

Jesus tells the man that He, Himself, will become a part of him. That they will become as 'one person'.

Jesus joins His perfect, holy and pure Personhood with our personhood and we become a 'new person'.

Jesus places in us the ability to love as He loves. We will, in part, be able to experience the same compassion, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control as Jesus demonstrated.

This radical process is called sanctification.

Now if you have not heard of this idea before, you might be thinking something like: "okay, I was interested, but I now you have totally lost me..."

That reaction is completely understandable! That said, you've made it this far, are you willing to withstand one more explanation?

Have you ever loved someone so much that you felt like you were a part of them and that they were a part of you? That you would, if called upon, be willing to give your own life to save theirs?

Sanctification is the same thing. As we spend more time with Jesus, we find ourselves falling more and more in love with Him. 'Time' is the key component.

It may sound strange to fall in love with a Person you cannot see or touch. But that's just it, as we spend time with Jesus, He allows us to see, hear and be touched by Him. It's as real as human love and, in many ways, even more so.

As we spend time in His Presence, we come to love Him so deeply that we, at times, become a part of Him and He becomes a part of us. Love, not duty, is the force at work here.

As our love and trust for Him grow, we spontaneously find ourselves wanting to do for Him, and others, the very things that He did for us.

Okay, fair enough, this idea of 'loving Jesus' may seem absurd to you at this time. But have you ever loved someone so much that you felt yourself, at times, becoming a part of them?

In sanctification we become like passionate lovers and, like all lovers, we hate everything that separates us from the one we love.

Suddenly, we have eyes to see the sin within us and we are repulsed by it. Those negative thoughts we talked about earlier combined with our mistrust, unbelief, self interest, love of money, caring about what other people think of us, etc., everything that separates us from Jesus, becomes our enemy.

Like a Groom with His Bride, His love has miraculously united us forever.

How much does this explanation help you to make sense of what it means to 'not perform in your own strength'?

If you are thinking something like, "But this could never happen to someone like me...", you're wrong.

Jesus saves, sanctifies, loves, heals, redeems, leads and provides for anyone who genuinely pursues Him.

He does this for one reason: to unite Himself with you and to unite you back to your Creator, our Heavenly Father.

Jesus' aim is to give you as much of Himself, His perfect life, as you are willing to receive.

That is the whole of Christianity: Jesus entering your life, uniting more and more of His perfect life with yours.

Everything that Christianity concerns itself with including the Church, Bible, morals, etc. is for the sole purpose of bringing about this end.

Given this description, what is your overall view of the Gospel now?

As the video comes to an end, we see the man going out as a 'victor' against the forces of evil.

We see his transformation from a prisoner to a champion of the oppressed. We see him turning his suffering into a force that liberates others. We see him accomplishing, on a much smaller scale, what Jesus accomplished.

These are the disciples of Jesus Christ living fulling in the gifts that have been given them: salvation from sins, the invitation to God's near Presence, adopted as children of God, sanctification and discipleship.

These are His people living fully, with humility, strength, love, self-discipline, mercy, spontaneity, joy and passion.

These are the friends of Jesus. They are following, loving and trusting Him with an abandonment that the world mocks and laughs at.

These are the champions of God, filled with His Spirit, liberating the prisoners...solving the "unsolvable" problems of this broken world through their love and tenacity.

Now, it's your turn...Are you ready to take the first step toward becoming a friend and disciple of Jesus Christ?

Okay, then, earlier we stated that to navigate this journey, this walk with Jesus, requires daily training (discipleship).

The first step is to begin to read the New Testament. If you have tired reading it previously and could not connect to it, try again. If you have never read it, start now. If you have made it this far into this Navitent, you will discover that reading the New Testament will have new meaning. It will be a remarkable source of life, strength and freedom.

In addition, Trails, like this one, have been specifically designed to train and disciple. Like a navigation system, they will guide you step-by-step, day-by day, week-by-week, month-by month and year-by-year in the most remarkable journey any man or woman could undertake in their lifetime.

If you put in the time and follow the steps, ultimately Jesus will lead you to a joy and pleasure far beyond anything you can begin to imagine.

Your job is to follow. God will do the rest. That's what it means to be a disciple.

If you would like to 'test drive' another Trail before committing, go to 'Related' above and select the Trail titled: 'Come Home To Your Father: Luke 15:20-22 (Love)'.

If you are ready to commit, go to the Navitent Marketplace and join the Community titled: 'Faith Of A Mustard Seed'. After joining the community, go to it’s library and select one of the Navitents you’ll find there.

(Optional) If you are not saved, but found yourself wanting to be while going down this Trail, you can receive your salvation anytime, anywhere you like.

Yes, even right now.

You can do this by having an honest conversation with God. In this conversation tell God that you believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that He has accomplished what He said that He has accomplished: that He is your Savior and that He has risen from the dead (see Day Four Step 2).

Don't worry if after you express yourself to God that you begin to experience doubts and uncertainty or even begin to feel foolish. These are natural reactions. That is the enemy of God at work.

Once you have this conversation with God, and you truly mean it, your salvation has taken root. It is established forever.

In addition, set up a time to talk to a Christian you trust in person. If you don't know anyone who fits that criteria, then reach out to us and we will set up a time to talk with you directly. Use the box at the bottom of this page to send a message to the publisher. We will respond as soon as possible.

May you find the joy and freedom that is your gift from God in Christ Jesus!