We are to make disciples, not just converts as we go forth into all the world and spread the truly Good News. The Holy Spirit leads us into all Truth which is reality.
Love without works is ineffective so let us go forth in the boldness and assurance given to us by Jesus through His Words and the Words found in the epistles given by The Holy Spirit.
Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 28:
18Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to Me. As My Father sent Me, so I send you. 19Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 20And teach them to faithfully follow, keep, and guard all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”
A disciple is: A follower; an adherent to the doctrines of another. Hence the constant attendants of Christ were called His disciples; and hence all Christians are called His disciples, as they profess to learn, receive, and walk in His doctrines and precepts.
When we disciple someone, we teach, train up, or bring up to maturity in Christ’s doctrines and precepts. The doctrines of The Gospel are the principles or Truths taught by Christ and His apostles and Paul was the twelfth apostle who replaced Judas, the locksmith. As Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians chapter 15:
9Yes, I am the most insignificant of all the apostles, unworthy even to be called an apostle, because I hunted down believers and persecuted God’s church.
Jesus revealed how to come into full maturity which would allow us to go forth as He instructed. Jesus spoke in John chapter 14:
12“I tell you this timeless Truth: The person who follows Me in faith, believing in Me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with My Father! 13For I will do whatever you ask Me to do when you ask Me in My Name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to Him. 14Ask Me anything in My Name, and I will do it for you!”
It is critical that you and I not only receive this vital Word, but we must understand It, embrace It individually, and walk in It. This Word is has not lost any power or authority since It was spoken. If It is just as effective and powerful today than when It was spoken, then where does the problem lie? It lies with us and our spiritual immaturity which resists change.
Jesus further spoke:
15“Loving Me empowers you to obey My commands. 16-17And I will ask the Father and Me will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, Who will be to you a friend just like Me—and He will never leave you. The world won’t receive Him because they can’t see Him or know Him. But you know Him intimately because He remains with you and will live inside you.
18“I promise that I will never leave you helpless or abandon you as orphans—I will come back to you!
When we become intimate friends and immerse ourselves in The Word, we express Love for Jesus. In doing that, we become empowered to obey His commands. We will be as fervent toward Him as we would be toward our future mate who agreed to marry us when we became engaged, even more so. Our true passion increases as we know Christ in a more intimate fashion. This is done by keeping our focus on Him and not the world’s alternatives. We must press in and now is the appointed time to do so.
He is still the Healer and Restorer of who we are meant to be in Christ. He will show us what is written in our individual books written in Heaven (Psalm 139:16) as we are able to handle the contents as mature believers. Once we are fully equipped by accepting and walking in what has already been deposited in us, we will make disciples of others resulting in Kingdom expansion.