Putting together the pieces of the “Discipleship Puzzle” requires a life-long process of sanctification (being set apart for service to God). Our status as a community of saints, or sanctified ones, is the foundation for living holy lives; a community for the sake of holy communion.[1] Crucial to the task of the disciple-making church is recognizing that our task is “not to make men and women happy, but to make them holy.”[2] We have already been made holy by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, yet we, as individuals and as a Divine Family, must also progress into the maturity of our new nature. Life as a disciple is a moment by moment journey in which every aspect of personal growth has some direct connection to YHWH.
Discipleship denotes a direction more than a static state or class structure. Discipleship in this world is a journey, not an arrival. Though all disciples find themselves at different points on the journey, the committed disciple is seen as someone who is well on the way with his eternal destination clearly in view.[3] As God adds to our inner-life, we grow and become the people He has called out for His own good purpose. Jim Petersen and Mike Shamy, call this the life of an “Insider”; one who seeks Kingdom growth which can only be achieved through community growth which in turn is only a result of internal growth.[4]
The key for successfully navigating the path of a disciple is becoming intentional in all our relationships. We, the church, must help every follower of Jesus become intentional in their relationship with Self, Non-Christians, Christians, The Body (church) and with God. In subsequent posts I will shine a light more clearly on each step along the disciple’s path.
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[1] David Peterson, Possessed by God: A New Testament Theology of Sanctification and Holiness, New Studies in Biblical Theology /Eerdmans; Variation: New Studies in Biblical Theology (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.) (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1995), 46.
[2] Colson and Vaughn, The Body,46.
[3] Bing, “Coming to Terms with Discipleship,” 49.
[4] Ibid.,17-25.
Regarding 
Regarding 
Regarding 
Regarding 
Regarding 
Regarding 
I don’t understand the:
S
N
C
U
B
Stuff on the side of the image. In the black sqaures,on the right. I see what the letters stand for but I don’t understand their significance.
Ok, I looked at it again, does it mean that specific group/person should intentionally or unintentionally be doing that?
Also, I don’t get what the differences is between Christians and the Body.
Good questions Mike, It may be kinda’ hard to explain on a blog comment (I am used to doing this in a class face to face), but I will give it a shot.
First, let me say that the overall goal as we mature in our faith is that we mature in all of our relationships. I simply broke down relationships into the se 5 groups
s = Self
N = Non-Christians,
C = Christians,
B = The Body (church)
G = God
And of course you get
I = Intentional
U = Unintentional
I have observed in life that maturity in marked by how intentional we become in all of these relationships. Notice the descriptions on the right describe what it means to become more intentional in each of these areas.
For example, we can look at our relationship of love toward other Christians. it is one thing to be an encouragement to others who watch our life (unintentional), but it is another thing to find ways that we can intentionally invest our lives into other people.
In answer to your second question, the difference between Christians and the Body is that I intend the word “Christian” to refer to the relationships we have with specific individual followers. The term Body I intend to refer to the whole church Family.
In the next week, I am going to make a post on each area of Reveal, Love, and Abide and maybe that will help answer your questions. If not, please do ask anything at anytime.
Blessings.