Discipleship

Disciple - "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 and receive his doctrines and precepts." (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

Disciples Lovingly Follow Jesus

Disciples lovingly follow Jesus. (Mt 28:18-20, Jn 10:27, Jn 14:15,21,23, Ac 5:32, Eph 5:1, 1Jn 2:6, 1Jn 5:3)

Disciples align their will with God. (Mt 6:7-10, Mt 7:21, Mt 12:50, Mt 26:39,42, Jn 5:30, Jn 6:38, Jn 8:28,29)

Disciples experience great joy. (Ps 5:11, Isa 61:10, Jn 15:10,11, Ac 13:52, Gal 5:22, 1Pe 1:8,9)

Disciples praise God. (Ps 9:1,2, Ps 18:46-49, Ps 150:1-6, Heb 13:11-15, Rev 19:1-5)

Disciples are Pure and Holy

Disciples are pure and holy. (Da 12:8-10, Ps 51:10, 2Co 7:1, Eph 4:22-24, Eph 5:3, 1Th 4:7, 1Pe 1:14-16, 1Jn 3:1-3)

Disciples abandon known sins. (Jn 8:10,11, Ro 6:12-16, Ro 8:6-8, Gal 5:24, Col 3:5,6, Jas 4:7,8, 1Pe 4:1,2, 1Jn 3:9, 1Jn 5:18)

Disciples abandon worldly ways. (Ezr 10:11, Mt 6:19-21, Lk 16:15, Ro 12:2, Ro 13:14, 2Co 6:17, Col 3:2, Tit 2:12, Jas 1:27, Jas 4:4, 1Pe 2:11, 1Jn 2:15-17)

Disciples eat clean food. (Da 1:8, 1Co 6:19,20, 1Co 10:31)

Disciples wear modest attire. (1Ti 2:9,10, 1Pe 3:3,4)

Disciples maintain pure speech. (Ps 34:13, Pr 4:24, Pr 16:23, Pr 17:9, Eph 4:29, Eph 5:3,4, Col 3:8, 2Ti 2:16, Jas 1:26, 1Pe 1:15, 1Pe 3:10, Rev 14:1-5)

Notes on Ps 34:13, 1Pe 3:10, and Rev 14:5: Guile - "Craft, cunning; artifice; duplicity; deceit; usually in a bad sense." (Webster's Dictionary 1828) (compare 2Co 11:3 and Col 2:1-4)

Craft - "Cunning, art or skill, in a bad sense, or applied to bad purposes" (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

Cunning - "Art; artifice; artfulness; craft; shrewdness; the faculty or act of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose. Hence in a bad sense, deceitfulness or deceit; fraudulent skill or dexterity." (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

Artifice - "Stratagem; an artful or ingenious device, in a good or bad sense. In a bad sense it corresponds with trick, or fraud." (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

Duplicity - "Doubleness of heart or speech; ... the act of dissembling one's real opinions for the purpose of concealing them and misleading persons in the conversation and intercourse of life; double-dealing; dissimulation; deceit." (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

Deceit - "Literally, a catching or ensnaring. Hence, the misleading of a person; the leading of another person to believe what is false, or not to believe what is true, and thus to ensnare him; fraud; fallacy; cheat; any declaration, artifice or practice, which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false." (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

more on Guile - "It may be the Celtic form of Eng. wile." (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

Wile - "A trick or stratagem practiced for ensnaring or deception; a sly, insiduous artifice." (Webster's Dictionary 1828) (compare Eph 6:11)

Disciples maintain pure vision. (Ps 101:3, Mt 5:28,29, Mt 6:22,23, Rev 3:18)

Disciples maintain pure thought. (Ro 12:2, 1Co 2:16, 2Co 10:5, Php 4:8-9, 1Pe 4:7)

Disciples maintain a clear conscience. (Ac 24:16, Heb 9:14, 1Pe 3:15,16, 1Jn 3:21)

Disciples live according to the Spirit. (Isa 30:21, Ro 8:5-9, Gal 5:16,17,25)

Disciples Reach for Perfection

Disciples reach for perfection. (Ps 101:2, Mt 5:48, 2Co 7:1, 2Co 13:11, Eph 4:11-13, Php 3:14,15, 2Ti 3:16,17, Heb 6:1, Heb 13:20,21)

Only God is qualified to judge whether or not we are perfect. (Job 1:8, Job 9:20,21, 2Co 3:5)

The path of perfection is progressive and requires patience. (Pr 4:18, Isa 6:1-5, 2Co 3:18, Jas 1:4 patience)

We receive our perfection through Christ. (Col 1:27,28, Heb 10:10-14)

Jesus is our Righteousness. (Isa 26:12, Jer 23:6, Jn 15:4,5, Ro 5:17-19, 2Co 5:21, Gal 2:20, Php 1:11, Php 3:8,9)

Disciples Practice Spiritual Disciplines

Disciples pray. (Isa 1:18, Jer 29:13, Da 6:10, Mt 21:13, Mt 26:40,41 Sleeping Disciples, Mk 1:34,35, Lk 6:12,13, 1Th 5:17)

Disciples study the Bible. (Ps 119:11, Mt 4:4, Jn 17:17, 1Ti 4:13, 2Ti 3:15,16, Rev 20:4)

Disciples worship and minister together. (Pr 27:17, Ps 89:7, Mt 18:20, Heb 10:24,25)

Disciples keep the seventh-day Sabbath. (Ex 20:8-11, Ex 31:12-18, Ne 10:31, Ne 13:15-22, Isa 58:13,14)

The Sabbath is quantity and quality time we need to develop our relationship with God. (Mk 2:27)

Disciples witness of Jesus. (Mt 5:16, Mt 28:18-20, Jn 15:8, Jn 15:26, Eph 2:10, 2Co 5:20, Rev 12:17)

Disciples Manifest the Fruit of the Spirit

Disciples manifest the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22,23, Eph 5:8-10, 2Pe 1:4-9)

The greatest fruit is love. (Mt 5:44, Mt 22:36-40, Jn 13:34,35, Jn 15:12,13, 1Co 13:1-13, Col 3:14, 1Ti 5:1,2, 1Pe 4:8)

Note on 1Co 13:1-13, Col 3:14, and 1Pe 4:8: Charity - "In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellowmen, and to do them good." (Webster's Dictionary 1828)

True love is expressed through action. (Mt 25:41-43, Tit 3:8, Jas 2:14,26, 1Jn 2:4-6, 1Jn 3:17,18)

Disciples Make Personal Sacrifices

Disciples make personal sacrifices. (Mt 16:24,25, Mt 19:21,22, Lk 14:26-33)

Disciples are Persecuted

Disciples are persecuted. (Mt 5:10-12, Lk 6:26, Jn 15:20, Ac 14:19-22, Php 1:29, 2Ti 3:12)

Disciples are Examples (for Good or for Evil)

Disciples are not to be examples for evil. (Mt 15:7-9, Mt 23:13,15, Tit 1:15,16)

Disciples are to be examples for good. (Php 3:13-17, 1Ti 4:12, 1Pe 5:1-3)