Jesus Calls Us to Teach All Nations, not Make Disciples

"19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20)

There is a contention in Christendom over discipleship.

The truth is that we are called to sonship, more than mere "discipleship."

Yes, there is teaching, there is training, there is transforming.

All of this springs from our becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We receive the adoption of sons, we become children, sons of God, and He is our ABBA! (Romans 8:15)

Jesus did not come to be our teacher. He is our Savior.

He continues to be our Savior, the mercy seat for our sins (1 John 2:2), whose blood cleanses all our sins (1 John 1:7)

We are not called to be his fans, to be his followers.

We are invited to join His Family:

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29)

Jesus is the Firstborn, and we are his many brethren.

Jesus did not call for us to make disciples before He ascended into heaven. He called for us to "disciple", to teach others.

We need to teach the world that their sins are forgiven.

We need to teach them that they receive life in Christ Jesus.

We need to teach them that we are now sons of the Living God, those who believe on Jesus (John 1:12).

This is what the Great Commission is all about!

Furthermore, how does one directly "disciple" another?

By baptizing him in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

There is no greater "Teaching" than to be baptized in Christ Jesus, taken from sin and death, to righteousness and eternal life!

Now I'm a REAL BOY!

I wrote in another blog post how frustrated I was as a kid.

I was so busy trying to be the good boy, the one who played by all the rules, who looked up to and measured up to all the standards of the teachers, what was expected of me, what was placed on me.

If I was a good boy, I was good. If I failed, I was a bad boy, etc.

This idea of being unconditionally loved, cared for, graced first, and then responding to that love -- I had never known that.

Such thinking, such beauty, such GOSPEL, was completely unknown to me.

For all the years that I had been going to church, reading my Bible, listening to sermons, following the rules blah, blah, blah -- I never knew how much He loves me.

I do not write "He loved me", because His love for me is eternal, never-ending, and very present, too.

I was so busy trying to be good, and yet failing at it, or just plain having no fun.

The frustration I felt, too, when I saw kids who did not play by the rules get all the wins. "That's not fair!" I used to think.

Grace is not fair, and we are called from the beginning to grow in grace!

God is not looking for me to be a "good boy" in my own efforts.

I can't even become that!

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" (Romans 3:10)

It is written. None of us our righteous, good.

Sin cannot be overcome by our efforts. It requires grace!

JESUS!

"Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)

Jesus did not come to make bad men good, but to make dead men live.

Or, Jesus did not come to make bad boys good, but to make dead boys real!

Just like Pinocchio in that fairytale!

As long as he tried in his own efforts to become real, he failed.

When he rested and just believed, he became real!

Don't believe me?

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

LIFE!

Life is better than playing by "rules." Ten Commandments tell you want not to do -- and they actually awaken sin! (1 Corinthians 15:56-57)

I kept thinking that life was some kind of exam. I needed to put myself in the right place, at the right time to make things work.

No!

Jesus -- He is my life! (John 14:6; Colossians 3:4)

Life is what He has invited me to receive!

Today, I don't try to be a good boy. I know that I am loved, adopted by my loving Father!

I have His spirit, the spirit of adoption. He is my ABBA!

And I am His SON!

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." (1 John 3:1)

That makes me alive, real!

Grown-Up Christians Say "Daddy God!"

"15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

Many Christians say "It's good that people see Jesus as Savior. But they have to see Him as Lord."

That is a gross misunderstanding of Jesus' heart. He came to be our Savior, and that is the best way for us to revere Him as Lord!

In a similar fashion, many Christians will say "Yes, God is our Father. But we must understand that He is God Almighty, and we must show Him immense reverence."

An attitude of despite manifests among many: "How can these 'grace people' say "Daddy God!"?"

Because that is how He revealed Himself to us--especially through His Son!

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12)

and

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Galatians 4:6)

Also

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." (1 John 3:1)

And of course!

"Herein is love perfected among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

When Jesus rose out of baptism, what did the world hear?

"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)

Jesus arrived, a fully-grown honored Son before His Father.

Today, because of Jesus' Finished Work, we have received the full "Adoption" as Sons, and our hearts cry out "Daddy God!"

This adoption, however, is more than being taken out of an orphanage or granted the status of son in a family.

The Greek word for "Adoption: conveys the sense of full maturity, that we are granted full status and power of sonship, like "Coming of age."

In other words, our Father views as mature Christians, grown-ups.

So, there you have it: Grown-up Christians say "Daddy God!"

Anything less is a spirit of bondage, a sense of servitude, distance, loss.

Be a grown-up Christian. Receive the fullness of Jesus' Finished Work. Run to your loving Father, and don't hold back that deep cry of love and dear dependence:

Daddy!