Tag Archives: discipleship

January 2
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“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” (Jude 1:3, NIV)

Jude encourages all followers of Jesus — past, present, and future — to “contend for the faith.”

I do not believe it to be accidental that he chose the positive, as in contending for; instead of the negative, as in contending against. The truth is this: We can go either way, but as it concerns the faith we hold dear let us be forward looking, optimistic, and proactive.

To “contend” means to strive for a particular goal or objective. We contend for the faith when we make choices that are consistent with our profession, and embrace those choices with confidence and with joy.  – Luther

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December 29
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“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” (1 John 3:1, NASB)

The scriptures tell us that a pupil is not above his or her teacher. If the teacher suffers the slings and arrows of ignorant people, the pupil should expect nothing less.

Jesus is God in human flesh, blood, and bone. He came because God loved the world; but the world did not return His love. The world preferred its ways to God’s ways. The world preferred its gods to the one true, living, God.

The evidence of God’s love is the gift to us of His own name. As His children, we are His heirs; and as His heirs, all that came to Jesus has also been set-aside for you and me.

With this in mind, always live a life worthy of the Name you’ve been given. Our heavenly Father’s good name may not always be honored on this earth, but the mere whisper of it anywhere in the universe makes available to us every blessing and gift from heaven!  – Luther

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December 9
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“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23, NIV)

To be Christian is to be like Christ.

Peter provides two clear, practical, snapshots of what it means to be like Christ: Ignoring insults from the “haters”; and making no threat against the agents of suffering and pain.

According to the scriptures, in his early years as a disciple of Jesus, Peter immediately responded to every insult and vigorously engaged every opponent. Through faithful discipleship over time, however, Peter became less like “Peter,” and more like his master, Jesus.

To grow in maturity as a Christian means to become more and more like Jesus, as in never allowing the devil and his agents to interfere in our relationship with our heavenly Father.  The adversary, the devil, prefers that we “step outside” of God’s promises for our future and His commandments; and he will do all that he can to either provoke or to persuade us to abandon our Father’s will and our Father’s way.  Don’t take the bait!

A measure of our maturity is the degree to which we are willing to entrust ourselves in all things “to him who judges justly.” – Luther

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