Fully Devoted: The ConclusionSample

Discipleship Is the Process of Becoming Like Jesus

Discipleship is a process that makes us more like Jesus. In every way. Jesus doesn’t just want some of us, He wants all of us. Our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And when we give those parts of ourselves to Him, we find more freedom and fulfillment than we ever could have guessed.

Yesterday, we were introduced to three themes that work together in the process of discipleship. They are responding faithfully to everyday trials, practicing spiritual disciplines, and the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Today, we’re going to investigate the ways those three themes work to make us more like Jesus.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NIV

In the above verse, Paul makes some pretty wild claims.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

What is Paul getting at here? Is he really claiming that he was murdered on a Roman cross like Jesus was? Not quite. What Paul is doing here is way cooler than that. Paul understands that when Jesus died on the cross, He died in our place. He was sinless and blameless and yet He willingly gave up His life so that sinners like us could be saved.

Jesus died the death we deserved, and as His disciples, we’ve been called to live the life that He lived.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 NIV

This is the point Paul’s trying to make! He took up the calling of being a disciple: He chose to deny himself, take up His cross, and follow Jesus every day. That’s why he could make the claim of being crucified with Christ! After all, isn’t that exactly what taking up your cross is? It’s taking the instrument of crucifixion and pursuing Jesus with it laid across your back.

Crucifixion is anything but comfortable. It’s excruciating. Really becoming like Jesus doesn’t just come from reading our Bible in the morning and going to church on Sundays. Really becoming like Jesus comes from embracing a life of suffering that is molded by the cross, or cruciform, meaning cross-shaped. Jesus’ life was shaped by the cross. His life was defined by self-denial, suffering, and obedience. He served humbly, loved graciously, and gave sacrificially. He didn’t grasp after positions of power, but instead took on the posture of a servant. His was a life shaped by the cross.

When we choose to live shaped by the cross, we become more like Jesus. So much so, it’s almost as if it’s not really us anymore, but it’s Jesus living in us. That’s why Paul was able to say, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

This is the goal of discipleship: following Jesus so closely that our lives become intimately bonded with His—being so shaped by the cross that we’re as connected to Jesus as a body is to its head. We are after all, the Body of Christ.

Christlikeness isn’t something we earn through our good works. It’s something given to us by His grace. As Paul continues in Galatians 2:20:

The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

It was Jesus’ gracious love for us that brought Him to the cross. And on the cross, He gave Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. Now, we’ve been called to serve humbly as His disciples so that His life will be made known through us.

This is the path of the disciple: to model our lives after Jesus, who is our perfect example. To walk with Him and work with Him as He teaches us the unforced rhythms of grace. To follow in His footsteps all the way to the cross on that hill called Calvary. And all along the way we’re being made new and made whole by the power of the gospel at work in us.

We respond to the gospel by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. And we live by faith in the Son of God who loves us and gave Himself for us.

Remember, faith isn’t just believing the right things or having positive thoughts about God. Faith is trust based on evidence that leads to obedience.

Because of who Jesus is and all that He has done, we make every effort to follow Him faithfully. We train ourselves to respond faithfully to everyday trials, we practice spiritual disciplines, and we invite the Spirit of God to work in us so that we can become more like Jesus every single day.

We don’t leave our discipleship to chance. Instead, we do everything we can and trust that Jesus will take care of what we can’t. We know we’ll fall short, we’ll get tripped up, and every step of the way God’s Spirit will be in us to meet our mess-ups with His mercy.

And when we look back on our lives, we’ll see the hand of God and the power of the gospel evident in our lives—because we’re starting to look more like Jesus. Our lives are being shaped by the cross. We’re becoming people who serve humbly, love graciously, and give sacrificially. So much so, that it’s almost like it’s not really we who are living, but it’s Jesus who’s living in us.

Journaling Questions

• What verses stand out to you most in today’s reading? Write them in your journal.
• What do you think it looks like to embrace suffering in your day-to-day life? Give a couple examples.
• What’s one area where God is challenging you to radical obedience? What step are you going to take this week to respond to His challenge?

Memory Verse

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV