The Basics of Being ChristianSample

How do I play my part?

Over the last seven days, we’ve covered some of the basics of being Christian. We know that it’s all about Jesus—who He is, what He’s done, and the part He’s inviting us to play. We learned some about the beautiful mystery of being in Christ. We touched on the fundamentals of the Bible and how to read it wisely. We looked at the nature of God and what it means to be human. Yesterday, we started to dive into the difference we have all been created to make: partnering with God in His mission to rescue humanity and restore Creation.

Today, we’re going to begin to explore how we can play our part in God’s plan for redemption.

So, how exactly do we play our part? The short answer is discipleship.

What exactly is discipleship? Discipleship the process of becoming like Jesus for the sake of others.

Discipleship is a process. It’s not a one-time decision but a daily commitment to live by faith. Living by faith is choosing to trust that God is good and He cares about you, based on evidence that leads to obedience. When we do this, day by day, little by little, we are changed from the inside out to be less like who we were so we can become more like Jesus.

Remember, it’s all about Jesus. As we go deeper into our relationship with Him we will become more like Him; people who can truly love God with all that we are and love others the same way He has loved us.

All of this is for the sake of others. Our serpent-crushing savior king didn’t come to be served by others—He came to serve and give His life for the world. When we engage in the process of discipleship, He will lead us into situations where we get to care for the poor, comfort the sick, give hope to the hurting, and bring justice for the oppressed.

All of this is discipleship. The process of becoming like Jesus for the sake of others.

And, just before being arrested and sentenced to death on the cross, Jesus told His disciples the key to discipleship was remaining in Him.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.John 15:4-5 NIV

Five times in this one conversation, Jesus instructs His followers to, “remain in me.” Twice He says to, “remain in my love.”

Clearly, this is a big deal to Jesus, and, as such, it should be a big deal to us. But it’s not until verse 10 that Jesus actually reveals how we are to remain in Him.

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. John 15:10 NIV

According to Jesus, the key to discipleship is remaining in Him by keeping His commands.

So, what does Jesus command us to do? Verse twelve tells us, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12 NIV

This is how we play our part in God’s redemptive plan to rescue humanity and restore creation. We remain in Jesus by keeping His commands. We follow His lead wherever He takes us. We love others the same way He has loved us. We stick close to Him no matter what. Because apart from Him, we can do nothing.

Consider: Did anything about today’s reading surprise you? How do you personally practice being a disciple of Jesus? If you don’t have anything that comes to mind, what are some things you might try to help you grow as a follower of Christ?

Where do you go from here? Choose your next Switch Bible Plan. Connect with Switch on YouTube.