INTRODUCTION
Q: If you were arrested and imprisoned on the charge of being a disciple of Jesus Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
Think back to your first days, weeks & months as a disciple. What kinds of changes was the Holy Spirit helping you to make? How were you ‘retrofitting’ your life as a disciple? More importantly, how did those around you react to the changes? Did they see that you were different?
If you have been a disciple a year or more, what would people say about your life as a disciple of Christ now? Can you still say that there would be enough evidence to convict you of being a true Christian? What would it take to guarantee you a firm conviction?
No matter where you feel you are today spiritually, doing great or needing help, I want to think about this passage:
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophies, which depend on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.
Colossians 2:6-10
There are several areas of evidence that the Prosecutor will look at:
1) Evidence #1: Personal Righteousness –
Q: What is personal righteousness? It is knowing the will of God (and consistently growing in that knowledge) and being obedient to it. This doesn’t mean just being spiritual. Being spiritual does not necessarily mean we are righteous. Let me clarify – spiritual acts can lead us toward righteousness. Reading our bible, praying, sharing our faith, serving – these can all lead us closer to God.
BUT – Personal righteousness is about our heart – do we know God’s will and are we obedient to it UNCONDITIONALLY? Or have we (or the world) set limits on our desire to goal to live righteously? There are two main areas to consider with regards to personal righteousness:
A) True quiet times with God versus reading your Bible.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you my God.
Psalm 42:1
Even though we are made holy in Christ, our journey to know God and grow in righteousness never ends. Think about what you have read in the scriptures that has transformed your actions, your character or your faith this week. This is the heart of personal righteousness – knowing his word, learning his will, and being obedient to it.
Are you relying on the scriptures before any other reading? Don’t get me wrong. I love great spiritual books (I usually have several books going at once), deep, thought-provoking sermons, and powerful blogs and podcasts. But we need to want our understanding of God to come straight from His Word, not filtered through the thinking of others. (I had a sister tell me several years ago that she got an app that gave her a scripture a day – these were her quiet times because she could have them anytime, anywhere. These apps are great motivators, especially if you need a spiritual boost during the day. But they are ‘snack food’ – not bad for filler, but nothing to survive on.
Our personal righteous and spiritual maturity cannot flourish unless we are feasting (think Thanksgiving!) on the meat of the scriptures, working through them (and getting help where it’s needed) and then putting them into practice in our lives. Knowledge of God and his will come from our being intentional in the scriptures every day, looking for ways to change our character and become more like Jesus.
B) Prayer
Why do we pray? Some people ask ‘What’s the point if God already knows what we are thinking/needing/feeling/asking.’ True – God does know. But having a need and asking, and then God answering is not a relationship. Can you be in relationship if you don’t talk to each other? I can’t imagine what would happen if I just gave my husband a list of things I needed done or wanted, and then he just did them without us talking or spending time together. We wouldn’t have much of a marriage! In order to be righteous, we need to know God intimately. This seems hard – We can be tricked into believing we cannot have a relationship with someone we cannot see. This is a lie of Satan! I definitely struggle in this area. I think if I could just see the look on his face when I’m praying or hear an answer, then maybe I would do better. BUT – THIS IS WHAT FAITH IS!!
We can pray about anything. Are we in prayer about ourselves? Do we cry out to God when we find something in his Word that challenges us? Are we constantly in prayer when we are challenged with a weakness in our character or a sin that is dogging us? Did you know it is ok to talk to God about our feelings, anger, hurts, confusion – any human emotion? He already knows, but he also gets it! That’s what makes it a relationship and helps bond us even closer to God in a personal way.
Here is something that is incredibly faith-building:
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.
Psalm 34:15
God is listening for his righteous believers.! Revelation 5:8 says our prayers are golden bowls of incense to God. I love this picture! Our prayers are valuable to God – Does this show you how much God wants to hear from you? He is waiting to talk to you. (And his voicemail is never full!!)
Our personal righteousness is dependent on our relationship with God and dependence on his Word and prayer. We cannot let either area go, or we will lose the conviction we once held.
2) Evidence #2: Lordship
Is Jesus still the Lord of your life? Is your commitment and desire to be ‘sold out’ to him the same as it was the day you were baptized?
Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slave, you are slaves of the one you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Romans 6:16-18
Are you still a slave to Jesus as Lord? The word slave is so negative because of its terrible history in the world. We fear it because of how it has hurt so many people. But in the context of the passage above, we can see that being slaves to Jesus is actually a freedom from a sinful life and the grasp of Satan.
Do all the areas of your life come under the Master, that is, Jesus? Or are there areas that have slipped because of the pressures of the world, jobs, school, family, etc. Some of the areas to think about – time, money, possessions, family, and heart. The world is confused and convicted when we put church, discipling, serving, etc. before worldly pursuits and idols. But this lifestyle says something – that we believe that what is most valuable to us is not here on earth but being kept as a treasure in heaven. Are you avoiding the idols of the world and all the things that the world says are important and putting your focus on God and his kingdom first and foremost.
An important part of the is the concept of discipling – being a follower by getting input and help in order to grow and be more like Jesus. Are you still seeking discipleship in your life, vs ‘self-discipling’? (I find that when Jesus is not Lord, this area gets weak quickly!) Are you still willing to be as open and vulnerable as you were in the beginning, when you were eager to become a disciple and grow in your faith?
I see discipling as an avenue for seeking wisdom, not getting permission or getting scolded on my sin, etc. I can take it as either, but I choose to see it as a way to grow and become more righteous before God. (EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!) It takes me continually reminding myself that I didn’t get to be almost 36 years as a disciple on my own strength and wisdom.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6
What are you hungering for? When we are intentionally looking to be righteous, God will not let us down.
3) Evidence 3: Love
Does the world know you as a disciple because of your love? Think about some of the areas tied to love – humility, serving/giving, forgiving, being patient (my personal thorn in the side), carrying others’ burdens. Can you say that in all these areas you love with the type of love that Christ expects and that the world needs?
Do you love all equally? Can you say you love the person begging for money, the oldest and youngest in the congregation, your difficult boss or teacher and your enemy all the way that Christ would?
Jesus tells us:
By this all men will know you are my disciples if you love one another.
John 13:35
Love is the greatest piece of evidence of our lives as disciples of Christ. And it’s not just loving family or other disciples – it is loving all those around us – the same people that God loves. We should be able to do this, especially because of the way God has shown and does show his love to us. BUT – LOVE IS COMPLICATED! It takes great effort and intentionality to love the way God loves. It is a lifetime journey for all of us.
When we look at other passages on love, we find there are so many levels and nuances to love. Intentionally loving others in the way Jesus commands is one of the most difficult things we must do as disciples:
>Matthew 5 says we must love our enemies.
>Matthew 19 says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (which implies that we also need to love ourselves well). >1 Corinthians 13 say love doesn’t envy, or boast, or dishonor, or get angry or keep a record of wrongs, but rather that it always protects, trusts, hopes & perseveres, and especially that it doesn’t fail.
>Romans 13:8-10 says love does no harm, and therefore it is the fulfillment (completion/perfection) of the law.
> 1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, love each other deeply, for love covers over a multitude of sins.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14
Love is the ultimate binder – it pulls everything the scriptures teach us about God and Jesus together to help us understand who God and just how much he loves us.
How is your love level? Do people see the unconditional love of God in your life, extended to everyone and not just a special few?
CONCLUSION
SO – if you were arrested on the charge of being a disciple of Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you? My prayer is that you think about some of the things we’ve talked about and evaluate your life in these areas.
For whatever you are doing well, AMEN! (We all do well in many areas. We need to rejoice that the Spirit is working in us. ) Continue to be a light to the world.
If there’s an area you feel you are weak in, AMEN! (We all have them!) You have an opportunity to grow and put on more of the character of Christ.
The vast majority of us will never be on trial for being disciples (though it is helpful to remember that many of our brothers & sister in other parts of the world are or will be!). But wouldn’t it be incredible to say that, if we were, our lives would convict us!