Love, The Heart of Discipleship
Introduction
In recent years, most of the Christian pulpits have served the theme of discipleship more than ever before in PNG. We are encouraged to be disciples and taught how to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. To go out, and make a difference. While it is important to talk about the Art of Discipleship, We cannot be silent on the Heart of Discipleship. It is the key to true religion and discipleship. Thus, Love indeed is the Heart of Discipleship.[1] [Read more on disciples from the Following Jesus Series.
Love is the Heart of Discipleship.
Jesus had ended His public ministry and teaching. It was time to give the most significant and solemn truth to His disciples just before His crucifixion. In seclusion, Jesus addressed His loved disciples (Jn 13:34-35);
34 “A new commandment I give you that you love one another, as I have loved you that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”
To Love one another would be the most important mark that would identify them as true disciples.[2] In other places “John [also] Identifies Love as the distinguishing mark of those who know God” (1 John 4:7-8), given its significance.[3] Only a heart that is daily charged by God’s Love and godliness can tough a heart chained by the world and ungodliness. Discipleship is effortless when it comes from the fountain of God’s love.
a. Love is the heart, the foundation, the fuel, the root of Discipleship
God’s love isn’t just the distinguishing mark of Jesus’ disciples. It is the heart, the foundation, the fuel, or the root of Discipleship. It is the agape, the unconditional love of God that compels and motivates a person to live a life of disciple daily (2 Cor 5:14-15). That is, as Julian calls it, “a lifestyle of love,” which is “the lifestyle of a disciple.”
Consequently, God’s unconditional love manifests itself to the world around us as the identifying “Trade Mark” and the“Service Mark “of true religion and discipleship. Love is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Often times we talk about the empowering and enabling presence of the Holy Spirit in course of discipleship, yet talk little of discipleship in light of Love, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5: 22-23).
When a person is surrendered and possessed by the Holy Spirit the natural outgrowth is Love (Gal. 5:22-23). The Bible does not say the “Fruits” but the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is implies explicitly that all the other attributes of Gal 3:22-23 are contained in the one supreme attribute “LOVE”. We can be everywhere making disciples, serving God, preaching, and doing TMI, but if it is not coming from a place of selfless love, it is nothing compared to pure, Christ-centered discipleship.
b. The Greatest Commandment
In response to a lawyer’s question, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Matt. 22:32), Jesus made the overruling statement that summaries the entire Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets (Matt 22: 37-40),
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
This kind of Love is not worldly, or humanly crafted. It is divine, thus the fruit of the Divine Spirit. When a person is baptized and possessed by the Holy Spirit, he or she is able to under the leadership of the Holy Spirit Love like God loves. Thus, Matt 22:37-40 is the heart of discipleship, while John 13: 34-35 is the trade and service mark of discipleship. We do not need to introduce ourselves to the world, Love will.
c. Love is Patient, and Knows no Boundary
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away (1 Cor 13:4-8).
As humans we choose whom to love, and ask questions; who is my neighbor, the truth of the matter is we lack God’s kind of love and that testifies we are not His disciples.
In order to test if one is truly a disciple, one should not look at how much money was given, how much service was brought, hospitals visited, or prisoners fed. These are mere outcomes. The needed question is simple yet cutting, and overarching, “Do I love like Jesus”? This is not an independent and self-evaluative question. It is simply asking if “I love God with all that I am and have, and am I demonstrating that to others, not in my own strength but in the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.
With such love, service has no boundaries, no reservations, and no expectations. For example, when someone we have been trying to reach is still not committing to coming to church after several meetings and services, it may be a month, 6 months, or a year, we would continue to love and serve. That is unconditional, selfless love.
d. Love is not feelings, nor words
Love is not just some feeling or emotions; it is a principle, action, and service (1 John 3:17-18)
17 “But whoever has this world’s goods, sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in Him. 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but indeed and in truth. 19 And by this we] know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.”
Thus, I say Love is the Trade Mark and Service market of disciples. Who we have become in Christ, the loving person that we are is God’s trade Mark on us His products. What we do in Christ, our loving Service, is God’s, Service Mark. By these the world will know, we are one with God and we Love God and are His true disciples.
Conclusion
Thus, a lifestyle of a disciple is a daily lifestyle of love. “Love is so important that elsewhere Jesus identifies it as the one mark that will convince the world that we are genuine disciples.” [4] It is worth concluding with Jeffrey R. Holland’s commentary;
“The first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life.”[5]
[1] This devotional is inspired by Jillian Archer’s devotions on November 2022 during the first collaboration meetings for discipleship in Papua New Guinea Union Mission. The topic “The Heart of Discipleship” come directly from him.
[2] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ
[3] John Koessler, True Discipleship: The Art of Following Jesus (Zondervan Publishing house: USA, 2003), 21.
[4] Koessler, True Discipleship, 21.
[5] Jeffrey R. Holland, “Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You,” Liahona, May 2016, 127. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/tomorrow-the-lord-will-do-wonders-among-you?lang=eng
