Why Bother With Discipleship?--Dallas Willard
Professor
University of Southern California
If we are
Christians simply
by believing that
Jesus died for our
sins, then that is
all it takes to
have sins forgiven
and go to heaven
when we die. Why,
then, do some
people keep
insisting that
something more
than this is
desirable?
Lordship,
discipleship,
spiritual
formation, and the
like?
What more could
one want than to
be sure of their
eternal destiny
and enjoy life
among others who
profess the same
faith as they do.
Of course everyone
wants to be a good
person. But that
does not require
that you actually do
what Jesus himself
said and did.
Haven't you heard?
"Christians
aren't perfect.
Just
forgiven."
Now those who
honestly find
themselves
concerned about
such matters might
find it helpful to
consider four
simple points:
First, there is
absolutely nothing
in what Jesus
himself or his
early followers
taught that
suggests you can decide
just to enjoy
forgiveness at
Jesus' expense and
have nothing more
to do with him.
Some years ago
A. W. Tozer
expressed his
"feeling that
a notable heresy
has come into
being throughout
evangelical
Christian
circles--the
widely-accepted
concept that we
humans can choose
to accept Christ
only because we
need him as Savior
and that we have
the right to
postpone our
obedience to him
as Lord as long as
we want to!"
(I Call It
Heresy,
Harrisburg, PA.:
Christian
Publications,
1974, p. 5f) He
then goes on to
state "that
salvation apart
from obedience is
unknown in the
sacred
scriptures."
This 'heresy'
has created the
impression that it
is quite
reasonable to be a
"vampire
Christian."
One in effect says
to Jesus:
"I'd like a
little of your
blood, please. But
I don't care to be
your student or
have your
character. In
fact, won't you
just excuse me
while I get on
with my life, and
I'll see you in
heaven." But
can we really
imagine that this
is an approach
that Jesus finds
acceptable?
And when you
stop to think of
it, how could one
actually trust him
for forgiveness of
sins while not
trusting him for
much more than
that. You can't
trust him
without believing
that he was right
about everything,
and that he alone
has the key to
every aspect of
our lives here on
earth. But if you
believe that,
you will naturally
want to stay just
as close to him as
you can, in every
aspect of your
life.
Secondly, if we
do not become his
apprentices in
kingdom living we
remain locked in
defeat so far as
our moral
intentions are
concerned. This is
where most
professing
Christians find
themselves today.
Statistical
studies prove it.
People, generally,
choose to sin. And
they are filled
with explanations
as to why,
everything
considered, it
understandable to
do so. But, even
so, no one chooses
to be a sinner. It
is amusing that
people will admit
to lying, for
example, but
stoutly deny that
they are liars.
We want to be
good, but we are
prepared, ready,
to do evil--should
circumstances require
it. And of course
they do 'require'
it, with deadening
regularity. As
Jesus himself
indicated, those
who practice sin
actually are
slaves of it.
(John 8:34)
Ordinary life
confirms it. How
consistently do
you find people
able to do good
and avoid evil as
they intend.
By contrast,
practicing Jesus'
word as his
apprentices
enables us to
understand our
lives and to see
how we can
interact with
God's redemptive
resources, ever at
hand. This in turn
gives us an
increasing freedom
from failed
intentions, as we
learn from him
how, simply, do
what we know to be
right. By a
practiced abiding
in his words we
come to know the
truth and the
truth does, sure
enough, make us
free. (John 8:36)
Thirdly, only
avid discipleship
to Christ through
the spirit brings
the inward
transformation of
thought, feeling
and character that
"cleans the
inside of the
cup" (Matt.
23:25) and
"makes the
tree good"
(Matt. 12:33). As
we study with
Jesus we
increasingly
become on the
inside--with
"the Father
who is in
secret" (Matt
6:6)--exactly what
we are on the
outside, where
actions and moods
and attitudes
visibly play over
our body alive in
its social
context. An
amazing simplicity
will take over our
lives--a
simplicity that is
really just
transparency.
This requires a
long and careful
learning from
Jesus to remove
the duplicity
that has become
second nature to
us--as is perhaps
inevitable in a
world where, to
'manage' our
relations to those
about us, we must
hide what we
really think, feel
and would like to
do if only we
could avoid
observation. Thus,
a part of Jesus'
teaching was to
"avoid the
leaven, or
permeating spirit,
of the Pharisees,
which is
hypocrisy."
(Luke 12:1)
The Pharisees
were in many
respects the very
best people of
Jesus' day. But
they located
goodness in
behavior and tried
to secure
themselves by
careful management
at the behavioral
level. However,
that simply cannot
be done. Behavior
is driven by the
hidden or secret
dimension of human
personality, from
the depths of the
soul and body, and
what is present
there will
escape. Hence they
always failed at
some point to do
what is right, and
had to redefine,
redescribe or
explain it
away--or simply
hide it.
By contrast the
fruit of
the spirit, as
described by Jesus
and Paul, does not
consist in
actions, but in
attitudes or
settled
personality traits
that make up the
substance of the
"hidden"
self, the
"inner
man."
"Love"
captures this
fruit in one word,
but in such a
concentrated form
that it needs to
be spelled out.
Thus, "the
fruit (singular)
of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
self-control."
(Gla 5:22) Other
such passages
easily come to
mind, such as II
Peter 1:4-11, I
Cor. 13, and
Romans 5:1-5.
"Spiritual
formation" in
the Christian
tradition is a
process of
increasingly being
possessed and
permeated by such
character traits
as we walk in the
easy yoke of
discipleship with
Jesus our teacher.
From the inward
character the
deeds of love then
naturally--but
supernaturally--and
transparently
flow. Of course
there will always
be room for
improvement, so we
need not worry
that we will
become perfect--at
least for a few
weeks or months.
Our aim is to be
pervasively
possessed by Jesus
through constant
companionship with
him. Like our
brother Paul:
"This one
thing I do! ...I
press toward the
mark! ...That I
may know
him!" (Phil.
3)
Finally, for
the one who makes
sure to walk as
close to Jesus as
possible there
comes the reliable
exercise of a
power that is
beyond them in
dealing with the
problems and evils
that afflict
earthly existence.
Jesus is actually
looking for people
he can trust with
his power. He
knows that
otherwise we
remain largely
helpless in the
face of the
organized and
disorganized evils
around us and
unable to promote
his will for good
in this world with
adequate power.
He is the one
who said, "I
have been given
say over all
things in heaven
and earth. So you
go...."
(Matt. 28:18) Of
him it was said
that "God
anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the
Holy Ghost and
with power: who
went about doing
good, and healing
all that were
oppressed of the
devil; for God
was with him."
(Acts 10:38) We
are called to do
his work by his
power.
However we may
understand the
details there can
be no doubt, on
the biblical
picture of human
life, that we were
meant to be
inhabited by God
and live by a
power beyond
ourselves. Human
problems cannot be
solved by human
means. Human life
can never flourish
unless it pulses
with "the
exceeding
greatness of his
power to us-ward
who believe."
(Eph. 1:19) But
only constant
students of Jesus
will be given
adequate power to
fulfill their
calling to be
God's person for
their time and
their place in
this world.
But, someone
will say, can I
not be saved--get
into heaven when I
die--without any
of this? Perhaps
you can. God's
goodness is so
great, I am sure,
that He will let
you in if He can
find any basis at
all to do so. But
you might wish to
think about what
your life amounts
to before
you die, about
what kind of
person you are
becoming, and
whether you really
would be
comfortable for
eternity in the
presence of one
whose company you
have not found
especially
desirable for the
few hours and days
of earthly
existence. And he
is, after all, One
who says to you
now, "Follow
me!"-
available by permission of Dr.
Willard and Biola University
