Discipleship a Biblical Pattern
Is it possible to describe our relationship with the Creator of Heaven and earth?
Like any relationship, the answer is within our own hearts. A relationship starts with a willing heart that desire to be in relationship, this small book (Discipleship a Biblical Pattern), is a guide to assist those who seek an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. He loved us so much that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believe in Him will have eternal life.
Eternal life according to John 17:3 is to know God and His Son Jesus Christ, it is for NOW not one day. What is written is based on my personal experience as the Lord called us into a relationship with Him.
As for many of us, our relationship with God was based on hearsay knowledge. I knew about God and His Son, but apart from the occasional asking something from God, there were not much of a relationship. Then one day, the Lord started drawing me to Him through circumstances that I came to realise He orchestrated and someone asked me to invite the Lord be be part of my life. I was told that as part of inviting the Lord into my life I could also ask the Lord for anything of personal importance to me. At that time, there were only two things that was really important for my life’s journey. So I asked the Lord for true love and a purpose for my life. My journey into a relationship with God started from a desire to be loved and to live my life with purpose, and I think that qualified as a willing heart.
In my quest for true love, the Lord showed me that love starts with free will. True love is a wilful surrender, as mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity (Love) out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.
Then the obvious question is how do you wilful surrender your love to God? Jesus answers the mentioned question in John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. I asked a counter question, that if it is just about obedience where is the love relationship in it, because according to my opinion love is given and received. The the Lord showed me that the Bible, is like a marriage proposal and we are invited to come into the relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ as we come into agreement with His perfect Word. It is like a Jewish marriage that has three primary phases :
Phase 1 : The proposal and marriage contract as a pledges.
Phase 2 : A dwelling place being prepared by the bridegroom.
Phase 3 : The marriage is confirmed through intimacy.In John 14:12 Jesus said that we who believe in Him will do greater works.
I believe that one of the greatest errors we make when trying to understand the Word of God, is that we tend to think it is all about us, but in essence the Bible is a truthful witness to bring glory to God and not to us. Even Jesus as the Son of God, did not bring glory to Himself, He came to glorify the Father.
Psalm 145 is directed at glorifying God and His works. It is not about us, it is all about God.
So when Jesus said we will do greater works than He, He referred to the fact that we in Him will glorify God and His mighty works. We will be witnesses empowered by the Spirit of the Living God.
The answer to the greater works is therefore in the following verses 13 and 14, Jesus said that what so ever we ask in His name He will do so that the Father will be glorified.
Oswald Chambers said that prayer is the greater works, for if we pray to the Almighty God in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, He will be glorified through the work He will do.