The Test of Discipleship

 The Test of Discipleship
John 11-15
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”
                  How do we distinguish between a genuine disciple of Jesus and a false disciple? Not everyone who claims to be a disciple is genuine. Judas was accepted into the inner circle of the disciples. He was likely well-respected by the other disciples, since he was chosen to manage the team’s finances. Yet we know that, in the end, he was a mere pretender, someone who claimed to be a faithful disciple of Christ but was motivated by his own ambitions rather than genuine faith. It is easy to give lip service to Christ and still fail to be fully devoted to Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns, “Many will say to Me on that Day, “Lord, Lord…’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you’” (Matt. 7:22-23). This warning should stop us in our tracks and prompt deep reflection, for it is possible to be fully convinced you are a follower of Christ and, in the end, still be self-deceived. So how do we know we are a genuine disciple and not self-deceived in our faith?
                  Christ provides the answer by giving us the basis for our self-reflection and examination of the genuineness of our faith. In John 14-15, he repeats the same litmus test for genuine faith six times. While our salvation is based solely on faith and not on any works of righteousness on our part, genuine faith is always transformative because it is grounded in the acceptance of Christ’s redemptive work and his authority over our lives. To embrace that Jesus is God come in the flesh leads to the inevitable question: How are we to respond to him? Therefore, Christ makes it clear, “If you love me, you will keep My commandments.” The test for authentic faith is a transformed life. He becomes the basis for our life so that our life is now defined by him and his purpose. However, this is not something we accomplish by our own strength and abilities or by the resolve of our will. When we embrace Christ, he becomes the source, motivation, and empowerment for our transformed life. We do not change ourselves or accomplish anything in our own strength and might. Instead, we gain our life and strength from him. Christ uses the analogy of the vine and branches to illustrate this truth. If a branch is cut off from the vine, it quickly dies because it cannot sustain life in itself. Its life comes from the nutrients provided by the vine. This is true in our Christian life. We do not obtain life through our own strength; rather, we rely upon Christ and his life. This comes when we live by his word and live in dependence upon him.
His words are more than good moral teachings that are appropriate for life. The Bible is unique among all other literature. Its words are not static but active and penetrating. Every time we read from the Bible, the Spirit is at work, using the words to bring the transformation that God desires to achieve in us (Hebrews 4:12). This not only includes his words but also the words of all the Biblical writers (John 13:20). To obey Christ also involves obeying those he inspired to write his words (2 Tim. 3:16). Thus, if you want to examine your relationship with God and Christ, look no further than your attitude and obedience to his word. It is not just what we say that reveals our faith; it is our unequivocal submission to his word.