Discipleship in Holiness, part 2
Discipleship and Holiness are talking about the same thing: drawing nearer to the Lord. In discipleship, we draw closer to Jesus, living more like Him in every part of our lives. In holiness, we move closer to God in Christ, opening every part of our lives to reflect Him more and more. See? Same thing.
Last week we talked about “being discipled” and “discipleship.” Both are integral to growth in holiness. Both are aspects of how the Spirit restores our humanity and makes us whole. (That's the thing that's actually happening and "holiness" and "discipleship" are how we talk about that.)
Discipleship Culture
Not everyone can enter into an intentional, intensive, season of being discipled. (Like the twelve who walked with Christ, or like Paul in Arabia, or like Mark in his travels with Barnabas.) Some people can’t make that commitment, some aren’t ready for it, some just don’t want it. That’s okay—we all start in different places, and we all move at different paces.
But everyone in our churches is being discipled by our church’s culture. Our values, our emphases, and our habits as a church slowly but surely begin to shape each of our lives. What values, skills, habits, attitudes, are being massaged into your heart and the hearts of your church?
Discipled Humans
Are we talking about something other than becoming whole—holy and human? No. A preoccupation with discipleship is not an extra thing on top of being a Christian. Discipleship is not for super Christians but for all Christians—we are disciples. Nor is discipleship something to be balanced with holy-spirituality. It’s not as if holiness were the Christian-way for people who aren’t sociable, and discipleship is the way for people who love hanging out. Discipleship is, for those who have been washed-clean, simply The Way. It is the way of the redeemed, the way the Spirit restores in us the image of Christ.
Being discipled is being restored to true humanity.
So as we continue to think about holiness, it is necessary for our conversation to head into discipleship. This is not an artificial swerve in the discussion of holiness, but the natural and necessary next step as we think about what holiness actually is and how we grow in it. Discipleship is applied holiness—holiness made real. Discipleship is holiness seeking substance and expression. How should I be holy as a parent? That’s discipleship. As a boss or employee? Discipleship. As a neighbor and citizen? Discipleship. As I age and my body fails? Having lost money or made money? Struggling with addiction, or hurt by someone who is? Discipleship, discipleship, discipleship.
Holiness doesn’t want to stay in our hearts. Holiness wants to spread, to fill our lives, to fill this world. That’s discipleship. In discipleship we draw nearer to God in Christ; in discipleship Christ draws nearer to us by His Spirit.
Some of us like discipleship-talk—we get excited about goals and progress and relationships. Some of us like holiness-talk—we get excited talking about sin, discipline, service, and justice. These are false, if useful, distinctions. To grow as a disciple is to grow in holiness. To pursue holiness is to follow Christ, as a disciple. These are the same thing, and so we must weave them together in our thoughts and in our prayers. We long for the holiness of God to inhabit our lives. What we long for, then, is Christ. We long to be His disciples.
Let us grow in holiness. Amen. Let us grow as disciples. Amen. What we long for is to walk nearer with the Lord. Amen and amen.
Lord God, we are Your people. And so we long to "learn Christ." We have heard of Him and have been taught His way, the way of truth. And so we long to put off our old selves, corrupted through deceitful desires, and we long to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Help us, then, to put on our new selves, our Christ-selves, re-created to be like You, in Your image, righteous and holy. Give us this longing, we pray, and give us this help. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash
