What a disciple is called to

The calling to be a disciple is the greatest calling a person can receive under the sun, and the Master would like to teach the disciple everything that He knows. He also wants to transform the disciple to become like Himself! How can such a calling become our calling?

Who is Jesus?

We first need to understand who Jesus is. In Colossians 1:15-18 it’s written, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones and dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence.”

We can see who Jesus was with the Father, and yet He was willing to go down in order to receive brothers, people like us who were slaves under sin. He wanted to share with us the same life that He had with the Father. He rejoiced in the inhabited world, and was a master craftsman beside God, and He had the most excellent, pre-eminent glory possible. (Proverbs 8:30-31) He was the pre-eminent one, it’s written.

And He is the beginning. It isn’t Paul who is the beginning, or Peter, or John. But it is He who was with the Father, who is the beginning of the church.

Think about that! And what He wants is that we can also partake in that which the Head has partaken of; what the pre-eminent one has partaken of. And then we also will become pre-eminent and excellent; we partake of the same nature! Just think about how we are according to the flesh, all the sin that we see there. (Romans 3:9-18; Romans 7:18-20) Yet God wants to do such a work with us, that all that which is only scrap and gravel, is transformed into heavenly glory and gold! It’s incredible; it’s fabulous to come into transformation into His image. And all of us who believe in this, we are all transformed from glory to glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The Spirit of wisdom and revelation

And it’s also written about Him in Colossians 2:3, “in whom are hidden all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” We also partake of these treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are in the Head. And that gives us an education, so that we can be along in ruling together with Him. We’ll be kings and priests together with Jesus for the Millennium. (Revelation 1:5-6) And don’t you know that you will judge angels? Don’t you know that you will judge the world? (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)

Here you can see a little bit of what you’ll receive through Jesus Christ, that glory which is there. This is just a little glimpse! So pray to God for yourself for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you can start looking into the spiritual world. (Ephesians 1:17) Then you’ll be transformed and conformed into His image, and partake of the same wisdom and the same glory. Everything that’s in the Head will be given to you, as a disciple, for your help, and for you to make use of.

This article is inspired by a talk by Kaare J. Smith on 23rd November 2017.