To discern whether a person is born of the spirit or not, it is not necessarily by the gifts or baptism of the spirit, not mention one’s head knowledge and lifeless traditions, but by one’s overall character and fruit of life. A touch stone question is always: is such a life wanting to be taught and perfected by God or not? That is would such a soul choose to be discipled by the Spirit of Sonship, even through the ministry of the Body of Christ.
“At that time Jesus said,
“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:25-30 NASB1995
Meek is the attribute of one holds power and prominence yet is willing to forgo everything in order to help others.
Lowly in heart means someone is not presumptuous and is willing to associate with the lowly in social standing.
This is by nature the characteristic of a righteous, wise and loving shepherd or king. Such words can only be applied to someone who is a teacher of righteousness, a bestower of goodness, a ruler of wisdom and benevolence. Only those who is or have the Son would be able to set others FREE, or give them REST. How true!
Here lies the amazing mystery of the tenure and practice of genuine discipleship.
- Those who are heavy-laden: A disciple must come to the end of self and is willing to be helped like a new born or a young student.
- Come – A disciple must choose to come.
- Unto me – The teacher must be unambiguously acknowledged.
- From me/I am – The teacher must have the willingness, the heart and the character to offer help.
- Take my york and learn of me: Take one’s york is a token of servitude or commitment. In ancient time, people often traveled by foot. In the case of a disciple, that means he had decided to forfeit his old station of life and ready to follow his master or teacher by becoming a servant. He would happily to carry the master’s baggage in order to learn from him. Notice here Jesus didn’t say just any learning or subject, rather “of me”, means His very way of life or mindset. Paul later uses two special words to describe it: the spirit of Sonship (begotten of the Father) and the Mind of Christ or the Anointed One.
Most of us would easily agree that today’s or even historical Christianity has abused or misapplied such a calling as a vocation and such a way of life as a model for Christian life. We need not to really elaborate on this obvious point.
But the real question is what kind of discipleship WE want to receive and minister in the Name of the Lord as His Chosen People on earth? Is there no norm or standard anymore for genuine discipleship?
The answer is a resounding NO. If the multitude choose to reject this order or way of life, we the few will still rise from the ashes and ruins of humanity and embrace it as our one and only heritage and most precious gift from above.
There is always a time for everything. Is this a time for “choosing”? Genuine discipleship, false discipleship, fractured discipleship or no discipleship at all?
Make sure we always give the right answer when our spiritual life depends on it.
