Samuel Whitefield - Discipleship Begins with Beholding

It Begins with Beholding

Pauls second letter to the Corinthians summarizes the New Testament approach to discipleship:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Discipleship begins with the people of God corporately beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus.

This model of discipleship was Gods method from the very beginning, and if we neglect this corporate beholding, we ignore the biblical model. As a result, we need to ask if our methods of discipleship are following this model.

We must not reduce discipleship to the acquisition of information. Learning some new information is not discipleship; it is learning. Learning is a valuable part of the discipleship process, but it is not discipleship unless the new information enables us to behold the Lord and be transformed into His image. Sadly, many discipleship programs are really classes designed to communicate information. As a result, particularly in cultures that prize knowledge, we imagine we have a maturity we do not have. We have simply learned a lot of information.

Discipleship must also not be reduced to behavior modification. Behavior is important, and over time it can be a litmus test of our response to the Lord, but there are many different ways to alter behavior. It is very possible to live a disciplined life and adopt moral behavior without beholding God or knowing Him. We are called to become like Jesus, not just act like Him.

If we emphasize behavior over the knowledge of God, we risk forming disciples who will hear the Lord say, I did not know you, because its possible to behave correctly and even operate in spiritual power and not become like Jesus.

The goal of discipleship is the display of God in a people just as He displayed Himself in Jesus. While Jesus alone is the full revelation, God wants a people like Him. If your discipleship approach is aimed at anything else, its out of sync. It is not enough to learn Christian behavior (which is helpful), we must become like Him. The purpose of our lives in this age is to become like Jesus, but we cannot become like someone we do not know.

Second Corinthians 3:18 summarizes Pauls approach to discipleship, and it has been handed down to us as the paradigm of discipleship for our own local church communities. Before we examine this paradigm in depth, we need to consider some implications of the paradigm.

Discipleship Should Fuel Fascination

Beholding beauty produces fascination, and fascination is the best way to transform a person.

Consider a young man in love. Parents, professors, mentors, and friends can plead with a young man to change certain habits and embrace certain disciplines for years with little effect. However, when a young man is captured by the beauty of a young woman, suddenly everything changes. He becomes focused on his future. He eagerly embraces certain disciplines. His lifestyle radically shifts. His entire life takes on a new intentionality. In a moment, he makes changes his parents and mentors asked him to make for years.

Fascination produces transformation.

Fascination also produces imitation. A young man in love suddenly becomes interested in things he never considered before. He begins attending new events and having new conversations. Fascination with a woman produces imitation in him because part of loving a person is enjoying what the person enjoys. His delight in her changes his appetites and his lifestyle. If love continues, he will willingly and joyfully make the ultimate sacrifice of marriage.

Marriage will require him to eliminate many options, cut off certain relationships, and reorient his entire lifestyle. He will not have the free time he used to. He will probably lose several friends. He will take on new responsibilities and lose his freedom. Why would a young man willingly and gladly surrender his liberty and take on a narrow life of commitment that will make permanent demands on his schedule, his money, and his strength? One word describes it: fascination.

Fascination is the key to willing and lasting sacrifice, and this is not limited to romance. When people take up a new hobby or activity, they respond in a similar way. They spend money intentionally. They find friends who share their interest. They spend hours investing into their new pastime. Others find their fascination odd, but they do not mind because their heart is captivated. The same thing happens when someone is engrossed in sports or any other thing.

This is the way the human heart is made, and it is the model for biblical discipleship. We see Someone who is beautiful. We become fascinated by Him. And then we joyfully and gladly reorient our lives to behold more of that Person and desire to be a part of His people.

Marriages become dead when there is no delight or fascination in the other person, and the same is true for churches. We do not want churches filled with people who do the right thing and attend church functions yet have no delight in God.

If people embrace certain rhythms and engage in certain disciplines but are not fascinated, then they are not discipled.

Consider people who love to run. They will naturally gather. They will discuss running. They will buy new shoes and share information about running. But, above all, they will regularly run. Some will run more than others, but they will find a common bond in their practice of running. If we have people who enjoy learning about God but do not actually enjoy beholding Him and pursuing what He values, then they are not yet discipled. They are like runners who read about new running gear and discuss running yet never actually run.

If a person is reading about running but does not run, they need to be taught running by another runner and led to experience the delights of running. A person new to running will have to reorient their body. They have to work new muscles and overcome the initial pain that comes when someone who has not run begins to run. They will have to develop the capacity to run long distances. They will likely face discouragement. In the same way, discipleship is a process. A persons ability and appetites must be reshaped. They may become discouraged. This is okaydiscipleship is a process, and we must be committed to it.

New believers need mature believers who gaze on the beauty of Jesus and can lead them to grow in beholding and fascination. But, if the mature in our churches are not fascinated, how can they disciple others? And are they truly mature? We have become accustomed to the idea that romantic love grows stale and less passionate as partners age. However, this is the effect of sin. It is not the ideal state. Mature believers should be more intimate with the Holy Spirit than new believers, and the fruit of intimacy with the Spirit is fascination with Jesus.

Perhaps we should measure maturity in the church by fascination and an increasing desire for and habit of beholding the beauty of God in the person of Jesus.

When a person first comes to Jesus, they are so captivated by Jesus their life begins changing. Their relationships, habits, spending, entertainment, and the way they spend their time all begins to shift. They are typically hungry to learn everything they can about Jesus because their eyes have suddenly been opened to His beauty. Do we feed this longing for Jesus or satisfy them with other things? Do our discipleship methods fuel longing for the knowledge of Jesus, or do we satisfy their craving with new habits?