2. Discipleship Principles of Paul - Part Two

So far we've talked about one discipleship principle found in the earliest book by Paul, the book of Galatians.

WE MUST BE CONSUMED WITH OBEDIENCE, AND COMMUNICATE THAT PASSION WITH THOSE WE ARE WORKING WITH!

The one wanting to become a follower of Jesus Christ, and asking a more mature believer to help in the process would, by definition, be concerned with obedience.

But we don’t even have to move outside the book of Galatians to find a second principle. If we move ahead to chapter five and look at the first couple of verses, we read these words, “For freedom Christ has set us free: stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.”

You may read those words and wonder what discipleship principle could come from that. You may even struggle to understand the principle if we share it:

ALONG WITH BEING CONSUMED WITH A PASSION FOR OBEDIENCE, WE MUST ALSO BE CONCERNED WITH A COMMITMENT TO LOVE.

But we have to understand how that love is supposed to be used if we are to see it’s place in discipleship.

Moving forward to verse thirteen in Galatians five, we find these words, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Before we address the need for a commitment to love being a basic discipleship principle, we need to study the context. Remember, these words were written amid a time of conflict in the Church. This conflict revolved around a need by the religious leaders for an adherence to the Jewish system and laws. At the heart of that conflict was the need to follow the Mosaic Law, and especially the leaders’ interpretation of that Law.

Chapters three and four of Galatians focus on the freedom the believer has from the Law, but verses seventeen to nineteen of chapter three show us that the Law wasn’t the problem - per se - but only an indication of the real problem. The promises given to Abraham early in Scripture were able to give freedom (according to 4:1-5) and obedience to the Law would indicate a willingness to obey in order to receive freedom.

Here's a major problem I see in the Church today:

We have come to see our freedom in Christ as a Right we are entitled to, rather than a Gift we have been given!

What is the problem with this type of thinking? We begin abusing our freedom in the area of Love! According to these verses we are to use our freedom to SERVE others. If we feel that freedom is a right, the idea of serving others loses any valid desire in our lives.

Finally, we have to look at HOW we use our freedom to extend Love to those we are seeking to serve. As we move forward into chapter six we find this information. In verse two we are to “bear the burdens” of those we are serving in love, and verses nine and ten further explains that we are to “do good”.

So, we have:

A Passion for Obedience

A Commitment to Love