Beginning the Journey

Discipleship is the process of becoming a committed follower of Jesus. Discipleship is essential because that is how the church grows, but even then, one must be careful not to view it as something that Christians have to do but something they want to do. When one ministers to others, most people immediately jump into baptism. While baptism is essential, it is also vital to understand that one must build a relationship with the person and know that person. That is precisely what Jesus told Christians to do in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). First, that person must hear the gospel and believe that Jesus is Lord. But believing is not enough because even Satan thought that there was a God (James 2:19). Merely believing in God is not enough. Believing is just starting out our walk with Christ, but like anything, it must grow and change.

That is when one must do what Peter said repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). When someone repents, that person is willing to put aside everything to follow Jesus. Jesus forgives everyone who chooses to repent not just the church people. Too quote Vince Antonucci, “He is not just for the missionary doctors, and the Baptists and the preachers. No, he is also for the abortion doctors and the bisexuals and the pornographers. That is why Jesus came not to condemn us for our sins but to save us from them. And to let us know that no matter what we have done, God still loves us.”When one gets baptized, that person becomes a new person through Christ. The old is washed away, and the new has risen. Jesus also meets people at their level. However, as the person’s walk with Christ grows, that person’s relationship with Jesus matures.

Throughout my lifetime, I was raised in the Churches of Christ. I thought that the only way to get to heaven was through the Church of Christ. However, as my relationship with Jesus matured, I realized that I was wrong and that it was through Jesus that all people are saved. My faith in Jesus mainly started to grow when I started attending the youth group. When I was there, I started noticing how the church I attended became legalistic.

It got so bad that my parents decided to leave and find another church to attend during my senior year. While my parents changed their church, I stayed behind to help encourage my youth minister. Sadly, it ended up becoming worst to the point where my youth minister was fired, and I ended up having to go to the new church with my parents. When I went to the new church, I became angry and wanted nothing to do with it. During that time, God put other people in my life and used them to help me get out of that slump. Those people included me in activities and different things they were doing and just talked with me and genuinely cared.

In conclusion, it is essential to have Christians in your life that help challenge and mentor you. If one does not have mentoring, one will become very discouraged and sometimes lose their faith in God. Discipleship helps Christians to grow in their faith and to also grow in maturity and wisdom.