Discipleship happens when we relinquish our hearts to the Lord

Mark 7:15
15 Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'

Jesus was simply explaining that the condition of our hearts should be given preeminence over our physical bodies. Our hearts control our bodies (Pr 23:7), not the other way around. Sin doesn't make our hearts corrupt, but our corrupt hearts make us sin. God looks on our hearts (1Sa 16:7), and our cleanliness or defilement in His sight is dependent solely on whether or not we have been made clean in our spirits by the blood of the Lamb.

Society has told us that the makeup of a man is in what he does. The bible teaches us that the makeup of a man is in who he is and out of who he is he goes and does. We are not human doings, but human beings. In the process we always get the cart before the horse.

2 Timothy 2:6
6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

Paul was telling his spiritual son Timothy that you have to get the crops in you first before you can give out to others. You can’t give out what you don’t have. Which bring us to the topic of discipleship?

You might think that being a disciple means being a follower, but the word disciple primarily means being a learner. In biblical times, a man would attach himself to a teacher and learn from him. He would sit at his feet, listen to him and walk with him. He would take on the characteristics of his teacher. If we would take on Christ, than we would reflect His character, conduct and commitments. Discipleship is a lifelong process of learning in an intimate relationship with god and His people. We follow Jesus because He has written us into His Story (History).

We normally look for a set of orders for good behavior, that is what Jesus was getting at when confronting the Pharisee’s. It is about what is going on in the heart that counts, when the change of heart happens all the rest will follow. If your wondering why your life does not match up to what you read in the new testament, it is because the cart has gotten before the horse.

It does take time,

Mark 4:26-29
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Here Jesus is letting us know that it is a process, sleep and rise night and day, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Fruit cannot be eaten till it has had time to grow, so it is with the word of God and discipleship. One cannot continually get the cart before the horse and expect God to override His word. We need time with the Lord, we need time for His word to change us. Then we can give out of what we have.

We must learn the centrality of Jesus Christ, learn to examine and grow our hearts, sit at Jesus’ feet by spending time in the word, the church, bible study group, an individual mentor/teacher. Discipleship cannot be done alone, in a vacuum, it must involve the body of Christ. Give it time, allow the Holy Spirit to engage your heart, then out of what you have you can go and do.

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