Discipleship

Matthew 11:29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me..."

From Discipleship in the School of Christ by T Austin-Sparks...

"Every teacher has his subject... What is the subject of the Lord Jesus?

... the answer is: Himself. He is His own subject. Jesus was always the subject of His own teachings. He related everything to Himself. He said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.' (John 14:6): 'I am the good shepherd.' (John 10:14): 'I am the bread of life.' (John 6:48): "I am the door" (John 10:9): 'I am the resurrection, and the life.' (John 11:25). He is His own subject. He spoke about many things, but He always related them to Himself...

He said:'I and the Father are one' (John 14:9)...

So the one business of disciples is to know Him, and to do what He called His disciples to do: 'Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me' (Matthew 11:29)."

Disciple, as Jesus used it, comes from the Greek work meaning "learner." If we are to be disciples, if we are to make disciples, then we must do as Jesus commanded and learn of Him, or as the New American Standard says, "learn from Him."

The point is that this thing we call Christianity is beyond the moment of salvation and believing Jesus is the Son of God. It goes even beyond declaring Him Lord. And it even goes beyond the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is indeed the Helper. Without this Helper we could not know Jesus, or discover salvation. But discipleship, Christianity if you will, is learning Christ is the most subjective and experimental of ways. It is, in it's fullest forms, being so emptied of self that our vessel is filled, even possessed by Christ. Discipleship is not sitting in class objectively memorizing everyone else's written explanations of their experience. On the contrary, discipleship is getting out and walking through life with the Risen Lord alive inside of you, guiding you, speaking to you, so that the explanation of the experience is written on your heart.

Be a disciple, so that you can make disciples.