Concept Discipleship

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 1

GOD'S GREAT OFFER

Introduction
When God created man, He gave him an estate, a glorious

inheritance. God, the Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth
decided to make man in His own image and after His own
likeness, and delegated His authority to man. God was to reign in
heaven while man was to reign (on His behalf) on earth.

"The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's, but the

earth He has given to the children of men" (Ps. 115:16)
The man was authorized to rule over all God's creation on earth.
But he was not to rule independently. There was a fellowship, a
communion between God and man daily. God would visit him in
the cool of the day to share fellowship with him. Even that was a
privilege, an inheritance that cannot be bought with money.

We cannot adequately explain the glory of that inheritance
at this point. The implication of the estate in which man was to
stand for God is beyond any one's imagination. God continued to
hold out this inheritance from one generation to another. Unto
Abraham, God offered Himself.

"Fear not Abram, for I Am thy shield and thy exceeding
great reward." "You will possess and inherit Me as your own
reward." This is still the great offer God holds out into us even
today. Unto the Levites also God offered Himself.

Though sin pushed the man out of this estate and made him
naked and helpless, God is still committed to finding a man- the
seed of the woman who would bruise the head of the Serpent and
enter into this glorious inheritance. Thanks be unto Our LORD
and Savior Jesus Christ, who offered Himself and laid down His

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life for us to deal with sin and then became qualified to open the
seal and get back the inheritance for us Yet to share in this glorious
inheritance, God desires not only that Jesus be the only Begotten
Son, but that He should bring many sons unto glory; that He might
be the first among many brethren. - Brethren that have become
conformed unto His own image (Rom.8-.29)

We shall in this study, attempt to peep into the great offer that
God holds out to us, and look at the way into our glorious
inheritance. May the Lord grant you understanding and a hunger
to arise and possess your possession.

1 Discover from the following scriptures that we have an
inheritance with God. Eph.l-.ll, 14, 18; Col. 1:12, IPet. 1:3-4,
Matt. 25:23,34, Rom. 5:17, 8:17.
Every child of God is a partaker of this inheritance. It is a
glorious inheritance spoken of widely in scriptures. It is
reserved not only in heaven for us but also here on earth. Every
partaker of it shall reign in life by Christ Jesus. Are you among?

2 What is our inheritance in Christ Jesus?
(a) God delivers us, forgives us our sins and cleanses us from all

unrighteousness. Rom.4-.7-8, Heb.8:12 1Jn.1:9,Matt: 1:21. It
is a blessing to be forgiven by God. It brings peace, joy and
assurance to the heart. It makes us to stand righteous before
God. Whereas sin brings disgrace and reproach and make a
man fearful, righteousness exalts and makes a man bold as a
lion. It is a blessing, a glorious inheritance in Chris Jesus. Not
only are we forgiven but we are actually delivered from sin and
its consequences. Christ did it all for us. Gal. 3:13, 1 Cor.
15:56-57, Matt.11-28.

(b) Adoption as God's children. 2Cor.6:18,Jn.1:12, 1Jn.3-.l-3.
Ours is the adoption. It is our inheritance in Christ Jesus God
becomes our Father and we become his children. Not t any of
His angels has He ever said "Thou art My son, today

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have I begotten you." (Heb. 1:5). Great and mighty and powerful
as angels are, they are not given that privilege. It is not part of their
inheritance. But to us God has given this glorious inheritance and
privilege to be His sons and daughters. Are you one? Let us look at
the implications of the adoption.
(1) We have the Spirit of adoption. Rom. 8:14-17, Gal.4-.6-7, Ezek.

36:26-27.
Being children of the same father is not just by words of mouth. It is
by birth. God made our inheritance authentic by giving us the Spirit
of adoption, the Spirit of His Son Jesus Christ. He removes the
spirit of disobedience and timidity: that spirit that worked in Adam
when he sinned, making him no longer to be bold. It made him to
start hiding from God. That spirit is removed and the Spirit of
adoption comes into us, whereby we have boldness to go into the
presence of our Father crying Abba, Father. It opens to us all that
belongs to God and makes it ours. God Himself becomes our
inheritance. That is glorious. It is part of God's great offer to us.
(ii) Discipline is part of our inheritance as children of God. Heb.

12: 5-8, Ps. 23:4, Job 5:17-18 Job recognized this and esteems
it as a treasure not be despised; David severally passed through
it and calls it a comfort. Those who dodge the discipline of the
Father only prove that they are bastards. As you consider
stretching forth your hands to receive God's great offer, it is
necessary for you to understand that discipline is an important
part of it. It is part of our glorious inheritance in Christ Jesus.

(C.) God Himself is our Portion. Rom.8-.17, Gen. 15:1, Ps. 16:5-6,
Lam.3-.24.
What a great offer, to inherit God Himself! The Possessor of
heaven and earth is our portion, our inheritance. As an heir of
God, whatever belongs to God is ours by inheritance. And that is
the truth. His nature, His grace, power, His possessions etc.
belong to us. There is nothing in heaven or

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on earth that is worthy enough to exchange with this glorious
inheritance. No wonder men of old like Daniel, Joseph, Paul were
willing to lose anything for them to maintain this inheritance. May
you not despise this great offer.

3 The Nature of our inheritance

a) It is invisible yet real. Gen. 39:1-4,
Gen.15:1-3,Gen.25-.29-34,1 Pet. 1:4,2Cor. 4:17-18.
By nature, things that are visible are temporal, but things that
are invisible are eternal. This inheritance is invisible to the
natural eye; though it is made manifest sometimes
physically, yet it has its roots in the invisible. This is the
conflict that Christians often face. Though their physical
condition may not show the greatness and reality of this
inheritance, yet it is real. Joseph was a slave in the house of
his Egyptian master. Yet because of his relationship with
God, the Lord was with him and so he was a prosperous!
man! A slave who has been stripped of his only dress by his
brothers and sold out to an Egyptian, yet a prosperous man.
That looks like a conflict. God was keeping his inheritance
intact for him. Though invisible, he knew the reality of it and
he would not exchange it for the pleasure of sin for a season.
However, because it is invisible, Abraham did not
understand it in Gen. 15 when God presented this offer to
him. He was still asking for the visibles, the countables! If
not for the mercy of God, he almost lost it. Esau also could
not see the reality of this invisible inheritance in his hungry
situation. So he despised it and exchanged it for a spoon of
pottage. By the time he realized the glory of what he had
missed, he sought it with tears but it was too late.
Brother, sister, you have an inheritance. Though it is
invisible, it is real.

b) It is enveloped and enclosed in God's promises. Gal. 3:18
2Pet.l-.3-4; Gen. 12:1-3.
This inheritance is given to us by promise. It is contained in
God's promises, not in visible, countable material things The
great inheritance prepared for Abraham was brought

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into his life by promise. God spoke to him and even though the
inheritance was yet invisible, he believed God. As God spoke
to him, so he departed in obedience. To inherit God is not a call
to possess the visible but the invisible, enclosed and contained
in God's word to us. Are you ready for such an experience?

4. God is committed to our possessing this glorious
Inheritance. Gen. 17:4-8, Mk. 7:25-29
God is not just giving us an offer; He is committed unto our
having it. Though Abraham disappointed God many times, God
was always looking for ways to bring him back on course, into a
position where he could possess his possession. When he went
into Hagar contrary to God's plan and backslid for 13 years, the
Lord God still came and re-introduced Himself to Abraham and
stated His commitment to him afresh. If He has promised, He
will surely bring it to pass. The Lord keeps covenants.
To ensure that His children unto whom He is reserving the
inheritance of divine healing for example, gets it, God prefers to
drive away 'dogs' and guard this children's bread jealously until
they come for it. The Lord is committed unto giving us the
inheritance.
Are you committed unto possessing it? What are those things

that are secretly making you despise your birthright? You need

to identify them and deal with all such decisively, lest they rob

you of your glorious inheritance in Christ Jesus.

5. What is the way into this inheritance?
a) The New birth. Jn.3-.l-3, Heb.2-.ll (KJV, NIV, LB etc)

The new birth in Christ Jesus is what ushers us into this
inheritance. Jesus has received the inheritance and God is
pleased to commit all things into His hands. Anyone who will
partake of this inheritance must therefore be of the same stock,
the same nature, the same Father with him. It is an inheritance
and it belongs only to children of the same father with Jesus; it
does not belong to bastards. You must be born

into the family of God. You must be born the second time. The

first time you were born physically by your parents, but this

time you must be born spiritually of the Holy Spirit. Someone

may say 'how'?

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Read Jn. 3:5-6, 1 Cor. 15:50, Isa. 59:1-2, Un.l:9, Rev.

3:20, Rom. 10:9-10, Ezek. 36:25-2 7. |

When you were born by your parents, you were born

naturally, born in the flesh. And God has concluded that flesh

and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Sin is the thing

that separates us from God. It is the quarrel between God and

man. But that was why Jesus came, laid down His life, shed His

blood and died for us on the cross. He did that to deliver us from

our sins. And if you believe in Him and confess your sins to

Him, He is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you. He is
merciful. And even now He ii knocking at the door of your heart,
waiting to be invited into your heart, into your life and into every
affair in your life as the Lord. As you surrender the key of your
life to Him this way, making Him the Lord, the Governor, the
Director, the Driver of your life, a miracle will take place

immediately (Ezek. 36:25-2 7). He cleanses you, removes from
you the head of stone and puts within you a new heart. He puts in
you new spirit. You become a new person inside. It is a miracle.
You can bow down your heart in prayer where you are no' and
stretch forth your hands and heart to receive this new life. It can
be yours if you are willing!

b) Spiritual growth. This is the next crucial step into this glorious
inheritance. What does that mean? Gal. 4:1-3 (KJV,NIV,NEB)

Eph.4:13-14, Heb. 5:12-14.
Lack of spiritual growth makes us liable to demon

oppression. It causes instability in the faith and makes \ beggars
for crumbs when actually we 'own the whole estat (Gal.4:l).
People, false teachers and false prophets can easily toss a
spiritual babe to and fro and make a cheap merchandise of the
babe.

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And as a child, no one will commit precious things, even
your glorious heritage into your hands. Even Jesus will not
commit Himself unto you. Every child of God who will become
what his Father plans for him must of necessity grow on to
maturity. It is a precondition for us to possess our possessions.

c) What is the standard, the mould, the yardstick, the pattern for
our growth? Eph.4-.13, Rom. 8:17,2 9,1 Pet. 2:21.
Jesus Christ is the standard, the pattern for our
development. It is His life that God uses to measure our growth.
He is the pattern Son, the one who has gone ahead of us to
possess this inheritance. He has laid an example for us and we
have been called to be conformed to His image and follow in
His steps. There is no other person in the Bible or in our
contemporary times that God introduced to us as His pattern
Son except Jesus. In Him God is well pleased. As you grow on
in the Lord, you must not remove your eyes from this Pattern
Son. Keep looking at Jesus and His lifestyle and pattern your
life after Him. You will not miss your inheritance.

d) Discover from scriptures that God's method for making us to be
conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to
possess our glorious inheritance is DISCIPLESHIP. Matt.
4:19-22, Matt. 11-.28-30, Matt. 28:18-20(NIV),
Acts 4:13-14.
Following Jesus and learning of Him is the secret unto
becoming like Jesus. And that is DISCIPLESHIP. It is the
'SHIP' that conveys us from the realm of being fishers of fish to
the realm of being fishers of men. It is the relationship that
conveys us into our glorious inheritance, to possess this great
offer that God, in mercy and by grace, is extending to us.
Dodging it is the same as dodging your inheritance. Being a
believer alone will not take you into this inheritance. Even
demons believe and tremble (Jas.2-.19); yet they have no part in
this inheritance. Many believed in Jesus in Jn.

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2:23-25, but Jesus did not commit Himself

to them. That means He would not entrust

the inheritance unto them. You must enter

into this Discipleship relationship

with Jesus. Will you?

1. Share with us how you became a
child of God. What was your life like
before this experience?
In your personal assessment, what has this
new birth various dimensions in which
brought to your life? Explain the this experience has affected you

2. Spiritual growth is so crucial in your possessing your possession: What has
been the major hindrance to your growth spiritually? What steps have you taken
or are you taking to tackle this problem.

3. In what practical areas would you say you are becoming like your Master
Jesus? If none, what is your challenge?

4. Have you experienced any form of discipleship? Discuss:
when, how and under who.

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DEFINITION, CONCEPT AND

BASIS OF DISCIPLESHIP

Introduction

From the last study, we have come to see that God is holding
out a divine inheritance to each one who is born again but on
condition that he/she is conformed to the image of His dear Son. All
He has kept in store for us will not come, except we grow up into
Him in all things. The only means of transforming and getting us to
conform into His likeness is this means of discipleship.

Though at new birth, all the potentials of the divine nature is
implanted within the soul, it is undeveloped and immature. It is the
discipleship process that brings these into maturity by exercise and
training. It forms this 'fluid’ of divine nature into a 'cast’ after the
'mould' of the 'Pattern Son' who is for ever approved as the
beloved. Becoming fellow-heir with him is to share in all his life
style.

In this study and the subsequent ones, we shall examine I he
scriptures to discover the biblical concept of discipleship, the need or
basis for discipleship, its goals and objectives.

One definite place we believing God to focus upon is your
heart, not your head. We are praying that through a divine personal
revelation of the WORD within your inner man, you will have a
meaningful change in your lifestyle and in your vision in life.
Therefore you must look steadily on the Lord for His Spirit to remove
the veil off your heart at each moment. Do not seek the letter but the
spirit of the word. Seek not theological knowledge but the power of
God. You will personally need to pray again and again in the course
of this study for a definite fresh encounter with the Lord Himself.

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A. Definition and Concept
(i) Discipleship is a process of reproducing or imparting the life of a
teacher to a pupil. It is a life-long process, a systematic and
cumulative way of making someone (a student, a pupil, a trainee, an
apprentice, a raw material, a disciple) to be conformed or transformed
into the image, the stature and the full personality of the Master (In
this case, the Lord Jesus Christ).

(ii) Discipleship is God's means of achieving His eternal purpose and
central goal of calling any man to Himself to be conformed to the
image of His only Son, the Saviour Jesus Christ, in order that Christ
might be the first born among many brethren.' (Rom.8:28-29, Heb
2:10-11) Without this conformity to His image, such that we become
of the same stock (quality, nature and personality) with Him He will
become ashamed or shrink to call us brethren. Discipleship is the only
means designed by God to bring us into the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ, growing up into Him in all things. (Eph.
4:13-15).

(iii) Discipleship is God's family training scheme: (Gal. 4:1-2, Heb.
12:7-11)

For a heir who is a child to be brought into his inheritance, he is
kept under training and tutelage till he grows to walk into the heritage
of his father. It involves discipline and training of character. The
tutors and governors of the Kingdom are men and women appointed
by Our Father God, to watch over our growth and development until
we become like the Son whom He loved. This is discipleship. Not to
partake of this family training is to grow wild and become a bastard
and even a vagabond.

(iv) Discipleship can be likened to a "Master-Apprentice" or
"Teacher-Pupil" relationship, with a predetermined curriculum and
behavioural objective, between the Christian and the LORD Jesus
Christ. It is a personal apprentiship under the Master Jesus with a
view of becoming like Him. Luke. 6:40; Matt. 4:19-20; Matt.
11-.29,30.

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(v) This process has a beginning, an entrance and a definite starting
point (which is not unconscious, but deliberate) when I pupil
voluntarily yields his neck to the yoke of the Master to learn of Him
Matt. 11 -.28-30, 1 Kings. 19:19-21.

(vi) Discipleship is a process because the conformity to His image
will not take place in one experience. It consists of a systematic set of
steps, exposures, and training, carefully arranged in order until God's
goal is achieved. It is not a program nor a course, nor an activity, but
a relationship. It is a life-connection which is not physical or visible,
the flow of the divine new life-style in exchange for the old lifestyle.
This exchange of lifestyle involves most of the time, falling and
rising, correction and whipping; you may sometimes weep and bleed,
it can be painful to bend to a new shape and focus, a man who is set on
HIM old ways of living. It calls for a very close association with the
Master. (Heb. 12:6; Ps. 118:18; Job.5:l 7-18: Prov.3-.12; John.
15:15).

(vii) It involves direct encounters and interactions with the Master
Himself in prayer, in His word, in service and in following In His
footsteps. Jn.8:31-32; 15:8-10, lPet.2-.21.

(viii) Discipleship for each person is unique and peculiar to the
Individual. The pace, the instrumentality, the arrangement of lessons
and dealings as determined by the Master is also unique. The path
each must tread to glory, the portion of service and talents allotted to
him is also unique. No disciple should compare
Christ's dealings with him with another disciple's experience with
Christ.

To whom much is given, much is required. Consider Christ's
dealings with Peter in John 21:15-25, Thomas in John. 30:19-20,
24-29. Compare these with the labourer in Matt.20:16. "Take what
is thine and go thy way... is it not lawful for me (The Master) to do
what I will with mine own?."

(ix) Discipleship is not a spurious kind of thing. It is systematic

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and cumulative.
It is ordered and arranged by the LORD Himself. He exposes the
individual disciple to diverse experiences at various times and stages
of his development. He gives due meat in due season. (Prov.l6:9;
20:24; Isa.28-.9-10.

(x) When the disciple has made real progress in his discipleship
relationship with the LORD, his character, deeds and manner of life
and speech show obviously to those around that he "... had been with
Jesus" Acts.4-.13; Matt. 26:69-73; Acts.ll.-26.

Discipleship is therefore the "ship" that brings the willing
volunteer pupil (disciple) across the ocean of the natural lifestyle, the
gulf of the fallen nature into the new spiritual lifestyle. The very life
of Jesus - not just being a babe in Christ (with all the potentials but
undeveloped) but becoming a full-grown MAN INTO THE
MEASURE of the STATURE of the FULLINESS of Christ. When
any man is born-again, he is a new creation in Christ, he has all the
potentials of divine nature living within, but undeveloped and
immature. To become a man in Christ, that Christian must be on
board this ship called Discipleship.

B. Who Is A Disciple?
(i) A disciple is, first of all, one who has been BORN-AGAIN. Jn.
3:1-7, lCor.2:13-14, Ezek 36:26-27.

Except a man is born anew by the Spirit... he has no potential to
become like Jesus. A baby lizard can never grow up to become a
crocodile no matter the training, the feeding and the exposures. Even
if all the principles of Discipleship are applied, a sinner cannot
develop by training to become a saint. He has to be born again. That
which is born of the Flesh is flesh and will always and ever be flesh!
The natural man cannot "see" neither "enter" the kingdom of God. It
is mere foolishness to him. ARE YOU BORN AGAIN? (Jn. 1:12-13)
If not, you have no ticket to get on board DISCIPLE - SHIP.

(ii) Having had rest from sin and the devil, the disciple voluntarily
yields his neck under the yoke of the Lord Jesus

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Christ so as to be taught and nurtured by Him until he (the disciple)
become like Him. (Matt. 11:29-30).

You will discover in that scripture that there are two kinds of
rests the Bible talks about. The Master says "Come unto me... and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and... you will find rest
unto your soul." Any man who is under any labour or who is heavy
laden, whether under the labour of sin, sickness or demons, as soon as
he comes unto the Lord Jesus, the normal thing that happens is for
him to receive rest. That one is automatic, as soon as you come unto
Jesus for salvation.

But then you will discover that that is not the end of that
scripture. Healing and deliverance are not the end of what God wants
to do in our lives. There is still another rest that the Lord promised us
but you can only find that rest as you fulfil the condition - to take His
yoke upon you and learn from Him. That is discipleship. The Lord
Jesus expects that if anybody has received rest from the Lord in terms
of forgiveness of sins and rest from sickness and demons, the next
thing he ought to do is to enroll voluntarily with the Lord Jesus Christ
as a learner, for discipleship training. It is not by force, just as you
voluntarily responded to Jesus call in Vs. 28, you also need to
deliberately and voluntarily respond to His call in Vs. 29; the call to
take His yoke upon you and learn from Him. When He said "Come
unto Me..." you came unto Him without being forced. Then He says
the next step is to 'take... and learn from Me". You need to respond
likewise before you can find rest unto your soul. So a disciple is that
person who has voluntarily yielded his neck under the yoke of the
Master and is prepared to learn from Him.

A yoke is a wooden bar put across the necks of two animals of
the same kind to hold them together for the purpose of ploughing. A
yoke does not allow you to do what you like. It compels you to walk
in the same step as the other yoke-fellow. So when Jesus says "take
Mi/yoke upon you and learn of Me" it means "enroll under My
tutelage, bind yourself to Me so that where I go, there you will go
also, what I allow is what you will eat". Anybody who has
voluntarily and deliberately done that, is a disciple.

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(iii) Since a servant cannot be loyal to two masters at a time, a disciple
is a man of ONE FOCUS, under one master. He possesses a single
eye, lives a singular life, not an intermix of the natural and spiritual
and must have a clear testimony of a deliverance from sin. (1John
3:5-10; Matt.6-.21-24; Lk. 1:74-75).

(iv) A disciple is a pupil who has voluntarily conceded the
pedagogical authority to the teacher so that God's purpose might be
fulfilled. He has come to accept the wisdom of the teacher as the best
ever possible for his own life. He is not afraid of anything. Rom.
8:28-29, Jn. 6:68-69, Job. 13:15.

He knows that the teacher knows what he is doing. He is
willing to stay through all the process. He sees everything permitted
in his life as divine apparatus to get him conformed into the image of
his Master whom he loves and highly esteems.

(v) A disciple is not choosy. He does not mind by what means the
Master chooses to hammer him into desired shape. Job. 19:25-27,
2Cor.4-.16-l 7, Eccl.3:11a, Rom.8-.28. He accepts joyfully the
master's decision as the best, in making him become all that the
LORD designs him to be. He believes in the love of the Master. His
confession and persuasion can be summarized in Rom.8-.28 "...we
know that all things work together for_good to those who love
God..."

He submits to the divine (often unseen) hand, moulding him
into shape according to heavenly pattern. He believes and trusts the
Master. He knows him as "the only wise God" who does everything
beautifully in its time.

(vi) A disciple loves his master, is loyal, submissive, committed to
him, and is zealous for his (the master's) honour and interest at all
cost. Consider David's men in 1 Chro. 11:15-19; Peter and John in
Acts 4:19-20; 5:32-42 and Paul in Acts 20:22-24; 21:10-14.

Conclusion
Discipleship therefore is a process of reproducing the life of the

master in the apprentice, imparting the life of the teacher

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in the pupil. It is the process designed by God to make everyone of
His children to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. It
is a life-long relationship and it is systematic and cumulative. In this
relationship, a disciple voluntarily yields his neck under the yoke of
the Master, knowing and being persuaded that all things work
together for good to them that love God. When any man is born again,
he has all the potentials of the divine nature living within him but
undeveloped and immature. To become a man in Christ, every
Christian must be on board this 'ship' called DISCIPLESHIP. Can
you truly say you are a disciple?

C. The Need for Discipleship.

(i) For anyone to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ
and partake of the kingdom of God, and have eternal life, he must
become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 8:28-30, Gen.
12:1-3, Matt. 4:19, compare Mk. 10:17,21 and Lk. 9:23.

The process of making people from varied backgrounds to be
conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ is discipleship. It is
the method that God uses to make us become like Jesus. Looking at
Mk. 10:17,21 and Lk.9:23, you will discover that the rich young ruler,
asking Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, received the same
answer as the conditions for becoming a disciple in Lk. 9:23. That
means that to actually obtain eternal life, you must be a disciple. If
someone dies immediately after surrendering to Jesus and becoming
born-again as it happened to one of the thieves crucified with Jesus,
he is surely saved. But as long as a born again child of God is alive,
discipleship is the answer unto eventually inheriting eternal life.

(ii) Discipleship is God's means of brining a man into a close intimate
and deep relationship with the Master. It is a means of making us to be
at God's disposal. God uses it to get men tied up for the Master's use.
Mk.3:13-15(KJV), IKg. 19:19-21.

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You will discover from that scripture that the first reason why
Jesus chose his disciples was that they should be with Him. That is
one basis for discipleship. The issue of preaching, healing and casting
out demons is secondary. In fact, whenever God wants to send a man
forth to do any work for Him, He normally chooses from among those
that are with Him. He does not send people whom He does not know,
whom He has to run after before He can get them. He only uses those
that have been with him, those that have been acquainted with His life
and purpose.

So discipleship is a call to be with the Lord and to be at His
disposal. Mk.3:14 says "...that they should be with Him" It means
for you to be His disciple, it is compulsory for you to be with the Lord
Jesus. There is no choice, except you do not want to be His disciple.
But if you look at the issue of sending them forth to preach in that
verse, it says "...and that He might send them forth to preach, and
to have authority to heal sicknesses, and to cast out demons". The
word 'might' in that scripture means 'may be' or 'probably'. That is
not compulsory. It depends on what the Master wants you to do. But
the matter of being with Him is compulsory if you want to be His
disciple. The highest thing God expects from the life of a disciple is to
be with Jesus, to spend your life yoked together with Him. God does
not use a man who is a truant in His presence. How much you can be
useful in the hands of God depends on your discipleship relationship
with Him. Discipleship is therefore the means by which God recruits
men to be with the Lord under His training and at His disposal. If you
have not accepted to be with the Lord that way, you can as well forget
about the issue of being used by God for any noble purpose.

Discuss the 'quiver' in these scripture: Isa.49:2, Ps. 127:4-5.
Some 'arrows' may be in God's 'quiver* while some are lying
elsewhere or in the bush. What does that mean in terms of
discipleship? What is the difference between these arrows?

iii) The instrument that God uses to tie a man up for His use is
discipleship. He uses this tool to separate a Christian from the

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 17

world system and from whatever has been 'riding' his life or
whatever has been the priority of his life apart from Jesus, and
consecrates him to the Lord. Mk. 11:1 -6, Matt. 4:18-22. Compare
these with Lk. 18:22-25.

(a) As for Andrew, Peter, James and John, their trade (fishing) and
their father were the priorities of their lives. They could not go on
that way and still be Jesus' disciples. So, they had to be separated
from their boats, nets and father in order to be able to follow Jesus.
They left fishing for fish but it was not in vain. The Lord made
them (through discipleship) to become fishers of men. The ass tied
down in Mk. 11:1-6 also illustrates the discipleship relationship
and its demands. Tied down, it could not move freely to do what it
likes and eat what it likes, as other free ranging asses.

(b) Discuss the likely experiences endured by that ass as it was tied
down, compared with the free ranging asses. (Mk. 11:1-6).
Tied down it was, but not in vain. When the time came for the Lord
Jesus Christ to need an ass on which to ride to Jerusalem, He did
not send for free-ranging asses but the one that was tied down. So
also, whenever He needs someone to ride upon into His 'Jerusalem'
He will only use disciples; people that have been tied unto Him in
discipleship relationship. The period of being tied down may not be
easy but the time of glory is coming. The rich young ruler missed
that glory as he could not fulfil the condition of being tied down for
the Lord. He went away sorrowful... into outer darkness. Will you
also go away? If you desire to be useful in the hands of the Lord
tomorrow, you must willingly allow Him to tie you to Himself in
discipleship relationship today.

(iv) God does not reveal His secrets to the multitude or to truants but
unto disciples. Matt. 5:1-2, Matt. 10:1, Matt. 24:1-5, Matt. 26:1 -2,
Lk. 9:28-30.
Discover that all the secrets of the kingdom taught by the Lord in the
sermon on the mount in Matt. 5,6 and 7 and all the

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 18

secrets of the signs of His coming etc were revealed to the disciples,
not to the crowd. Unto the multitudes, He normally speaks in parables
up till today. Those who have not been committed personally to the
Lord in discipleship only gets Scriptures speaking to them in parables
even as they read through those teachings. The Lord will not cast His
pearls unto swine.

Do you desire a deeper relationship with the Lord and a greater
revelation of His word to you? Then you need to enter the discipleship
relationship with Him, learning to know Him better and better.

(v) Another need for discipleship is for Jesus to know those people
that are His, those that He has as His own, that He can use to build His
church and to fight His battle. Lk. 14,25-33, Matt. 16:18. Lk 14:25-27
is a call unto discipleship. But if you look closely at verses 28-33;
Jesus specifies the reason for discipleship. The Lord Jesus knew that
multitudes are not dependable. Even though there are multitudes
following Him, He could not depend on them to achieve the purpose
for which He came. He needed disciples and He gave the multitudes,
the conditions for becoming disciples.

Therefore, just as a man planning to build a tower sits down first to
count the cost before embarking on the building, Jesus knew that He
also needed to sit down first and count the cost, to know the people
that are really His, people who will always be at His disposal to build
His Church and to fight His battle against His enemies. The Lord
Jesus says in Matt. 16:18 "...I will build My Church, and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it..." That means that Jesus has a
building project and a battle to fight. That is why He needs to sit down
and count the cost, to know the quality of men He has. That is an
important reason for discipleship. The Living Stones to be used to
build His Church must be prepared, and the soldiers that will fight His
battles must be tried, trimmed and sharpened in the furnace

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 19

of discipleship in order to be qualified. This is an important need for
every child of God to be discipled.

D. The Supreme Objective Of Discipleship
Rom. 8:28-30, Heb.2:l 1, Eph.4-.ll-l 6, Lk.6:40.

For everyone who has encountered Jesus and has had the new
birth experience, God's predestination is that such a person become
conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus and become like Him. That
is the goal of discipleship. It is God's pleasure not just to have the
Lord Jesus as His only begotten Son but to have many children so that
at best, Jesus will only be the first among many brethren. So when He
saves us, it is with that intention. If we must be a joint-heir of God
together with Jesus Christ, we must become like Jesus Christ the first-
born, otherwise that will be contrary to God's righteous demands.
Secondly, in order for Jesus not to be ashamed to call us brethren God
ensured that we are of one stock, one origin with Him so that we
would have the potential to become like Jesus. It is through
discipleship that every child of God is moulded and fashioned to
become like Jesus. God places each of His children under more
matured Christians for training so that he can grow into the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Christ. It is God's way for us to enter
into the work of ministry reserved for us in the Body of Christ. As you
enter into discipleship relationship with the Lord Jesus and with
whosoever He puts you under, you must have this goal at the back of
your mind, that God's expectation of you is to become like Jesus, the
Firstborn Son, the Pattern Son. Resembling another man of God
whether those we read about in the Bible or those in contemporary
times may not be completely right except in aspects where such men
were like Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One that God
commanded us to follow in His steps. And that must be our goal in
life.

Conclusion
A disciple's aim is to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, and for this

goal to be achieved, you must of necessity have the

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 20

nature of Christ in you. "...if any man have not the Spirit of Christ
he is none of His"
Yet to be bom again is nothing but just the foundation for any man to
be a disciple. Jesus says "...if ye continue in my word, then are ye
my disciples indeed." Are you one?

From the old to the new testaments, the only tool commonly

used by God to make his men is discipleship. Many people know and

experience God's acts (works) but for any man to know His ways and

His deep secrets, he must agree to become a disciple. There is no

other way to inherit eternal life except through the ways of

Discipleship. To be a believer is not enough. You must enroll with the

Lord prayerfully and sincerely. He will register you if you meet the

conditions. Let us pray.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 21

la) No Discipleship process
can turn a man into the
image of Jesus, except he
has experienced the new
birth:
Are you born again? Share
here with us when, where
and how you become a
Christian.

(b) What definite changes in
your life did you
immediately experience
then? What about now?
(c) Have you at any time or
point experienced a sliding
back in this change of life?
What caused it? Explain.

(d) Could you trace this to a lack of discipleship or what?
(2a Are you a disciple (in the context of this study)? What areas of
your life is in conflict with "who a disciple should be" as we learnt
in this study? What personal decision have you taken on this?

(b) How much of discipleship have you experienced since you
repented? 'How did it happen?

(3) What is your own personally felt need for intimate, consistent and
concerted discipleship?

(4) What other things has God personally taught you as you went
through this study outline?; What prayer request is uppermost on
your mind now for which we should stand with you before the
LORD?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 22

UNDERSTANDING THE CONDITIONS

FOR DISCIPLESHIP

Introduction
Several times multitudes crowded around our Lord Jesus Christ

either for miracles or for personal but varied needs. He however
steadily kept unto His vision of men (the kind) unto whom He could
commit Himself, His word and the vision of world outreach. He knew
all men; He needed not that any should introduce man to Him. He
would not commit Himself and His eternal programmes unto just any
kind of man. (John 2:23-25.) God's vessels (meet for His own use) are
indeed very scarce. Praise singers, miracle seekers, and pleasure
seekers are all around Him, in the congregations today; but men
whose hearts have been touched, who have gone with Him into the
quarry site, who have willingly accepted to be put in His furnace
come-what-may, are difficult to get. (John 6:26-27, 66-70).

Despite this scarcity, the nature of what He wants to use men
for and the glory that is to be revealed in such earthen vessels, both
place a necessity for utmost care and sober treatment on the Lord
Jesus. The Lord will never compromise or lower the heavenly shekels
of the sanctuary (Lev. 27:25;
2Tim.2:19-21; Isa. 52:11) in order to accommodate a man (no matter
who he be...) Lk.3-.l-3, Lk. 18:18-27.

If we must have the privilege of being used by Him, to affect
other lives; if His word must flow unhinderedly through us, without
any distortion, we must come to Him at His own terms and on His
own grounds,

If we plan to last in His anointing and in ministry (or His
service) not just appearing like the flower of the grass; if we

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 23

must wax great, in His calling, we ought to deliberately pay close and
careful attention to His terms.

However, please note that the conditions for discipleship is not
discipleship itself. It is just the requirements needed in order to be
qualified to enter into a discipleship relationship with the Lord and
with any of His servants He chooses to place you under. It is therefore
necessary for you as a person to act fast in response to God in meeting
His conditions. The real matter of discipleship (apprenticeship) itself
is still waiting. May the Lord grant you understanding in Jesus' name.

What Are The Lord's Terms For Discipleship?
"If any man will come after me, let him DENY himself,
and take up his cross and follow me." Matt. 16:24.

A. DENY HIMSELF
B. TAKE UP HIS CROSS
C. FOLLOW ME.

We will take the conditions one after the other. This series may
be long, but we cannot afford to treat this matter lightly. Please pray
for divine illumination on what it takes to be a follower of Jesus
Christ.

Check other reference carefully on this matter in: Luke 9:23-26;
14:25-33; Mark 8:34-38, Luke 9:57-62, Matt. 19:21-26. Check these
references also in the Old Testament to discover that the terms of
discipleship is the same and unwavering, whether in the old or new
testaments. It remains sure and unchanging for all generations, all
races of men, all classes and categories of men.

(i) Look at Abraham facing the same terms in Gen. 12:1-3. The
destination is always not too clear, when disciples agree to follow
their master. It is a step of unconditional surrender in faith.

(ii) Moses": Heb. 11:24-27

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 24

a. What is the implication (practical) of his declaration in Vs 24
"I am not the son of Pharaoh's daughter"... I do not belong to that
class any more... I must respond to the heavenly call....

b. How does this fit into the general terms for discipleship?

Look closely into verses 25-27 again.

c. What are the challenges on your own life today? What
dreams are men and parents nursing around your life? When will you
come to years, and stand up to tell them what you are supposed to be
for God?

(iii) Look at the Levites in Exodus 32:26-29.
What conditions were they fulfilling? Obviously they were

fulfilling the conditions for discipleship. Compare this with Luke
14:26. You will discover that they are similar.

(iv) Look at Elisha in 1 Kings 19:19-21.
How does this compare with Luke 9:57-62 Analyze Elisha's
estate, what he abandoned, what he

chose to become, in order to be useful in the hands of God.
Beloved, God has maintained His own position with all

men, at all times, on this matter of Discipleship. It is not now
(with us) that He will change.

Pray about this fervently. Do you still want to come to Him? Or
does your journey with him end here with multitudes trooping out
only to catch bread, miracles, provisions, promotions and progress?
Will you also go? So many of your colleagues and friends have
already gone back into mediocrity... They are sitting tight on a
borrowed life... not willing to give to the OWNER, what they never
own... will you also go? Will you
also go at this point? Pray! This is a junction point! As Naomi said to
Ruth:

"Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people,
and unto her gods; return thou after thy sister-in-law..."

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 25

Your brother, your sister, your in-laws, your mentors are all
gone back unto their people (their own company, their own class) and
unto their "gods". Many are gone back unto "their gods" what a
thing! Will you also go unto "your gods", your ambition, your
fashions, your programmes, your doctrines, your pleasures? Or will
you answer like Ruth: Read Ruth 1:16-17.

Do not rush over his point! Pray again till you hear your very
heart crying sincerely to God. Be sincere. Be firm. The Master at such
point as this is never in haste. Even if you turn your back and follow
your sister-in-law, He will not run after you... though you would have
sold out an heavenly crown, a divine birth right, for a spoon, a mess of
pottage; and face eternity with unfulfilled, restless and empty
life-style.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 26

1. In this study we discovered that
the conditions forf discipleship
are universally applicable to all:

a. In what ways do you feel
personally challenged to rise up
and meet these conditions?

b. What practical things or steps
have you resolved to do or take
henceforth?

2. What conflicts have you ever
the Master in concerted and faced in deciding to yield your
consistent discipleship?
neck under the yoke of

(a) With your self (and your
ambition or whatever)
(b) With your spouse.

(c) With your parents or with your friends and acquaintances.
(d) With any other.

3. What personal challenges have come to your heart in the

course of this study and what have you done or decided to do about
them?

4. What definite things do you perceive this step in discipleship will
cost you personally?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 27

LET HIM DENY HIMSELF

Introduction
You may have prayerfully and diligently desired a victorious

and vibrant life in the spirit overcoming sin, the flesh and the devil, in
every area of life, being able to dwell daily in God's tabernacle and on
His holy hill. Yet, for all your efforts made in fervent and sincere zeal,
a spiritual breakthrough in your life is perhaps still a distant dream.
You may also have claimed all the promises in God's word that you
have known, and have made positive confessions based on these quite
consistently; yet, your daily spiritual experience remains that of
failure and defeat.

We are trusting that God will lead you through this study into
discovering SELF, the hidden cause of this problem and to reveal to
your spirit His abundant provision for your freedom from the self life.
We are also praying that He will grant you a personal experience of
the out-working of this victory in your daily living.

(l)What is self? Eph. 4:22, Col.3:9, Gal.5:16, Rom. 8:7. Look at
these scriptures in different Bible versions. It is the art of just
being human... living, thinking, behaving and reacting as a
normal human being. Some other Bible translations further
expose its true identity as THE FLESH, OLD MAN, CARNAL
NATURE, SINFUL NATURE, LOWER NATURE, HUMAN
NATURE, SINFUL MIND, EVIL NATURE, OLD SINFUL
LIFE etc. Each of these names describes the distinguishing
characteristics of the self-life.

(2) Human Nature (self) is ours by inheritance.

Job 15:14, Ps. 58:3, Jn.3:6, Ps.51.-5, Rom. 8:8, IPet. 1:18 (LB,
NIV, GNB).

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 28

The human nature is referred to by some Bible versions as the
old man, the flesh or the old self. We inherited it by birth. Everyone
born of a woman is born with the natural instincts of the human
nature. We dare say, it is unnatural for a man, bom of human parents,
not to commit sin (Jn.3:5) "...and they that are in the flesh cannot
please God." (Rom.8:8). IPet. 1:18 also speaks of the human nature
as "empty way of life handed down to you from your
forefathers." (NIV).

"The worthless manner of life you received from your
ancestors." (GNB).
"Impossible road to heaven." (LB).

The human nature can therefore be described as the art of

being a human being.

Fastings, giving, praying, teaching, preaching notwithstanding,
'that which is born of the flesh is flesh...' and they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. Even though Nicodemus was a prominent
Pharisee who fasted at least twice a week, prayed at least three times a
day, gave alms and was a teacher of scriptures in his own right, Jesus
still pointed out that he was being hindered from seeing or touching
anything of the kingdom of God because of his lower nature. Hence
every human being has the human nature in him, not because of
what he does or does not do, but because of who he is: he is born

of the flesh.

(3) Life in the Flesh: The enemy of Godliness.

a. What does it mean to be in the flesh? Rom. 8:5-8 (GNB) "And so a
man becomes an enemy of God when his mind is controlled by
human nature, for he does not obey God's law and in fact he
cannot obey it. Those who obey their human nature cannot
please God." Thus, a man is said to be living in the flesh not just
when he commits sins but when he allows his mind and
subsequent

actions to be led or controlled by the human nature, the old fallen

nature of man.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 29

b. How does God view the activities of the flesh? Acts 9:1,5, Matt.
16; 13-17, 21-23.
Peter, a man of revelation looked no less than Satan because he

was thinking as natural men thinks, not as God think. A man becomes
an enemy of God whenever he allows his human nature to direct him.
It is apparent in the above scriptures that God abhors the flesh no
matter the disguise under which it appears, either in blatant sins of
disobedience or in the display of self life or human wisdom, no matter
in whom it manifests.

(4) The world, the activities, the manifestations of the Human
Nature, Gal 5:19-21 (KJV,GNB,NIV,LB), Rom. 8:7-8,
Eph.4:22,25-29,31 ;Eph, 5:3-6, Col. 3:5-9.

The works of the flesh are quite clear,
"What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in
immoral, filthy and indecent actions, in worship of idols, and
witchcraft. People become enemies, they fight, become
jealous, angry and ambitious. They separate into parses and
groups} they are envious, get drunk, have orgies and do other
things like these.,."
Whether in the church, in the ministry or in the market; in the prayer
room or in political groups and meetings, on the pulpit or in the
lecture hall, in the choir as well as fellowship executive meetings,
wherever it is, what human nature does is quite obvious. It can easily
be known and whenever it appears, we can easily tell who is
responsible - the old man. So whenever you notice any manifestation
of human nature in you, rather than explain it away, you can correctly
tell that it is the old man - the Flesh - that is at work,
"It show itself in..." This means that if one is worshipping
idols, and another man is fuming with anger and quarrelling in the
Deacons' meeting in a church, it is still the same human nature at work
in both of them, You do not need to see all his manifestations in your
life before you know he is there. Now

look over this scripture (quoted above) again and look through your
life. Remember also that the Flesh does not only manifeit his work in

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 30

negative detestable things but also in seemingly good things. But
behind every self-will, self-identity and self-defence tendencies in
your life is Mr. Self - the old man, thfl human nature. When you seek
self-praise, when you fight against being taken for granted, when
Mr. T in you does not want to
receive any damage, it is only an indication that the Flesh is very
much alive and working in you.

Self is a very diverse fellow, and deceptive. When you are
highly secretive and too protective of your own things, when you
quarrel with somebody and you are want to exonerate

yourself (even if you are right), it only means Mr. Self is very much
around.

Self manifests in false humility (i.e., inverted pride),
depression, and over-excitement. Self loves achievement, acquisition,
pleasures, fame and honour, and always seeks personal attention. Self
makes you ashamed when you meet your mates without being
prepared. Self not only wants good things but does not want anything
bad. He does not want to be criticized or embarrassed or disgraced;
does not want any discomfort or lack, does not want to make
mistakes, not because of fear of God, but because of himself. He
thinks of what will become of his integrity and honour. When you
find it difficult to forgive, it is only an indication of self. When Adam
and Eve fell into sin, they began to defend themselves. They did not
repent

when God confronted them. Self will not apologise. Self prefers to die
rather than face shame.

Many prayers are not answered because it was self that prayed.
Self can preach to others, but exonerate (justify) himself. Self always
wants to impress, even in religious matters. Self also likes good
public image, but as soon as no one is watching, he returns to his
normal way of life.

Self is the cause of the feeling of insecurity and the cause of
strains in any human relationship. Self always insists on his own ways
and rights. You cannot truly love another without self having been
dealt with. The Holy Spirit's searchlight could

show your personally various other subtle manifestations of the self -
life. Can you see more?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 31

5. God's Judgment On The Human Nature.
(a) Read Jn.3:3, 5-6. Why did Jesus conclude like that?

Is it not possible for that which is born of the flesh to be
managed along with kingdom (New creation, Spiritual) life?
The answer is emphatically "NO".
(b) Read Rom. 8:6-8 and Deut. 21:18-21 together carefully. What
did you discover about your human nature? God seems to say
with finality that the flesh is "a stubborn and rebellious son"
that must be put to death.
(c) Life in the flesh is an impossible road to heaven. IPet. 1:18
(LB)
(d) Read Job 14:14, Gal.5-.21b, Rev. 21:8, Un.3: 8. What is the
end result of a life lived in the flesh?
Plainly, God's verdict upon 'Mr. Flesh' is that he is corrupt and
should die if you must see God. Thus, there is no reason for you
to pamper him, cage him or to want to improve upon him and
still hope to please God. You might have cherished the old man
for so long in your life and the result is that he keeps choking
your good efforts to maintain sweet and close fellowship with
God. You want to maintain a personality (the T in you), but
God keeps demanding that you surrender that flesh in you unto
death.

(6) The Human Vs the Spiritual.
a) Read carefully: Rom. 7:7-25, 8:2; 1Cor. 15:39-50, 2Cor.

5:16-17, Gal. 5:17. What did you discover?
There are two levels of life and there is a sharp difference and
an eternal disagreement between them. They are two separate
life-styles (each complete in itself) that cannot be mixed up or
lived simultaneously. Flesh cannot inherit (experience) the
kingdom life; neither does that which is corrupt inherit
incorruption. You can now see clearly why God insists on the
termination of self-life if the New-

Creation life is to be truly experienced. Jesus says that 'no man can
serve two masters'; hence it is not possible to be controlled by Human
Nature and also be controlled by the Spirit at the same time.

Whatever action, ideas or wisdom is born of (i.e. originate from)

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 32

the carnal mind, is corrupt in God's sight and can never be
manifesting together with the new creation life at the same time.
'Self’ cannot be led by the Holy Spirit. And never will he be used of
the Holy Spirit.

(b) Scriptural Illustration of the two lifestyles
Discuss both lifestyles in each case, and the effect of the man
(or men) that represent(s) the natural life, or the spiritual
i. Adam and Jesus. ICor. 15:45-50, Jn.7:19-26
ii. Cain and Abel. Gen. 4:8-15.
iii. Ishmael and Isaac. Gen. 21:8-9, Gal. 4:28-29.
iv. Joseph and his brethren. Gen. 37:8-36.
Adam and his children persecuted Jesus, Cain persecuted and

slaughtered Abel, Ishmael mocked and persecuted Isaac, Joseph's
brethren persecuted him; so also the natural life persecutes and seeks
to destroy the spiritual life. The little aspect of your self life that you
leave untouched will normally eventually destroy your spiritual life
no matter how long you spend building your life spiritually.

Before we go ahead to look at God's remedy and the way out of
the human nature, there is need for you to pray at this point. Humbly
search out in your heart and confront the presence of the old nature in
you. Any show of the presence of the old man must not be taken
lightly at all. The Lord is able to help you as you now approach the
throne of grace, ready to hand over self-life for God to deal with it.
God is not asking you to kill your self, for that would mean for you to
die before self can die. He is only asking you to give up self. There is
a complete and permanent remedy that God has already provided for
you to be able to enter the higher life - the spiritual - and consistently
dwell on His holy hill. May the Lord show you your SELF now in the
Name of Jesus.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 33

(1) In the light of this study
on self what specific aspects
of the self-life have been
rearing up themselves in
your life?
What efforts have you
personally made at dealing
with them?
In your own assessment,
would you claim a clear
victory as yet?

(2) In what areas has this'
‘old Man' affected your
life?

(a) In your relationship with your wife (or
husband)? Give instances. Any solution as
yet?

(c) In your ministry or career?

(3) What is the yearning of your heart as regards these experiences?
For what do you want us to stand with you in prayer before God?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 34

VICTORY OVER SELF

A. GOD'S WAY OUT

1. Deny yourself Lk. 9:23.
What does it mean to DENY self? Check the meaning of the
word 'deny' in this scripture from several versions of the Bible.
Some of the renderings in some Bible versions include:

Forget self, say 'No' to yourself, disown yourself, loose,
sight of yourself and your own interests, refuse and give
up yourself, renounce yourself, leave yourself Behind,
give up all rights to yourself, disregard yourself, put
aside and ignore yourself. Let us now look at each of
these renderings one after the other.

(a) Forget yourself Matt. 26:48-54, Matt. 27:12-14, 25-31;
1Pet.2-.23.

Jesus, though the Son of God forgot Himself in the face of
suffering, though He had power to defend Himself. Since God the
Father allowed the suffering of death on the cross to happen to Him,
He refused to remember self and defend it even when He was crying
for pain. He was insulted and it was painful to the flesh. Yet He did
not insult back. That is what it means to deny self. What do you do
when you are insulted or cheated?

(b) Say 'No' to your SELF and refuse yourself. 2 Sam... 16:5-12,
2 Sam. 19:18-23

David suffered insult and reproach unjustly from ci
subordinate. The SELF in Abishai, one of his followers, was

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 35

aroused and he suggested revenge to David. Yet David will not allow
him-SELF to be provoked to anger He said 'No' to the flesh and took it
calmly.

The Lord eventually defended him and made his adversary to
bow before him. God defends only those who say 'No' to SELF and
refuse to defend self. You cannot be a follower of Christ until you
learn to say 'No' to your self and your own interests.

(c) Disown yourself. Phil. 3:4-9, Acts 16:1-3
Paul had personal credentials that made him proud of himself

and his tribe in life.
Timothy also, being a Greek also had credentials. Greeks are

known for their wisdom (ICor. 1:21). Yet each of them had to disown
himself and separate or dissociate himself from these credentials and
became nothing in order to follow Jesus.

What are your own credentials in life, things you are so proud
of? You cannot follow Jesus with such a 'luggage'. The road is
narrow. Disown your SELF!

(d) Leave your SELF behind; give up all rights to yourself.
ICor. 9:3-6,12-14; IKg. 19:19-21, Gen 11:26-29, Gen.l2-.l-4

Paul had a right to eat and drink wherever he preached the gospel. It is
a God-given right. He had a right to get married ' go about with his
wife preaching. Yet for the sake of the gospel, he denied himself of all
these; he gave up his rights in ;r to follow Jesus. Elisha did the same.
So also did Abraham, ' firstborn son of his father.

What rights do we normally claim and cling to in our society
today? What right have you been clinging to that will not allow you
to follow Jesus wholly? Give it up and the Lord will receive you.

(E) Disregard and ignore your SELF! Jn. 4:6-8, 31-34, Acts
21:8-14.

Though hungry and tired, Jesus disregarded and ignored i cry
of SELF for hunger when He saw an opportunity to win i lost to the
Kingdom. What do you do in your own case?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 36

(f) Look at men who refused to DENY self.

Discuss their experiences and the lessons you learn from them.

(i) Jacob Gen. 25:31-34, Gen. 28:20, Gen29:18,25-

30, Gen.31.-l 7-20, Gen. 32:6-8,19-20.

(ii) Gehazi 2 Kgs. 5,15-27. ;

(iii) The Rich Young Ruler Mk. 10:17-23.

You gain nothing by clinging to the flesh. In fact you have all
to lose. You cannot hold tightly to your SELF and still hope to hold
onto the Lord. DENY YOURSELF!

2. Hand Yourself Over To The Elder. Read Deut. 21:18-23.

This is an important analogy and instruction in order to have

victory over self.
a) You must be tired of yourself and its manifestations. Deut.
21:18, Rom. 7: 13-24. Have you truly seen the rottenness of
yourSELF? What efforts have you made in the past to stop the
activities of the flesh in your life? What is the effect of such efforts on
SELF? It is not possible to improve on self and make it to please God.

b) Lay hold on yourself. Deut. 21:19, Jer. 17:9, Gal. 5:19-21 (LB).
By their fruits you shall know them. Identify the presence of the flesh
in your life by its fruits, its activities. Use this to lay hold on it.

c) ...Bring yourself out to the elders of your city. Deut. 21:19. Rom.
8:29, 5:15, Heb. 13:12,13. Don't cover up your self; don't pamper it.
Sin and the sinful nature thrives in darkness. Bring it out.

d) ...and say... Deut. 21:20, Rom. 10:10. Prov. 28:13 Heart felt
prayers and confession of the manifestations of the flesh in your life
with your mouth is very important. Hand yourself over to the Lord
this way and leave it there.

e) Expect 'stones' on yourself from 'the men of your city.*
What are these stones? How should you respond to them? Deut.

21:21, Matt 27:26-32, Num 12 :1-3. The 'stones' are

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 37

actually allowed by God to prove your sincerity in handing over your
SELF. Once you hand over yourself, self becomes to you as good as
dead. To you, it is already dead, but its death must be proved by the
instrumentality of the 'stones'. If you are sincere in your hand-over
then you will gently submit to the men and the stones being hurled at
you. If on the other hand you react against those throwing the stones
and quickly want to take back your self, then your surrender is not
genuine or sincere. Victory comes when you learn to say 'No' to
yourself.

3. Knowing This... (Rom, 6:6)
Put aside all strict rules and discipline you have employed in
ignorance to subdue your flesh. If righteousness comes by the
law or by regulations and self efforts, then Christ id dead in vain.
Our deliverance is not by struggle. It is by faith, based on the
knowledge of what God has done. It is by "knowing this..."
There is that truth you must know in order to be delivered from
your SELF, It must come to you by revelation.

a) The pre-requisite for our deliverance is DEATH. Rom. 7:1-4,
Rom. 6:5,7-8.
God, who knew this, went all the way to meet that requirement
through His Son Jesus Christ, We were married to 'Mr. Flesh'
and could only be free by death. But thank God who made His
Son to taste that death on our behalf. The law of your former
husband (the flesh) over you ended when Jesus took him to the
cross.

b) Jesus Christ paid the price (of death) for our deliverance from
the grip of the flesh. Your SELF was crucified with Him.
Heb.2:9,14-15, 2Cor, 5:14-15, Isa. 53:4-6. Rom,6:6,
Gal.2:20:21.

When Jesus died, you died with Him. That death He died is
the death you needed to die in order to end your relationship with
the old man and be free to be married to Jesus and serve God in
righteousness and holiness all the days of your life,

c) You are dead. 2Cor.5-.14, Col.3:3, Gal.2-.20.
How then are you alive? ICor. 6:19-20.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 38

The truth is that you are dead. But a new man is living you now.
He is Jesus the Lord. He bought you, your body so that He can
live in you and walk in you in this world. In essence, you are
not the one that is still alive, but Christ who has entered inside
of you now to live therein. Do you, understand? The life you
lived before you met Christ (i.e. your natural life) became
terminated on the day you met Christ and got born again.

d) What is the effect of your death with Christ (on the Cross) over
your relationship with your SELF? -Rom. 6:6, 7,, 14;
(KJV,NIV,LB) Rom. 7:4-5, Col.3:4.
You are dead. And he that is dead is freed from sin. The
embodiment of sin (the flesh) has been destroyed. The
stronghold of sin over your life has been shattered. The works
of the flesh in your life are the things he uses to have a strong
hold over your life. That hold has been destroyed.
Sin has no more power over you. The flesh shall no more be
your master! You now have power to say 'no' to the flesh and
you are free to obey Christ.

e) What then should your response be to this truth? 2Cor.5-.15,
Gal.2-.20, RQm.6:l,2,ll,13 Col.3:5, 12-17; Rom. 12:1-2..
Christ's purpose in dying for us is very clear. It is that you
should not henceforth live for your SELF, the old man in you. If
you refuse to bear any fruit of sin for ‘Mr. Flesh’ now, you are
justified. Even physically speaking, a dead man is free from the
control of sin and the devil. Self and Satan cannot influence or
oppress a dead man. And you have actually died! You were in
His (Christ's) loins when he died and paid the penalty of sin on
the cross. If a dog swallows a frog and the dog then dies, the
frog also dies.
"Wherefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to
the law by the body of Christ..." (Rom. 7:4).
But why am I still alive? It is not ‘!’ that is alive but Christ that
lives in me, walks, talks, eats, reads etc in me. It is for a

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 39

purpose; in order to bear fruit for my new 'husband' (Jesus Christ).
Christ lives in me in order to fulfill His purpose. My response to this
truth is to refuse to obey my 'self' or live for my 'self' constantly
every day.

But my victory must not stop there. My victory will not be
victorious just by saying 'no' to self and stopping there. Saying *no'
to yourself is like sweeping and making your life clean and empty as
in that parable told by our Lord Jesus Christ in Lk. 11:24-26 (Read it).
If you stop there, the devil and those things that were swept out will
come back and check their former house (your body). If they find no
new person occupying it, they will come back multiplied! You know
the end of that story.

As you victoriously say 'no' to your 'self' you must
immediately say 'yes' to Christ every moment and everyday
presenting your body to Him not as a dead, useless sacrifice but as a
living, useful sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him. Go ahead and
find out every day what the Lord wants you to do and do it obediently
and joyfully. Stop serving 'self' but don't stop there. Serve the Lord.
Don't just stop doing the wrong things; go ahead and do the right
thing. Put off the old man and his works, but don't stop there. Put on
the new man and his fruit. That is the evidence of a genuine victory
over the flesh.

4. The New Creation Life - How It Works.
2Cor.5-.17, Rom6:2, 11, Col, Col. 2:20-23 (LB)

Men still see you - your old tabernacle-walking around and so
take it for granted that it is still you - the former you. The friends and
apprentices of your dead old man (e.g., those listed in Gal. 5:19-21)
and the devil himself already know this truth of his death but they
would come through various means to ask for their dead colleague as
if he is still alive in you. They are demanding that you prove his death.
You don't need any proof! All you need to do is simply to inform
every visitor (whether sin, sickness, the devil, etc) who knocks at the
door of your life, asking for the old man (i.e.; trying to provoke the
old man into

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 40

his usual action), and say "sorry please, the old man is dead. He
has passed away. It is a New man - the Lord from heaven - that is
here now" If such visitor begs you further, you can quern him: "How
can ‘I’ who was dead (to sin) live any longer (in it)? (Rom. 6:2).
Mr. 'I' is no more here. Why are you looking for tin dead among the
living? "It is no more 'I' that liveth here, but Christ that liveth
within me" It is your duty to answer back. Rise up today wherever
you are; announce it loud that it is no longer self but Christ that lives
in you. It is this reckoning that brings this great provision of God for
our deliverance into reality (Rom. 6:11); "for the just shall live by
faith." The devil might have cheated you for a long time, due to
ignorance and unbelief; you knew neither the scriptures nor the power
of God. You did not know the truth! Your deliverance is not through
head knowledge, but in your living by the word. Praise the Lord!
Neither are we saved by assuming passively and taking for granted
that Christ's death is yours without confronting your SELF which you
know has been your undoing.

Futher Implications
You must have seen from the study that accepting as normal

your embarrassing, segmented Christian experiences is a wonder in
heaven, for God has indeed set us free. Again, you are not and can
never be saved by works - fastings, prayers, rules, etc., employed to
subdue the flesh.

Yet, having received and appropriated God's grace for your
deliverance by this study, your next concern must be to please the
New man (Jesus Christ) in you. You must carry about your cross - the
symbol and public declaration of your death - daily.
"Since you died, as it were, with Christ and this has set you free
from following the world's ideas of how to be saved - by doing good
and obeying various rules - why do you keep right on following
them... ?" (Col. 2:20, Living Bible).
"Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ you must
look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at
God's right hand. Let your

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 41

thoughts be on heavenly things not on the things that
are on earth"... (Col. 3:1-2 Jerusalem Bible).
See also Col. 3:4.
Henceforth, every furniture of the old man in your tabernacle
should be packed out, for the new man - Jesus Christ, to have his own
arrangements as He likes. He is not just a tenant in the tabernacle; He
is the Lord, He is the Husband -(he head. He bought us with a price;
He did not borrow us. May you live in this consciousness every day of
your life henceforth; in Jesus name. Amen.

Conclusion
If the Lord, the Holy Spirit has lifted the veil off your eyes and

granted you liberty to perceive this truth of your victory over your
SELF, you must never allow this knowledge to become ordinary
mental knowledge or a mere doctrine. Your day-to-day victory over
SELF is in "KNOWING THIS..." once you stop knowing this truth,
once this knowledge ceases to be a revelation to you, you cease being
victorious. Furthermore, your attitude to this truth is very important,
as it will determine your progress.

You must of necessity get to experience this reality of victory
over SELF practically, because to deny SELF is only the first
condition for becoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that
there is a comma after this first condition (as well as the second).
Check Lk. 9:23 again. That is to say that there is a pause; as if the
Master has paused and is willing to wait with you over this matter
until you overcome it. It is only reasonable that you also pause as He
will not move further with you until this matter is settled. You cannot
serve your self and serve Jesus at the same time. What is your
response to all these?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 42

1. When temptations come your
way, what actually are they
asking of you?

2. (a) Discuss the temptations
and provocations that have
come your way since after this
study.

(b) How did you handle
them? Did you at any point take
back "self from the 'Elders'
because of the stones? Share
with us.

3. What furnitures (works) of the old man have you packed out of
your life?

4. Did you notice any tendency in you to begin to identify and talk
about the self in another person instead of carrying your own cross?

5 What other experience resulting from this study do you have to
share with us for further counsel and admonition?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 43

NOT I BUT CHRIST

Main Texts: 2Cor.5-.17; Col.3-.l-10; Gal.2:20-21; 5:24-26;
Rom.6-.3-14; Phil. 1:2 0-21; lCor5:l-10.

The self life is stubborn, arrogant and defiant to every
correction. It will not obey God's word. Indeed it cannot,

"because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they
that are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom. 8:7-8).
The way out is not to bend him down ... but to uproot the
self-life and crush it in death. Nothing can be done to improve on
him. Any little trace of the old man you permit in your life now
surely will outgrow and choke up whatever spiritual life you think
you are nurturing.
As Cain slew Abel, as Esau sought to kill Jacob; as Ishmael
persecuted Isaac; as Joseph's senior brothers bound him up in a dry pit
and later sold him for 20pieces of silver; so does the self-life, the OLD
MAN, to everything spiritual. Notice carefully at this point, that in
each of these examples of scriptures, they are always the senior. The
old man came first. You are more accustomed to his way and lifestyle
than the new life.
Self does not need any pampering or training to develop; just as
a weed does not need much water or fertilizer to grow everywhere.
Leaving him to grow along side the seed of the New Creation man in
your life, is to reap chaff because it will definitely choke it out. God's
verdict is clear: "Cast out the son of the bondwoman..." Cut him
down! Crucify him!
But we also know as well that self cannot crucify self! Have
you seen any man who was able to crucify himself by

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 44

himself? Try it out on your own now, and see how possible it is. What
do you discover? All we need do is give up self to the cross; of Christ
(as we illustrated with the analogy in Deut 21:18-21. j Hand him over
to the "Elder" even our Lord Jesus Christ who took him over to the
cross and nailed him up there, never to come down again. Praise God.

We concluded that by the Death of Christ on the cross j also has
crucified our OLD MAN. MY SELF is now dead!' OBITURAY: the
OLD 'ME' is dead! Why are you looking for the dead among the
living? He is no more here! A new man now lives within me!

1. Read Gal. 2:20-21; 5:24-26 carefully.

A. "I am crucified with Christ..."
Note the firmness and certainty of this declaration. "I am

Crucified with Christ" The first step into a victorious new life and a
clear manifestation of the resurrection life within is this revelation
knowledge. Rom. 6:6; Col.3:3; 2Cor.5~.14b - a declaration to the
world system: Gal.6:14-17; Rom.ll:13 Can you face the world all
around you and say boldly: leave me alone! I am crucified with
Christ! May hands, my feet and my head are all nailed up. I have no
hands again to cover up self. I have no head free again to nod in self
defence... My feet no longer could run errands for self. I am crucified
with Christ!

B. Nevertheless I live, yet Not "I"
Study closely this line. You will notice two T in there. What

does that mean to you and why the "nevertheless?" For the New life
to manifest in your life, for the fullness of God's purpose to now come
through in your life, you must be ready to place a
"NEVERTHELESS" on your daily encounters and activities.

C. "...but Christ liveth in me" (... my tabernacle)
Read Col.3:4; lCor.3:16;6:19-20; Un4:4 Look carefully into what
God is saying to you in these Scriptures... "Christ lives in me." What
does that imply? The

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 45

life in your tabernacle (body) now is the exact life of Christ. It is l lie
same quality, has the same power, holiness and all attributes of God.
"For as He is, so are we now in this world." 1John -1:l7b... Christ
in you... the hope of glory... The resurrected Christ is my vessel...?
Think of it? What hidden treasure is in your earthen vessel, and you it
not!

2. IMPLICATIONS
We have now come to the point where we must consider what

implication this truth has on our present pilgrimage here. What is God
looking for in us now that it is no longer the "I" but Christ who lives in
us? Ask God that He might anoint your eyes with eye salves, to see
what your duty must now be, face to face

A. Henceforth, we must live only for Him. 2Cor.5:15,

Rom. 14:7-9, Rom. 12:1 -2

You have no personal reason any more to live here on earth,

except for Jesus to live in you. You ought to CEASE to live for the

old SELF and his pursuits except you want to CHEAT Jesus who

delivered you from the tyranny of the old MAN and the devil.

B. He must be magnified in us at any cost! Phil. 1:20-21 (GNB)
(i) Can you see what Paul called his duty?

(ii) What is life all about?
(iii) Paul wondered "...For what is life all about? What is
life? What is the actual worth of living?"
To Paul it was Christ...! To you...what is life? Is it your wife? Is it
money? Is it your career? Is it even your ministry (as a preacher or
minister)? What is life. I ask you again? Paul said "To me, it is
Christ"! I do not know what it is for you.

C. Frustrate not the grace of God! Gal.2-.21, 2Cor.6-.l-2.
Much has been poured out on your life. Let it not be wasted. Do

not waste His death on the cross for you. Receive not the grace of
God in you in vain. Keep in step with the Master! He is coming soon.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 46

SONG
(a) IT IS NO LONGER I THAT LIVETH

It is no longer I that liveth (or speaketh, readeth, singeth,
walketh, teacheth, cooketh).
But Christ that liveth in me
It is no longer I that liveth,
But Christ that liveth in me.

He lives in me
Jesus is the life in me
It is no longer I that liveth
But Christ that liveth in me.

(b) NOT I BUT CHRIST
Not I but Christ, be honoured, loved, exalted
Not I but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard
Not I but Christ, in every look and action;
Not I but Christ, in every thought and word

Chorus: Oh, to be saved from myself dear Lord
Oh, to be lost in Thee
Oh that it may be no more I but Christ
That lives in me.

2. Not I, but Christ, to gently sooth in sorrow
Not I, but Christ, to wipe the falling tear,
Not I, but Christ, to lift the weary burden!
Not I, but Christ, to hush away all fear

3. Not I, but Christ, in lowly silent labour,
Not I, but Christ, in humble earnest toil,
Christ only Christ, no show, no ostentation.
Christ, none but Christ, the gatherer of the spoil.

4. Christ, only Christ, ere long will fill my vision,
Glory excelling soon, full soon, I'll see,
Christ, only Christ, my every wish fulfilling,
Christ only Christ, my All in all to be.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 47

PERSONAL ASSMENT QUESTIONS

1. Since you had the study,
how have you found the new life
with the new man, in the old
tabernacle?

2. Paul said, "I am crucified
with Christ..." Do you think there
is such a certainty in your life now?
Explain.

3.(a) Do you find yourself
introducing some 'perfumes' (or
methods) of the flesh to make yourself acceptable to the world
who had condemned and cast out your Saviour who now
lives in you? Share with us your experience especially in
unexpected circumstances.

(b) Do you want an unbroken manifestation of the new life?
Discuss the situations where you have not been able to place
this necessary 'NEVER-THE-LESS' in your experiences.

4. In what areas do you think you have been robbing Him (Christ)
of your body, soul, thoughts or money? Have you been giving
Him only 10% while you take the remaining 90%?

5. Share your experiences with us as regards this aspect of the
study. What are the things that have definitely affected your
life?

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 48

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY...

Introduction
"And he said to them all, if any man will come after
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,
and follow me." (Lk. 9:23).
All through scriptures, this has been the pattern that God uses as

His selection criteria for the men He uses. If we must have the
privilege of being used by Him to affect other lives; if His word must
flow unhinderedly through us without any distortion, we must come
to Him at His own terms and on His own grounds. And you will
notice that the above three conditions for becoming His apprentices
did not say "...if any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
then take up his cross, then follow me.

That means that all the conditions must be fulfilled
concurrently. As you are saying no to your SELF, God expects you to
take up your cross at the same time, and follow Jesus. It is only
divided into sections for the purpose of our study.

Having looked into how to secure victory over self we shall
now study the second condition. "Take up your cross daily." May
this study accomplish its purpose in your life, making you a disciple
indeed in Jesus' Name. Amen

1. What is the cross?
(a) The cross is God's instrument for terminating the natural life (i.e.
the self-life, life in the flesh) Isa. 53:5-6, Rom.6:6. Gal. 2:20, Gal
6:14.
It is by the cross that the 'iniquity of us all' (the self-life), the
embodiment of sin (the flesh) was crucified and rendered
powerless over me. By the cross, ‘I’ became dead. I became

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT AND CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Page 49

a dead man to the world. Whenever the world sees me, they see a
dead man, a man as good as dead, as the power of the cross
becomes manifest in me as I live the crucified life. In other words,
the world loses interest in me. It is only the cross that has such
power on the flesh. The rat race of living to please, sustain and
defend yourself ends at the cross.

(b) The cross is the authentic symbol and the public identification
mark of the death of the old man - the flesh. Rom. 6; 1-2, Gal. 6;
14, 17.
Anywhere you see the cross even physically on-a grave, coffin,
in newspapers; it is a symbol of death. When you see a crucified
life, it signifies the death of the natural life.

(c) Life in the Spirit begins at the cross. It is only a dead man that can
resurrect. Gal. 2:20, 1 Cor. 6:19-20. Rom.6-.5-7.
The point at which the natural life terminates is also where the
spiritual life begins. The point of death is the point of resurrection.
Someone who is not dead cannot be said to resurrect. Resurrection
life begins at the cross. Crucifixion is painful but the resulting
resurrection life is joyful. The cross (as you surrender to it), is what
God uses to release and translate you from the natural life to the
supernatural. It is the doorway into a life of spiritual and physical
prosperity. Allowing your SELF to be dealt with by the cross, gets
God on your side.

(d) The cross is also God's instrument for rendering the devil
impotent. It nullifies the ground on which the devil can attack us.
Jn. 3:13-16, Num.21-.5-9, Col. 2:13-15 (GNB, Philips). Give
examples of ways in which Satan attacks us and how our victory
comes through the cross.

(e) The cross insulates us from the world system so that we may be
able to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit with all liberty. Gal.
6:14, 17, Rom. 6:14, 18, 1Jn2.:15-16.
As we become liberated from the grip of the natural life, we
become free and available to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
When the cross is allowed to work in any life, he is not only dead
to the world but the world and everything that is