Why Not?

Today's devotional thought with comment (my comments in brown, all emphasis mine):

Christian Discipleship

We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. - Colossians 1:28

Discipleship is personally transferring the full dimensions of your relationship with Christ to the person you are walking with (Great definition!). It is not the imparting of spiritual disciplines as much as it is acquainting another with a Person you love. Paul said that he would teach and urge with all his strength that every person God placed in his life would come to a complete experience of the person of Christ (Col. 1:29). He was not satisfied with people becoming partially like Christ. He would not rest until those around him were perfect, or complete, in Christ (I love that word, "perfect!" Replace it with "holy" and we're all set!). That is, that the fruits of the Spirit were being fully expressed through each life and the character of Christ was reflected in each person (Gal. 5:22).

We can mistake Christian activity with becoming like Christ. Christian activity and Christlikeness are not the same things. We must not assume that because our friend attends church and reads her Bible, she is growing as a Christian (This is a perennial problem in the church. We assume that because someone comes to church activities, they are saved. But if that were true, then going to McDonald's would make you a hamburger!).

Christian activities are an important expression of your relationship with Christ (Agreed). They can lead you to a relationship, but the danger is assuming that your religious activity is the relationship (This is eternally dangerous! How many people are we going to miss in heaven some day because we thought they were spiritually sound because we saw them regularly in church or some weekly program? This puts a huge responsibility square on our shoulders.). If you are only encouraging those around you to attend Christian activities, then you have not “discipled” them the way Paul did. You do your fellow Christians an injustice by teaching them that Christian activity is equal to Christian maturity. Do not rest until those around you have become “perfect” in Christ (Wow! Can you imagine what Christianity would be like if we took this to heart and practiced it wholeheartedly!?). If God has put new Christians under your care, you have an obligation to “stay with them” until they have reached Christian maturity. - Experiencing God Day by Day

Two days ago, I established my first intentional discipling relationship at my corps. Oh yes, I disciple people pretty often, as their leader; here and there, but this is different. We're meeting weekly at a set time to work on spiritual progress and develop a deeper fellowship in Christ.

Until he's perfect? Yeah, why not?