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“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” - Romans 12:2
Discipleship is a word that we hear so much about and discuss so frequently that it can lose its meaning. With enough repetition, any given word can become a sign that signifies nothing, leaving us with nothing but linguistic filler. Over the next few weeks, I aim to offer some scriptural insights about discipleship, but before I can do that I must define the term. The Greek word for “disciple” is μαθητής, which comes from the root word “math.” And yes, it is related to that math; a word which, in its original form, literally means “the mental effort needed to think something through¹". Thus, the word “disciple” literally means one who takes on the mentality or thought patterns of their teacher. Discipleship is the process of training someone to adopt the mind of their teacher.
With these key definitions under our belts, we can see that this passage from the book of Romans provides us with a more thorough explanation of what all of that actually means. Paul tells us in this passage that we are not to be “conformed to this world” but rather “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind[s];” which is to say that we are not to adopt the thought patterns of this world, but rather, we are to have our minds renewed and transformed so that we take instead to the thought patterns of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The tough thing about this is that there is no third option. There is no choice to somehow be “disciples of ourselves.” No one gets to set the standard for themselves (however much they might think they do) or think uniquely according to their own pattern of thought. In this world that God has made, you will either conform, by God’s grace, to the mind of Christ, or you will fall into the ranks of God’s enemies and take for yourself the thinking of this world, which is ethically, intellectually, aesthetically, and spiritually bankrupt.
So, dear reader, I want you to think about the way you think; whether it is informed by the teachings of Jesus or the dictates of the world. If it doesn’t line up with Jesus (if your thinking is ungrateful or covetous or distrustful), then turn to the pages of scripture with the express intent of allowing your way of thinking to be changed by those blessed words. A good place to go in particular would be the epistle of James. By God’s grace, you have unrestricted access to the teachings and the mind of your master in the very palm of your hand. Therefore, sit at His feet and be discipled by His word.
This post was originally given as a devotion at a Wednesday night prayer meeting at Christ the King Church in Belfast, Maine.
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