We should all stop from time to time and reflect on who we are as Christians, or even more importantly, who God wants us to be.  Considering some of the terms that are used in the Bible to describe us can remind us of some of our responsibilities and how we should be living our lives.  So, this week let’s remember what we are in Christ.

First, we should always remember that we are disciples of Christ.  What is a disciple?  The basic definition of a disciple is “a learner, i.e., a pupil” (Strong).  Knowing this, we should be striving to learn from Christ all the time.

Matthew 11:28-29 (ESV)
²⁸  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

How do we learn from Christ?  First, we look at the life that He lived when He was here on earth.  The gospels furnish us with many of His characteristics that we can emulate.  For example, He demonstrated humility and servitude when He washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17).  He demonstrated righteous indignation when He cleansed the temple of the money-changers (John 2:13-17), and He demonstrated forgiveness when He hung on the cross (Luke 23:34).  These are a few of the examples from which we can learn.

Second, we can learn from the teachings of Christ.  For example, there is no greater body of teaching than The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:28).  The collections of His parables found in the gospels are another example of how much we can learn from Jesus if we are willing to put in the time to study them.  They constitute practical lessons that are easily applicable if we have the mind to do so.

Then, we can learn from the teachings of His apostles found in the rest of the New Testament.  The apostles were ambassadors of Christ, making their teachings His.

Luke 10:16 (ESV)
¹⁶  “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

So, if we are disciples of Christ, we are constantly learning from Him by studying the Word of God.  But, being a disciple is more than learning.  I like what the “Complete Word Study Dictionary” says about the word disciple.

“Mathētés means more in the NT than a mere pupil or learner. It is an adherent who accepts the instruction given to him and makes it his rule of conduct” (Complete Word Study Dictionary). 

If we are truly disciples of Christ, we are not only learning, we are adhering to what we learn.  If we adhere, we will become like Him, and that’s what a disciple is.

Luke 6:40 (ESV)
⁴⁰  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.