Chin Up Discipleship

In the light of the Resurrection, Jesus commissioned His followers with a great task before ascending to the Father in glory (Mt 28:18–20). Just as Adam and Eve were to be fruitful and multiply, we as His followers, are to fill the earth with His disciples by proclaiming the good merits of His Death and Resurrection and commanding all peoples to have faith in and follow the Risen King.

But how do you ‘make disciples’? Discipleship, or the process of making and growing disciples, may be likened to chin ups.

I’m not a huge fan of chin ups. My strength lies more in my legs than my arms and I find it easier to run than to lift my body weight. Reaching the chin up bar is a challenge. Yet this is the illustration my friend uses to describe discipleship and one that depicts a phrase in the Bible that I’ve often likewise used to describe it, truth and love.

God the Father has given us the perfect standard of His Royal Law. Matthew 5:48 says, ‘Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” His holy standard—all that He expects and commands of us in His Word—is really high. Far from lifting ourselves up to the bar, we can’t even jump high enough to reach the bar!

As disciplers we hold the bar just as high as the Father, but we also help people reach the bar. Like a coach we don’t blast the trainee for not knowing how to do it, or doing it properly, or failing to attain it. Nor do we say, ‘oh it’s ok that you haven’t attained to it,’ Instead we say, ‘there is the bar, now let me help you be able to reach it.’

The Bible has the same word—depending on context—that can be meant for both challenge and encouragement. It is parakaleo (παρακαλέω) and means to call+beside. It can be translated exhort, urge implore or comfort, encourage and invite.

For unbelievers we do not shrink from sharing the bad news of judgement apart from faith in Christ, but we also encourage by sharing our testimony, by declaring how good the Lord is and that He doesn’t cast off any who come to Him.

For believers, we likewise maintain that Jesus has commanded us to do X, Y and Z, yet do even this in ‘gentleness and respect,’ reminding them of the forgiveness our Lord offers when they fall and continuing to call them to yield to the Spirit and the Word. The Lord has given us the Helper, God’s Law is no longer a threat but a promise—I will get you there!

I’ve owned two Border collies. While they somewhat train themselves, they do require training, or discipleship. My present dog is 7 months. He is a work in progress! My previous dog died at 12 years of age, travelled the world with me and was very special to me. Throughout her life people would often comment, ‘your dog is so affectionate and obedient, you must have taken her to obedience school, how did you do it.’ By grace (for I’m not professional dog trainer), I’d say, “no there were only two ingredients: love and discipline. I’d reinforce positive behaviour and dissuade negative behaviour.” Humans are much superior to dogs, however, this principle is the same essential principle that I use for raising my son and also what I’ve used in Christian discipleship. In fact, with variation, this is what we see consistently (and effectively) used throughout Church history.

The Lord has set the bar high for His people—we musn’t shrink away from it. Yet the bar is so impossibly high that not even we have attained it. In humility we help each other by the Spirit to rise to the high calling our King commands.
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That is chin up discipleship.