During eight years of pastoral ministry, few things have amazed me more than witnessing conversion. Seeing someone who was once spiritually dead come to life, turn away from their sin, and turn to Christ in faith—it’s a wonder to behold! But another wonder I love to see is the gradual transformation of a believer as he or she becomes more like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).
This process of sanctification continues until we see Jesus face-to-face, and it’s often spurred on by discipling relationships. Discipling is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot. But it simply means deliberately helping one another to grow in conformity to Jesus. Discipling is deliberate because it seeks to help specific individuals grow in specific ways toward godliness. Discipling is mutual because it’s not a one-way street with a sage on one corner and a student on the other. Every Christian needs spiritual formation, and every Christian is equipped by the Spirit to build one another up (Jude 1:20; Eph. 4:12; 1 Peter 2:5). So discipling one another should be normal.
Now let’s spend a little time thinking about the why, the who, and the how.
THE WHY?
I’ll pick three reasons and elaborate
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