Disciples!

For Saturday, June 8, 2024:

1 Peter 2:1 NLT: “Get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.”

As ‘fishers of men,’ most effort seems to be focused on the ‘catch.’ Evangelists have been sent to catch (convert) a many more Christians, and some are quite good at it! But if you catch a real fish, it’s worthless until you clean it! Catching new Christians doesn’t do them or us much good until they’re cleaned!

I’ve said before that loving your neighbor was a foreign concept to most people. They were mainly concerned with looking our for #1. But now that they’re Christians, loving God and loving our neighbors should move up on our agenda.

Becoming a Christian is more than receiving a heavenly ticket. We should also look like Christians and act like Christians. Our Christian faith needs to be recognizable. If our love for others isn’t visible, how will anyone be able to identify us?

So catch ‘em, but also clean ‘em and teach ‘em. Becoming a Christian is a lot more than simply reciting a short prayer you found in Billy Graham literature! Jesus said that we are to make disciples of all nations. Not just make Christians, but make true disciples. Equip them to love the Lord and to love their neighbors!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship