While it’s true that not every person who makes a profession of faith is a Christian, it is equally true that not every Christian is a disciple. To put it another way, every disciple is a Christian, but not every Christian is necessarily a disciple. We shouldn’t say, “This doesn’t apply to me. I’m just happy that I’m going to Heaven.” A true follower of Jesus should want to be a disciple. And what is discipleship? It’s living the Christian life as it was meant to be lived. It’s living the Christian life as Jesus taught it and as the early church understood it. Discipleship is real Christianity. However, I think that some Christians are reluctant to want to live that way because it seems, well, radical. They don’t want difficulty, so they take the path of least resistance. Discipleship is challenging, but it’s fulfilling. It’s hard, but it’s more than worth it. Jesus said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you” (Matthew 28:19–20 NLT). But we can’t help someone else be a disciple of Jesus if we are not first disciples ourselves. Here’s what it comes down to: Every follower of Jesus Christ should be a disciple. And we should either disciple someone who is less mature in the faith than we are or seek out someone who is more mature in the faith to disciple us. Discipleship is all about growing up. It’s about going to the next level. It’s about really living the Christian life to its fullest, as Jesus meant for us to live it. It’s being a disciple and, in turn, going out and making disciples of others. | 
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