Page 99 - Discipleship Ministries Student E-Book

Study Section 12: Discipleship is Progressive

“Jesus himself did not try to convert the two thieves on the cross; he waited until
one of them turned to him.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

12.1 Connect

When a new baby is born, the mother does not cook him stake and potatoes for dinner for
many reasons. An infant is not capable of chewing solid foods. His digestive system could
not process complex foods. He needs milk. Normally, he gets milk for several months after
birth, then slowly the mother mashes up some foods to give him. It is a while before he
can eat complex solid foods.

The same is true of a new believer. He is not capable of learning the deep doctrines of the faith. He
needs to feed on the milk of the word, then as time progresses, can understand and build upon his faith
the deeper things of God. As is true of a infant maturing into childhood, then to adulthood, discipling a
new believer is a progress. It takes time.

The sad thing today, however, is that a person could be a believer for a number of years and not grow
up to adulthood spiritually. The church at Corinth had that problem. Paul said, “I fed you with milk, not
solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready.” (I Cor. 3:2). Evidently
Paul was disappointed of their lack of maturity in Christ.

While discipleship is progressive, maturity in Christ is the goal. We encourage our disciples to grow as
fast as possible.

12.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to share how a believer can become more like Christ.

2. The student should be able to explain the process of teaching a disciple.

3. The student should be able to describe the stages of spiritual growth and the characteristics of each.

12.3 Becoming More Like Christ
35

God’s desire for all who know Him is for us to become more like Christ. We do this by first
growing in our knowledge of Christ. It stands to reason that we cannot grow to be like
someone we don’t know. The deeper our knowledge of Christ, the deeper our understanding
of Him, and the more like Him we become. Among other reasons, we are to know and
understand Christ so that we will be secure in the faith.

The Apostle Paul reiterates this truth in Ephesians 4:14-16: "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed

35 https://www.gotquestions.org/more-like-Christ.html (used with permission)

98