True Disciples of Jesus Part Three
Disciple of Jesus must Advocate Love of God
By: Ptr. Jesse Amiel A. Ramoso
By: Ptr. Jesse Amiel A. Ramoso
I thank God that I stumbled on the book “Cost of Discipleship” by Bonheoffer. He was the theologian during the time of Hitler, who virtually opposed Hitler’s tyranny and he became a martyr during World War II, because he was murdered by Hitler a few days before Germany was captured. Bonheoffer defines “what is a true disciple”, and he said …”When Christ calls a man He bids Him come and die.” It means that the true disciples or followers of Jesus are those follow Him not because of food, healing, wealth, political asylum etc. only but those who is willing die with him. He “Bonhoeffer” explained about the calling of the disciples "why the FISHING scenario was to be repeated after His resurrection. Because Jesus wants to emphasize this time the word “FOLLOW ME” and he asked them three times. This must be clearly understood, that what it means "FOLLOW ME" is the following his death on the cross by feeding His lamb, sheep or people of Jesus. Jesus mentioned this line already in Luke 14:27, you cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross”, when Jesus said this he is not saying “joke only”! He meant what he said and said what he meant because in Luke 14:26 he said
…“You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life.”Luke 14:26.
This does not mean that we will disrespect and be irresponsible to our parents our family, government or authorities and society in return of our love to Jesus. The more we love Jesus is the more we can love our parents, family, government or authorities and society because the “kind and context of love” He meant is the kind of love that push Him to the cross. The definition of Jesus "Love" was defined in John 3:16 ...“for God so loved the World that He gave his only begotten Son…” This is the highest Kind of love that only the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit in eternity before creation had that people never yet experienced. The Trinity was actually satisfied by their own, with or without “US”, they can still exist and enjoy with or without our worship and sacrifices. However, because of this kind of love that they had enjoyed, they want to share it to us. Therefore, in spite of death of the "Son Jesus" they’re still determined to share it to us. It is not true that the intention of God to create us for us is to worship Him, as what we can read from the famous Christian book today coming from America. We always hear this from Western theologian and Western singers, writers and preachers in famous churches from western world. How SELFISH and SADDIST God is, if His intention to create us is for Him to satisfy Himself from our worship and sacrifices? No! If that’s the case we reduced God to a lesser god, which cannot be satisfy by what He has and who He is. This is a false theology and it is fatal doctrine, this will lead many to Hell. God created human because of “HIS LOVE”, He paid it with His blood. It is His pleasure to forgive sins because HE loved. The creation of human in God’s perspective is indescribable pain, and they bear this pain from eternity beginning until His death on the cross. Imagine it was the only first and last event in Trinity that Jesus will be separated from the Trinity because of Sin. This idea birthed in God’s plan since in Eternity beginning and it will never happen again, this is once in a lifetime event of the TRUINE GOD “death of Jesus”. The pain of death that the TRINITY experienced was not the Physical death of Jesus, but the mental realization of the Trinity that separation of Jesus from the Father and the Holy Spirit that once will be cut off. What must be cut off? It is the flow of LOVE THAT CIRCULATES from the TRIUNE GOD. This is what trilled the Triune God because this is ever the first time that they will experience. It is important to us to understand the word MARTYR is being modeled and demonstrated by Triune God. God modeled the concept of being a martyr is not on the spot death, but it is DYING DAILY until DEATH COMES TO REALIZED. This is the saddist and painful part of Gods history; they died daily since they planned to create universe and man. That is why the line called ..."Jesus was slain since the foundation of the world" has come to it's rightful meaning here. Rightful meaning because the real death of Jesus was not on the cross but on the PLANNING EVENT of the TRIUNE GOD. This is my personal theology perspective please omit this section if you don’t agree or consult your theologian, please.
The flow of love from the Trinity was extended to man after the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. This was demonstrated also by the blood of the martyrs up to NERO's cruelty, they chose to die hung on the cross burned by Nero because they received the LOVE that Jesus had from the Triune God. This is the only kind of love that pushes us to die for the sake of following Jesus. Therefore, when Jesus said unless you cannot love me more than your family, etc you cannot be my disciple. The twelve disciple needs to be re-CALLED by Jesus, and it was three times Jesus asked Peter “DO YOU LOVE ME?”. Jesus asks Peter and the twelve this question for them to realize their death, because of Jewish priest opposition against them. That is why Peter was so bold to preach in the temple in spite of the death threat from them. If our understanding of martyr is in the level of baptism “death and burial and resurrection”, abstinences, self sacrifice and ministry, etc this is not a true love of Jesus. True love Jesus is understood actually to be ready to die with him on the cross. The concept of a martyr is the only way that we can allow the Truine LOVE to flow to people around the World. Without blood and without death this kind love will never come to realize. This is the only WAY to advocate love of God, and this is irreplaceable for money or materials. Even if you say ...I will go mission but through my money only is losing great opportunity. Giving money for mission is not not bad, but however if God calls you to a mission and die in a mission field, you lose the opportunity to be a channel of HIS LOVE if you declined.
if you find this article helpful please feel free to re-post, preach and re-copy, re-produce just don't forget to site the author and sources in order to avoid sin of stealing by plagiarising. Thank you.
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