Forward!!!
That’s what Paul wants to see in his disciple Timothy. In 1 Timothy 4:15, Paul tells Timothy to give himself wholly to the things God has called him to, “so that everyone may see your progress.”
Forward progress.
That’s what we all want to see in ourselves and in those we disciple in Christ – not simply activity, not simply busyness, but genuine movement towards Christlikeness. Paul’s language carries the sense of advancement, of moving forward, of making progress. There is something purposeful about it – advancing towards a goal.
So far in this series we have looked at the Stages of Discipleship – from Infancy to Childhood, from Childhood to Adolescence and ultimately towards Adulthood in Christ.
Now we are going to explore the Elements of Discipleship – the areas of our lives in which we should expect to see forward progress as we grow in Christ.
Understanding the stages helps us know where we are. Understanding the elements helps us know what God is forming within us.
The Stages and the Elements
The Stages of Discipleship answer the question:
“Where am I in my discipleship journey?”
Infancy → Childhood → Adolescence → Adulthood
The Elements of Discipleship answer a different question:
“What is God forming within me?”
We are going to explore four Elements:
Character – who we are becoming and how Christ is being reflected in our speech, conduct, love and purity.
Spiritual Life – how our relationship with God develops through Scripture, prayer and other spiritual disciplines that help us live in communion with Him.
Skills – how we develop the abilities needed to live, lead and minister effectively for God's purposes.
Beliefs – what we believe, why we believe it, and how our understanding and convictions are increasingly shaped by Scripture.
These Elements aren't four things we complete and then move on from. They are areas God continues to form throughout every stage of discipleship.
So why these Elements?
As I reflect on my own Christian journey, and on more than thirty years of discipling people, I have found these four areas to be the most common elements of the life-giving transformation Jesus brings to us.
Our Character is clearly impacted by Jesus.
Think about Zacchaeus in Luke 19:8–10. He encounters Jesus, and the greed that had characterised his life is confronted. His response demonstrates that something has changed. His encounter with Jesus begins to produce a different way of living.
Our Spiritual Life also needs to develop as we follow Jesus.
And this is not simply about mastering spiritual disciplines. Please don't misunderstand me – prayer and reading the Bible are incredibly important. I have loved reading God's Word for over fifty years. But the point of prayer isn't simply that we can say we prayed for an hour. The point is that we encounter God, learn to hear Him, respond to Him, experience His presence and direction and receive answers to our requests.
Likewise, reading through the Bible year after year is wonderful – but the goal is not simply to finish reading the Bible. The goal is to live the Word, allowing God's truth to shape and conform us to Christ.
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that God's Word is “alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12).
God's Word is meant to make a difference in us.
Our Skills also need to be increasingly aligned with Christ rather than conformed to the patterns of the world.
How we use our time, talents and treasure should increasingly reflect the purposes of God. Romans 12:1–2 reminds us that transformation affects the whole way we live. Our skills in Life, Leadership and Ministry are not simply abilities to be developed for personal success; they are resources to be surrendered and increasingly used for God's purposes.
And then there are our Beliefs.
What we believe, and why we believe it, matters. Paul speaks of having “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) and calls us to have the attitude of Christ (Philippians 2:5).
Discipleship therefore involves more than changing what we do. God is transforming what we think, what we believe, what we value, how we live and ultimately who we are.
So how will we explore these Elements?
Over the coming weeks, we are going to take each Element and explore the characteristics and practices that make it up.
As we do this, we will first ask:
What do we mean by this?
We will define each characteristic so that we have a clear biblical understanding of what we are exploring.
Then we will ask:
What does the Bible say about it?
We will establish a biblical foundation and, where helpful, look at both positive and negative examples from Scripture.
Then comes the developmental question:
What does this look like at each stage of discipleship?
What might this characteristic look like in Infancy?
What changes as we move into Childhood?
What does increasing maturity look like in Adolescence?
And what does a more established expression look like in Adulthood?
We will also look for practical examples, because it is one thing to understand a biblical principle and another thing to recognise it in our everyday lives.
Mapping our Progress
As we do this, you may find yourself recognising aspects of your own journey.
You may see areas where you have clearly grown.
You may see areas where you are currently being challenged.
You may even discover areas where you seem to have made very little progress, that's an opportunity for honest reflection.
This isn't intended to be a spiritual scorecard.
The purpose of recognising where we are is not to label ourselves, compare ourselves with others, or feel either proud or discouraged. It is to recognise where the Holy Spirit is inviting us to take our next step of obedience.
Growth isn't always Uniform.
Think about a plant. There may be a season when it produces lots of leaves but little fruit. In another season, the fruit may become much more evident. Growth can look different at different times.
We shouldn't therefore expect ourselves to progress uniformly across every Element.
Someone might demonstrate remarkable generosity while still struggling with self-control.
Someone might have strong biblical beliefs while still developing humility.
Someone might be highly competent in ministry while still needing significant character formation.
So the question isn't:
“I am an Adult; therefore I should be Adult in everything.”
Rather, the Stages give us a developmental framework, while the Elements allow us to look more closely at the different areas of our lives.
And that gives us a much more honest picture of discipleship.
Measurable, but not Legalistic
There is one more important principle we need to establish.
If we are talking about forward progress, there needs to be some way of recognising movement. But we don't want to turn discipleship into a performance assessment.
So perhaps the simplest way to say it is:
We measure growth by evidence, not by scores.
The question isn't:
“Have I achieved this character trait?”
The better question is:
“Is there increasing evidence of Christ being formed in me in this area of my discipleship?”
That allows us to map ourselves without turning discipleship into a competition.
We can look back and say, “I used to respond like that, but I don't respond that way as often now.”
We can recognise, “God has really changed me in this area.”
And we can also honestly say, “This is an area where I still need to grow.”
That isn't failure.
That's discipleship.
The goal is Christlikeness
As we begin exploring the Elements of Discipleship, don't read these blogs simply as information to be absorbed.
Read them as an invitation to transformation.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you have grown, where you are growing, and where He is inviting you to take your next step.
Because the question isn't simply:
“Am I a better person than I was?”
The deeper question is:
“Is the character of Christ becoming increasingly evident in me?”
That's the journey.
That's the goal.
Forward!
Reflection Questions
As you look back over your discipleship journey, where can you clearly see forward progress?
Which of the four Elements – Character, Spiritual Life, Skills or Beliefs – do you think God is currently developing most strongly in you?
Is there an area where you may have mistaken activity for growth?
Thinking of someone you encouraging to make forward progress in their relationship with Jesus what element do you sense you need to focus on with them?
What might be your next step of obedience in allowing Christ to be formed more fully in you?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You that discipleship is a journey and that You are continually at work in me.
Thank You for the progress You have already brought about in my life, even in ways I may not always recognise.
Help me to be honest about where I am at. Give me the humility to recognise the areas where I need to grow and the gratitude to recognise the places where You have already brought transformation.
Holy Spirit, show me what You are forming within me. Help me not to compare myself with others or measure myself by human standards, but to look increasingly to Jesus.
May my Character become more Christlike, my Spiritual Life become more alive to You, my Skills become more available for Your purposes, and my Beliefs become more deeply rooted in Your truth.
And as I move forward, may the evidence of Your work in me become increasingly visible to those around me.
I don't simply want to become a better person.
I want Christ to be formed in me.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Your Next Step
Take some time this week to prayerfully consider the four Elements of Discipleship:
Character | Spiritual Life | Skills | Beliefs
Don't score yourself.
Simply ask the Holy Spirit:
“Where have I seen growth, where am I growing, and where are You inviting me to take my next step?”
Write down what comes to mind.
Then thank God for the progress He has already brought about – and take the next step He puts before you.
Keep moving forward.
This blog was written by Richard Botta.
