Discipleship and Relationships

                                            Viv Grigg

                                                            First published in the REACH Communique, Vol 1, No 3, 1980

Discipleship begins with a total all-consuming allegiance and commitment to Jesus the Christ.  How does this love that precedes all others causes us to hate our self-centered relationships, especially with those close to us, in order to love Jesus Christ undividedly. 

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But we will misinterpret this change in relationships, this "hatred" of our own family, unless we can grasp the core of our passage in Luke 14:26, 27 - "and hates even his own life..." It is the hatred of selfishness in these relationships that we are called to.  We are most of all to hate our own rottenness inside, the thoughts of our heart that are evil continually (Gen 6:5).   Because of this hatred of self we are to hate also any words or actions of our closest family and friends that would encourage us to love ourselves, just as Jesus said to Peter, "Get thee behind me Satan" when Peter tried to sidetrack Him from obedience to the Father.  This hatred of anything that would sidetrack us from pure love for Jesus turns our love for others, especially our families, into a pure and genuine love built on unselfishness and truth.

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Discipleship and Relationships

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