The Christian Disciple Handbook

By David Rivington

The Christian Disciple Handbook focuses on the most common and subtle ways that the devil, the world, and this wretched thing called self get Christian people depressed or unhappy in their Christian life as well as the Bibles teaching on how to be a truly victorious disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are no shortcuts to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, only proper Bible teaching to overcome the lies and deception of the world, the devil, and our great enemyself.

To take up ones cross is simply to be willing to pay any price for Christs sake. Learn in these lessons the biblical keys to be a victorious Christian during your brief earthly pilgrimage so that, on the last day, you will hear Christ say to you, Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21).

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512772142

David Rivington

He graduated from Carlton University as a Civil Engineer with high distinction in 1974, and from Prairie Bible Institute in 1979; then joined Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) in 1980, and has served as a missionary in Thailand until now. Forced to resign from OMF in 1988 due to becoming ill with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, he returned to Thailand in 1992 and has worked as a "tent maker" as a Project Manager in construction while working with the Thai Church , preaching the gospel, teaching the Bible, and making disciples for Christ ever since. His wealth of practical experience of over 30 years on the mission field has given him vast insights into the struggles, opposition, and main problems Christians face throughout their lives, and the necessary Biblical teaching of being a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 David Rivington.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references in this book are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7213-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7215-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7214-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017900610

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/21/2017

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Chapter 1   The True Foundation Justification by Faith

Chapter 2   I See Men Like Trees Walking

Chapter 3   He, who has ears to hear, let him hear

Chapter 4   That One Past Sin

Chapter 5   That One Past Sin

Chapter 6   Afraid of the Future

Chapter 7   Where Is Your Faith?

Chapter 8   Laborers in the Vineyard

Chapter 9   False Teaching

Chapter 10 Discipline

Chapter 11 Trials

Chapter 12 Chastening

Chapter 13 In god’s Gymnasium

Chapter 14 The Peace of God

Chapter 15 Learning to be Content THROUGH CHRIST

Foreword

People who have the name Christian but have no manifestation of a Christ-like life are often the great hindrance to the true Gospel. At the same time it is often from this group that people come to a powerful conversion as it was in my own case. It surely is a mystery so often the way God works.

Here is a book that can help people move from Nominalism to Reality and therefore for some it might be the most important book they have ever read. As I read the book I realized that this is the very message of books I read as a baby Christian at 17, 18 & 19 years of age that help transform my life. It refers to many of the verses that were so important to me and actually many of them I memorized. I would urge you to do the same with key verses.

I am reminded of the words in James to make sure we are doers of the Word not just hearers and would therefore ask you after each chapter to pray this prayer, ‘Lord what would you have me change or do?’

It’s just 60 years since 3 of us headed from Maryville College in Tennesse to Mexico because of the same message brought out in this book. We still were young in our faith and had lots of doubts, struggles and weaknesses, but somehow God still used us and without knowing it, we started a movement that later was called Operation Mobilization.

In the next 60 years over 200,000 were to be involved with us and most of them were helped and influenced by the same message you find in this book, which in my view, is very clear in the Bible itself.

It is not an accident that this book is in your hands. Please read it prayerfully and take the steps of faith to make the message a reality in your own life. I would also urge you to get extra copies and pass them on. - George Verwer - Founder, Operation Mobilization

Preface

When you and I come to know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior and are born again by the Holy Spirit, then we become disciples of Jesus Christ from that very moment. We begin to follow Christ as strangers and pilgrims on this earth on our pilgrimage to heaven, we become members of His body - the church, and we become His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel and make disciples of His while we live on this earth. Immediately after we become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, our great adversary the devil will do everything possible in his power to make us depressed and discouraged and unhappy. He will use a great array of subtle tricks to make us stumble and fall, and if possible, to make us forsake the narrow path of following Jesus Christ. Along with the devil, the world will mock us and insult us, and bombard us with worldly temptations, and cares, and riches, and pleasures of life to try to make us go astray from following Christ. The world may even become hostile to us, and persecute us for Christ’s sake, and in some instances kill us. Then we all also have to deal with this wretched thing called self which our Lord said we will need to deny and take up our cross daily to follow Him on His road of discipleship.

The Christian Disciple Handbook is meant to help Christians with the problems, questions and issues they face daily, weekly, and monthly in following Jesus Christ as His disciple, and to have the Bible’s answer ready at hand as how to properly deal with these problems and be victorious over them. In my Christian life, one man, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, has helped me in my Christian walk as a disciple of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ far more than anybody else. This book is comprised of a series of Bible lessons about Christian peoples’ main problems in living the Christian life, and how to be victorious over them using the truths taught in the Scriptures.

Many of these lessons are summarized versions of what I have learned from Lloyd-Jones combined with lessons that I have learned from my own personal experiences of over thirty years on the mission field. I have purposely written in simple English terms and in a format which is easy to read and study. It is written so that Christians can easily help teach and disciple other believers by following each Bible lesson that is pertinent to the difficulty that they are facing. It is my prayer that these Bible studies will teach, admonish, convict, correct and encourage every believer to become a better disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, and bring glory to His name.

A sinner saved by Christ’s amazing grace,

David Rivington

Chapter 1

THE TRUE FOUNDATION

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

(Romans 1:16-17, 3:28)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:16—17)

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:28)

Introduction

The apostle Paul said, Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law (Romans 3:28). Paul is summarizing true salvation according to the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many people who are unhappy and depressed because they have never arrived at the true Christian position. They never arrive here because they are not clear in their understanding about certain fundamental truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am stating that many Christians are unhappy simply because they have never understood the way of salvation clearly. They believe in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ and they attend church, but they have never clearly understood the meaning of justification by faith. And it is because of this one fact that the devil causes them great confusion and unhappiness.

Therefore we must begin with a clear understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of the doctrine of justification by faith. The apostle Paul said this very clearly,

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ (Romans 1:16-17)

The righteousness of which Paul speaks means rightness with God. We cannot know true happiness, peace or joy except when we are made right with God.

What is the gospel of Jesus Christ? How is it the power of God unto salvation? To properly understand the meaning of the gospel, we must take the truths of the gospel in the proper order. This is imperative! The word gospel means good news, but first we also must accept and understand the bad news.

1. First, the Gospel Begins with God - God the Father.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 NIV)

The gospel does not begin with Jesus Christ. The gospel always begins with the eternal God, the only true and living God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, God the Father who is almighty and reigns supreme over all things. He is a God of mercy and grace, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. But He is also a God who is holy, righteous, and just, and He is a God who hates sin and must punish it. This is the first great truth of the gospel.

For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:18)

But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King. When He is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure His wrath. (Jeremiah 10:10 NIV)

For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15)

And (they) sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear You, Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed. (Revelation 15:3-4 NIV)

2. Second, God Created Man in His Own Image.

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)

Jesus said that God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). So what does it mean that God created man in His own image? It means that God created man with a soul and with a spirit, holy and without sin, so man could communicate with God and have fellowship with and love Him. And God has made man responsible; man has to give an account of himself to God.

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NIV)

Then one of them, a lawyer asked Him (Jesus) a question, testing Him, and saying, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:35-38)

The Bible teaches that man being created in the image of God, has a soul and a spirit that are eternal. They will never be dissolved or end as many philosophers falsely teach today. The Bible says,

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

3. Third, Man Rebelled and Sinned Against God.

God put the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. God commanded them saying,

Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)

But the devil tempted and deceived them, and they ate of the forbidden fruit, they sinned against God, and God drove them out of the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:1-24 NIV) And because of Adam’s one sin, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12). Therefore, humankind’s nature became guilty and corrupted, and every person since Adam is born with a sinful rebellious nature, spiritually dead to God in trespasses and sin, and are by nature children of wrath. (Ephesians 2:3)

As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:10, 23 NIV)

We are all born sinners, rebellious against God, and under the wrath of God, and we all need to be reconciled with God. We must honestly and humbly realize our lost condition before there is any chance of us being saved. We must first have conviction of our sin or else there is no hope for us ever being saved.

King David prayed to God,

For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight – that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:3-5)

The Bible teaches,

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12 NIV)

Humans are not born in innocence as many philosophers teach. Humans - every man, woman, and child - are born with a depraved, sinful nature, and they are all alienated from God and enemies of Him.

The great apostle Paul summarizes it in these words,

But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:22 NIV)

4. Fourth, the Cross of Jesus Christ – God’s Way of Salvation.

The apostle Paul says that this is the great good news; he says that this is the gospel that I am preaching. Paul said,

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22)

The gospel is this righteousness of God - God’s own righteousness - that is given through faith in Jesus Christ, to every person who truly believes. What does Paul mean? Why did Jesus Christ come into the world? What has God done in Christ?

4.1 The Deity and Perfection of Christ

Salvation is all and only in Jesus Christ - and in nothing else. "The righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus