“Follow me” (Matthew 4:19, English Standard Version). Perhaps one of the boldest statements ever uttered. The self-assurance required for such a demand could only abound from one of two heart conditions—arrogant hubris or accurate humility. These two simple words of Jesus would set the course for worldwide change while impacting individual lives in intricate and intimate ways. For two millennia, Jesus’s command to “follow” has been carried throughout the corridors of history on the backs of animals, in the bags of messenger boys, rolled up in newspapers, from the pens of scholars, from the lips of peasants, and through the lifestyles of countless believers. This continuous following of Jesus century after century is a marvelous and miraculous reality. Why has this happened? Because those who have been commanded and called to “follow” have done so. They have become followers. 

In Matthew 28:18b-20, Jesus expanded this call and command to a missional statement for His followers. He presented them with the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (ESV). This Great Commission would act as the catalyst for turning followers into follower-makers—disciples into disciple-makers. From this point forward, a called-out group of people in the world would be known as Christians, and those Christians would be marked by lifestyle traits that proved they were disciples. Four of those characteristics would be servitude, sacrifice, steadfastness, and studiousness. These four major Christian characteristics identify a true, believing disciple of Jesus Christ to the Church, their families, and the world.

Studiousness – Disciples are Learning

Studiousness seems to be one of the polar topics that is discussed amongst Christians today. There are groups of people who consider too much study to be a vain pursuit, yet on the other side of the discussion, there are people who pursue scholarly studies for the entirety of their lives. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon introduced his writing with: “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning” (1:5, ESV). Yet, Paul warns that knowledge can puff someone up (1 Corinthians 1:8, ESV). There is a balance that a disciple must find when it comes to the intake of Biblical knowledge. J.I. Packer, in his phenomenal writing, Knowing God, elaborated on this danger:

“For the fact that we have to face is this: If we pursue theological knowledge for its own sake, it is bound to go bad on us. It will make us proud and conceited. The very greatness of the subject power will intoxicate us, and we shall come to think of ourselves a cut above other Christians because of our interest in it and grasp of it; and we shall look down on those whose theological ideas seem to us crude and inadequate and dismiss them as very poor specimens. For, as Paul told the conceited Corinthians, ‘Knowledge puffs up… The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know,’ (1 Cor 8: 1-2).”^[1]  

Packer beautifully illustrates the struggle of human prowess with the intrigue of gaining information. Paul David Tripp also deals with this concept when he recounts a season from his own ministry, “I had spent hours each day for months studying perhaps the most extensive and gorgeous exposition of the gospel that has ever been written, and I had been fundamentally untouched by its message.”^[2] Packer and Tripp both help to illustrate the danger of knowledge. If a disciple is not careful, they will negate the humility and love that they are supposed to be embodying. That being said, a disciple can only follow a God that they know, and they can only know a God Whom they study more about. Paul encouraged Timothy to study to the point that he could show full assurance in the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV). Both Paul and Solomon give great precedence to the call to study and learn, but a disciple must do this with a humble spirit, never letting their knowledge usurp the place of love for God and others

Until we write again,

Hunter V.S. See

^[1] J.I. Packer, Knowing God. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2021), 21.

^[2] Paul David Tripp, Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry. (Crossway, 2015), 41.

“Follow me” (Matthew 4:19, English Standard Version). Perhaps one of the boldest statements ever uttered. The self-assurance required for such a demand could only abound from one of two heart conditions—arrogant hubris or accurate humility. These two simple words of Jesus would set the course for worldwide change while impacting individual lives in intricate and intimate ways. For two millennia, Jesus’s command to “follow” has been carried throughout the corridors of history on the backs of animals, in the bags of messenger boys, rolled up in newspapers, from the pens of scholars, from the lips of peasants, and through the lifestyles of countless believers. This continuous following of Jesus century after century is a marvelous and miraculous reality. Why has this happened? Because those who have been commanded and called to “follow” have done so. They have become followers. 

In Matthew 28:18b-20, Jesus expanded this call and command to a missional statement for His followers. He presented them with the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (ESV). This Great Commission would act as the catalyst for turning followers into follower-makers—disciples into disciple-makers. From this point forward, a called-out group of people in the world would be known as Christians, and those Christians would be marked by lifestyle traits that proved they were disciples. Four of those characteristics would be servitude, sacrifice, steadfastness, and studiousness. These four major Christian characteristics identify a true, believing disciple of Jesus Christ to the Church, their families, and the world.

Steadfastness – Disciples are Patient

Many renowned people have had their names etched into the walls of history through their testimony for Christ, but none have done so without the quality of patience. Patience is a key attribute in the life of a true disciple. James penned one of the most prominent passages regarding this topic. James chapter 1 covers the patience and steadfastness of a believer as they are facing lives that are scattered throughout the Roman empire. Peter wrote an amazingly congruent passage to James in 1 Peter 4. In each of these chapters, James and Peter are encouraging disciples of Jesus to endure and hold onto hope amidst the trials that they are facing. Peter unveils the eternal motivation that underlies this ability to remain steadfast, “rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13, ESV). Though not as plain language, James also gives an eternal perspective by informing believers of the crown of reward that they will receive if they endure the trials that they are facing (James 1:12, ESV). Mel Lawrenz, in his book Spiritual Leadership Today: Having Deep Influence in Every Walk of Life, stated, “There are reasons—sometimes life-or-death reasons—why we must exercise the skill of perseverance.”^[1] The disciple may never know on this side of eternity why it is that they must persevere through their current trial, but they can rest in the fact that they are serving an eternal purpose. That eternal purpose can be weighty at times and cause even the strongest disciple to grow anxious and weary. Zack Eswine wrote a chapter about living life at a pace that God has designated for an individual. In that chapter, he stated, “Jesus handles our anxieties with us by asking us to place them within a one-day-at-a-time pace for life.”^[2] Eswine brought an applicable reality to the discussion of perseverance. He answered the question, “How?” The answer—Jesus. A disciple of Jesus will persevere only by learning to lean on Jesus.

Until we write again,

Hunter V.S. See

^[1] Mel Lawrenz, Spiritual Leadership Today: Having Deep Influences in Every Walk of Life. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 178.

^[2] Zack Eswine, The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering joy in our limitations through a daily apprenticeship with Jesus. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), 171

“Follow me” (Matthew 4:19, English Standard Version). Perhaps one of the boldest statements ever uttered. The self-assurance required for such a demand could only abound from one of two heart conditions—arrogant hubris or accurate humility. These two simple words of Jesus would set the course for worldwide change while impacting individual lives in intricate and intimate ways. For two millennia, Jesus’s command to “follow” has been carried throughout the corridors of history on the backs of animals, in the bags of messenger boys, rolled up in newspapers, from the pens of scholars, from the lips of peasants, and through the lifestyles of countless believers. This continuous following of Jesus century after century is a marvelous and miraculous reality. Why has this happened? Because those who have been commanded and called to “follow” have done so. They have become followers. 

In Matthew 28:18b-20, Jesus expanded this call and command to a missional statement for His followers. He presented them with the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (ESV). This Great Commission would act as the catalyst for turning followers into follower-makers—disciples into disciple-makers. From this point forward, a called-out group of people in the world would be known as Christians, and those Christians would be marked by lifestyle traits that proved they were disciples. Four of those characteristics would be servitude, sacrifice, steadfastness, and studiousness. These four major Christian characteristics identify a true, believing disciple of Jesus Christ to the Church, their families, and the world.

Sacrifice – Disciples are Loving

Interestingly, humility is not the only attribute of Christ that took Him to the gruesome death of the cross. Coupled right alongside a heart of humility is the underlying motivation of love. Love in the Bible carries with it a stronger connotation than the love that is flippantly thought of in modern times. Scripture specifically uses different variations for the word love throughout its pages. Obviously, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, there are differences, but when dealing with the New Testament unfolding in the era that it did, Jesus chose the word agape to describe Christian love. In John 3:16, Jesus defines God’s love using this word. In Ephesians 5, Paul intertwines this love with sacrifice while calling on Christians to show that same love in their own lives: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant sacrifice to God” (5:1-2. ESV). Here, disciples are called upon to imitate God—be a copy of God. A true disciple will walk in the same love that God displays to the world and to His followers.            

In the verse above, Paul is sure to give an example of exactly what this love looks like. He explains that Biblical love will manifest itself through sacrifice as it did in Christ. Michael J. Gorman, in his work on Cruciformity, stated, “Love…is at the core of Paul’s understanding of the experience of individuals and communities in Christ.”^[1] Paul thoroughly understood that love was the core of all that a disciple was. The rest of the proceeding chapter unfolds how a person should apply this love in various relationship forms. One of the primary ways that a person shows this love is through their relationship with their family. A marital relationship is a premier example of how love can be practically seen in the life of a disciple. Dr. Emerson Eggerichs said in his work Love & Respect, “When you love or respect unconditionally, you are following God and His will for you.”^[2] It is a disciple’s duty and reasonable desire to walk in love just as much as they are to clothe themselves with humility.

Until we write again,

Hunter V.S. See

^[1] Michael J. Gorman, Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 2001), 156.

^[2] Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs. (Nashville, TN:W Publishing Group), 271.

“Follow me” (Matthew 4:19, English Standard Version). Perhaps one of the boldest statements ever uttered. The self-assurance required for such a demand could only abound from one of two heart conditions—arrogant hubris or accurate humility. These two simple words of Jesus would set the course for worldwide change while impacting individual lives in intricate and intimate ways. For two millennia, Jesus’s command to “follow” has been carried throughout the corridors of history on the backs of animals, in the bags of messenger boys, rolled up in newspapers, from the pens of scholars, from the lips of peasants, and through the lifestyles of countless believers. This continuous following of Jesus century after century is a marvelous and miraculous reality. Why has this happened? Because those who have been commanded and called to “follow” have done so. They have become followers. 

In Matthew 28:18b-20, Jesus expanded this call and command to a missional statement for His followers. He presented them with the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (ESV). This Great Commission would act as the catalyst for turning followers into follower-makers—disciples into disciple-makers. From this point forward, a called-out group of people in the world would be known as Christians, and those Christians would be marked by lifestyle traits that proved they were disciples. Four of those characteristics would be servitude, sacrifice, steadfastness, and studiousness. These four major Christian characteristics identify a true, believing disciple of Jesus Christ to the Church, their families, and the world.

Servitude – Disciples are Humble

            One of the premier attributes of a disciple of Jesus Christ is that they embody the humble spirit and demeanor that Christ displayed. This trait comes across a lot in Scripture through the act of servanthood. This can be seen in mentor-mentee relationships like Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Jesus and Peter. Each of these relationships is two-fold: they have a mentor and a mentee. It is the place of the mentee who is learning to be a disciple to embody a heart of humility and servitude. Joshua 1:1 refers to Joshua as Moses’s assistant, or servant (ESV, KJV). 1 Kings 19:21 states that Elisha “arose and went after Elijah and assisted him” (ESV). The Old Testament presents gem-like examples of people who lived thousands of years ago and were able to be disciples of the truth, but perhaps no example is more of a case study than that of Jesus and Peter. Peter had a unique relationship with Jesus. He always had a way of being around for the biggest occurrences and being the one Jesus dealt with more than any of the other twelve. Renowned pastor and author, John MacArthur noted the following:

Peter’s name is mentioned in the Gospels more than any other name except Jesus. No one speaks as often as Peter, and no one is spoken to by the Lord as often as Peter. No disciple is so frequently rebuked by the Lord as peter; and no disciple ever rebukes the Lord except Peter (Matthew 16:22). No one else confessed Christ more boldly and acknowledged His lordship more explicitly; yet no other disciple ever verbally denied Christ as forcefully or as publicly as Peter did. No one is praised and blessed by Christ the way Peter was; yet Peter was also the only one Christ ever addressed as Satan. The Lord had harsher things to say to Peter than He ever said to any of the others.^[1]

Peter would go on to follow the Lord in both miraculous and treacherous ways. His humility was undeniable. Peter would eventually write to a group of Christians facing heavy persecution that they should clothe themselves with humility. Then, in the same verse, he penned that Christians are to treat each other with humility because God desires humble people (1 Peter 5:5, ESV). It is important to note that humility was perfectly embodied by Jesus and is evident by His death on the cross. Philippians 2:8 states that “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Andrew Murray, writing on this verse, stated, “Jesus humbled Himself unto death, and opened the path in which we too must walk.”^[2] This is the true definition of being a disciple—doing that which Jesus did. Being that which Jesus was. Walking in the way Jesus walked and embodying the same lifestyle of humility that Jesus had. Peter used an amazing analogy in the verse mentioned earlier. He said to be clothed with humility. Jesus wore a humble spirit every day of his earthly ministry and it took Him to a cross. Disciples of Christ will strive every day to exemplify that same mark of humility in their lives as well.

Until we write again,

Hunter V.S. See

^[1] John MacArthur, Twelve Ordinary Men (Nashville, TN: Thoms Nelson, 2002), 39.

^[2] Andrew Murray, Humility: The Beauty of Holiness (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company), 73.

It was November 2020. I was just entering into another season, yet not an unfamiliar one. It was a season of heartbreak and hurt. Feelings of betrayal, shallow conflict handling, and passionate longings swirled within my heart and psyche—you know that feeling right? You feel like you’re on that one funnel-shaped water slide at the amusement park, never quite knowing when your tube is going to spin, go up, or go down. Such is the description of many of my seasons in life, and I believe all can relate. 

In the wake of this season, I was scheduled to be in North Carolina for a weekend to preach at the church that I was part of during my time in the Army. I was planning to take the weekend to pray, fast, seek the Lord, and quite frankly beg the Lord to redeem and shift the situation that was I in. I wanted to harness the power of the prophets of old and beg God with unwavering fervor and zeal to do a work in someone else’s heart. Little did I know the overwhelming work that had to be done in my own heart that God was beginning and preparing to unveil.

“You’re cynical.” Those were the words that were spoken to me that I did not fully understand. Nevertheless, they reigned true and would set me on a path toward the next self-battle that I would face. I am beyond thankful for people who are willing to speak graceful, confrontational truth into my life because they love me. These people are hard to find, and I don’t mean that cynically (pun intended).

Before moving forward and unveiling the layers of my depraved heart, allow me to impart to you some things that I learned about cynicism and define it for you. Cynicism is generally defined as being distrustful of others; it is having a negative presumption, and therefore assumption, of someone else’s intent. Simply put, you assume the worst possible outcome of a situation and then live in light of that assumption.^2,3 This is a dangerous thing to do because we do not hold that intuition nor power. Kurt Skelly, Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, VA once said, “The Bible, unlike any other book, or any other conversations we can have has the authority to tell us what the motive was.”⁴ We must not put upon ourselves the authority of assumption that only Scripture holds.

Let me be clear, I would have never defined myself in this way. I never would have claimed this to be my greatest battle, struggle, or sin. To be transparent, I always considered it to be lust. From the time of middle school, for about a decade I had been engulfed in pornography and an addiction thereof, indulging in sexual immorality at a young age, and learning what the ends thereof were. But to be honest, in my earliest adult years God began a course in my heart that completely broke those chains that I had so long experienced. As I look back on that timeframe of my life, I now believe that those actions and choices were actually an outflow from this issue that I am writing about today—cynicism.

You see, for me, before I heard the word cynicism, I was beginning to notice another tendency in my life that I knew needed to be addressed. That tendency was that I would harden myself to the world around me. The feelings, the emotions, the out-of-control parts of life, the hurts, the pains, the failures, the successes, the victories, the defeats, the high times, and the low times… I could just turn them off—nearly on the brink of numbness. I loved it too, it made me feel powerful and in control. I would do this in situations in the name of temperance (self-control), thinking that I had mastered control over my emotions. I am learning that there is a difference between self-control and self-hardening.

Nevertheless, I didn’t know why I had noticed this at the time, but that was how God began to work me toward this new realization that I was coming to and the next stage of my sanctification. 

So, what did this look like? How did it come across in my life? Well, I would have appeared to have everything under control. “Cynicism is so undetectable because it is so justifiable. It wears a mask of insight and godliness, but it conceals festering wounds of harbored bitterness against God and neighbor. We need to understand cynicism, because the masks we wear tell us about the wounds we hide, and point us to the Savior who yearns to mend them.”¹ That was me. Bring me a question—here’s your answer. Emotions start rising—turn them off (after all, I am too spiritual to be swayed by such a frivolous concept as emotions). The truth was, I was miserable. Another truth was, I wanted to feel, but was terrified to because of the number of times I had put my emotions into the trust of another and been left in heartache. Alfred Lord Tennyson would speak wisely to this point with his famous words:

“I hold it true, whate’er befall;

I feel it, when I sorrow most;

‘Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all.” 

I thought that my cynicism (even though I wouldn’t have called it that at the time) was biblically justified. After all, is not the heart deceitful and above all things desperately wicked; “who can know it?” Are not mankind and humanity capable of the deepest depravities that have ever been pondered in one’s heart? How could I fully trust someone? Ever? (I will be writing in the near future on “The Risk of Trust”).

I mean truly. 

Deeply. 

Dearly.

How?

The first step that I knew I would have to do (as with all spiritual endeavors) was to understand the issue, understand why I struggled with it, and uproot that system that so deeply coursed throughout the fabric of my being. [To save time, I recommend that you click on the first link at the bottom of this post. It is a post on cynicism by Paul Maxwell and can succinctly summarize much of this search that I set out on.] There is one quote that I wanted to share though because I believe that it summarizes my situation well, “Cynics are cornered sufferers who have turned their shields into blunt swords.”¹ If you know me, this is me.

My mom says, “He’s meaner than a snake.” My dad tells me, “You do tend to just say what you’re thinking even if the other person doesn’t want it.” I have been told that, “I feel like I can’t be who I am around you” and “I have been scared to share my opinion.” This is wrong. This is harmful. This is hurtful. This must be fixed. This is how it comes to fruition in my life and then normally it just explodes whatever sanctity of relation had been built. It may not be just like this for everyone though. Paul Maxwell also points out, “It is easier for a woman to explain her singleness in terms of male immaturity than it is to face the possibility of being unwanted.”¹ All of this is connected, though it may manifest itself in different ways, cynicism has a foundation that thinks, “I can’t possibly be the problem, it has to be them.”

Honestly, truthfully, lovingly, firmly, I believe we are narcissists at our core (even though we are first to accuse others of being such). We are the fulfillment of Paul’s prophetic warning that “men shall be lovers of themselves.” We think ourselves to be the cream of the crop when it comes to what God has to offer by spirituality, wisdom, godliness, and Christlikeness; when in actuality, we are the ones that stand in need of a loving God’s grace, mercy, kindness, and love more than most others.

Let me be vulnerable and clear with you, and then I won’t keep you much longer. This sin of cynicism has cost me relationships. Not just dating relationships with wonderful, godly girls who never deserved my distrust nor the ignorance of this underlying sin in my life, but it has cost me healthy relationships with people in general. Sure, I smile with people, I can have fun, I have close friends, but by and large, I push people away. My hardness, self-righteousness, and ill-placed assumptions have caused pain to many who love me and left a wake of relational shattering. I could sit here and pander on my upbringing and the hand I was dealt in life, but I shall not discredit the hand of the Dealer Who sovereignly saw fit to deal me such a hand. 

{Jeremiah 17:9; 2 Timothy 3:2}

———

If you struggle with this same thing that I am talking about, please feel free to reach out to me. I am presently writing early on in this discovery and newfound battle, but I am always here to stumble alongside anyone who is willing to stumble with me. I do leave you with one concept that I believe shatters our fleshly cynical defaults—agape love. I will post on this down the road, for redemption and restoration are always at hand. Thank you for reading. I love you all, and God is good.

Until we write again…..

                                    In, for, and because of Christ,

                                                               V.S. See

1. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/putting-off-cynicism – This link seems to no longer be active.

2. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/cynical

3. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cynical

4. http://inthegospel.com/episode32/