And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

No Need To Make Disciples

A disciple of Jesus is someone who follows Jesus and seeks to learn as a student from the teacher. These were learners desiring to know the heavenly message of the one they called, “Rabbi.” It was not uncommon for men to have a company of disciples around him. Teachers were highly considered in ancient times drawing many to their doctrines and beliefs. The philosophers had their disciples as well as the Jewish Rabbis including the many disciples of John the Baptist and Jesus. After His resurrection, the Lord instructs the eleven to go into all the world and instruct men on how to become learners of the way, disciples of the truth, and seekers of the life found in Jesus Christ. This was a key component of the growth of the church to evangelize the world with those who would follow Jesus.

Two thousand years have passed since Jesus gave those instructions to the early disciples but something has changed. Men are not making disciples of every nation. Multitudes of souls are being lost because they are not disciples of Jesus Christ. The instructions of Jesus are not being followed in the modern religious world and the reason is clearly seen in the doctrines of men. There is no need to make disciples because men have rejected the command of Jesus. The Lord told the eleven to go into all the world and they did. These men sought to make disciples of everyone they could find that would hear the truth and multitudes turned to the Lord. Many churches today claim they are going into all the world to make disciples and they are. They are saying the message of Jesus is being proclaimed to make men followers of Christ and they call themselves Christians. Sadly, they are only disciples of the false teaching taught by religious groups that deny the clear statement of Jesus is what makes a disciple of Jesus.

Jesus told the men to go into all the world, make disciples of every nation, and to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Almost all religious groups today deny salvation in baptism. If men will not baptize in accordance with the word of Christ, disciples cannot be made. In truth, the teachings of men have made of no effect the word of Christ to disciple men. There is no need to disciple all nations if one is unwilling to teach the whole counsel of God. The only thing that is left when the whole truth is not taught is a misguided individual who thinks they are saved when they are not. Satan knows full well that when he convinces men to believe in God and almost do what the Lord commands rejecting baptism as necessary for salvation, he has gained a foothold in the heart and draws it closer to condemnation.

There is no need to teach men a perverted gospel. It is difficult to understand how a simple, plain, and clear statement of Jesus can become so misguided, misused, and ignored as the religious world has denied the necessity of baptism. This does not deny grace, mercy, love, truth, righteousness, and a host of divine attributes that bring a person into a covenant with Christ. What is lost in the white noise of religious error is there must be a point – a moment in time – an instant in the eternal cosmos – when a person is born again into the kingdom of Christ. That moment is found in the waters of baptism. Without obedience to the divine plan of God to wash away sins in the blood of Jesus Christ buried into His death, there will be no and there can be no salvation and remission of sins. Jesus told the disciples to go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them under the authority of the Godhead. The historian Luke records in the Acts of the Apostles they did exactly that and multitudes became Christians. Are you a disciple of Jesus?