Jesus Christ taught that true discipleship is about holding to His teachings. His teachings require certain changes to people's behaviour. Before such changes He showed how people's behaviour marks us a being evil and effectively children not of God but of God's evil chief adversary. Key behaviour of this adversary of God and all of us us lying. It is clear to me that by not lying I have committed to the first key change required and I hold to the spirit words that this is indeed required of me and all who would be a true disciple. So this is a discipleship step, as is the faith to start to be a disciple - faith that Jesus IS.
But the kind of discipleship that is true is not unreal - it involves slips and falls. Peter was rebuked by Paul for hypocrisy - the kind that Jesus rebuked in hypocrites too - but that does not mean Peter was just a hypocrite. He was a true disciple. He fell and had to be put right and once put right he became a true disciple again. Jesus promises righteousness to true disciples. I might lie at some time but I try not to and my slavery to lying was broken when the gospel of Christ having died for me sunk in one time when it was preached well and I was ready to hear it properly and the Holy Spirit came upon me and broke the lying habit that I had had as a teen. If I do lie and err it isn't the end as long as I get back up or someone picks me up but I do need forgiveness from God and maybe anyone offended by the lie or hypocrisy. I don't always notice so I tend to ask almost daily in case or especially if aware of a slip. But I continue in the way of discipleship and amazing hope from Jesus with thanks to God. Really this is the only true way - the real one. Anyone tell you different don't listen - but maybe you might just have misunderstood them. The Lord makes it clear. Besides lies Jesus mentions hatefulness or murderousness and adultery but I pick on lying like He did because it is s key evil way we get from Satan that has to stop when discipleship truly starts. John 8, etc.
But the kind of discipleship that is true is not unreal - it involves slips and falls. Peter was rebuked by Paul for hypocrisy - the kind that Jesus rebuked in hypocrites too - but that does not mean Peter was just a hypocrite. He was a true disciple. He fell and had to be put right and once put right he became a true disciple again. Jesus promises righteousness to true disciples. I might lie at some time but I try not to and my slavery to lying was broken when the gospel of Christ having died for me sunk in one time when it was preached well and I was ready to hear it properly and the Holy Spirit came upon me and broke the lying habit that I had had as a teen. If I do lie and err it isn't the end as long as I get back up or someone picks me up but I do need forgiveness from God and maybe anyone offended by the lie or hypocrisy. I don't always notice so I tend to ask almost daily in case or especially if aware of a slip. But I continue in the way of discipleship and amazing hope from Jesus with thanks to God. Really this is the only true way - the real one. Anyone tell you different don't listen - but maybe you might just have misunderstood them. The Lord makes it clear. Besides lies Jesus mentions hatefulness or murderousness and adultery but I pick on lying like He did because it is s key evil way we get from Satan that has to stop when discipleship truly starts. John 8, etc.
