The 21 Laws of Discipleship

1. Transformed by the renewing of your mind.

2. Transformed by training.

3. Transformed by worship.

4. Transformed in community.

5. Transformed by habit.

6. Transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

7. Transformed by imitating a godly example.

8. Transformed by trying really hard. (Yes, discipleship does include trying really, really hard.)

9. Transformed by faith.

10. Transformed by speaking the truth. We are changed more by what we say than by what we hear.

11. Transformed by pain.

12. Transformed by the gospel.

13. Transformed by service.

14. Transformed by finding and using the way of escape.

15. Transformed by going all-in.

16. Transformed by time.

17. Transformed by prayer.

18. Transformed by understanding and using the principle of replacement.

19. Transformed by confessing sin.

20. Transformed by living life in the kingdom.

21. Transformed by sovereign grace.

You might think that you believe exercise is good, but you don’t exercise, and you should have a Quiet Time, but you didn’t this morning. Let’s look at two ways we use this word belief.

I had a long layover in Auckland, New Zealand once. Someone had told me about the Sky Tower. At over 1000 feet, it is the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere. It is roughly the height of the Empire State Building.

But the Sky Tower has a twist. They will let you jump off.

They call it SkyJump. They attach you to a wire that will allow you to free-fall from the Sky Tower for about half its height. Then, the contraption slowly brings you to the ground at a safe speed. It is an adrenaline rush just watching the videos. (Search for “sky jump Auckland.”) You really need to watch the video to grasp what I am getting at.

I believe this contraption is safe. They have an impeccable safety record. No one has ever been killed or even injured on the SkyJump. From their webpage:

Safety is one thing you don’t have to worry about! SkyJump is OSH approved and very rigorous safety standards are upheld. Our Jump Masters undergo intensive training and always operate in teams, checking each other’s work as they go. SkyJump is an adventure activity with a very low real risk but very high perceived risk, so as the saying goes – it’s mind over matter!

I believe the SkyJump is safe. I believe if a million people jumped off, a million people would land safely. I believe the cables are strong. I believe the workers are well-trained. I believe the system is checked and re-checked. I believe they have a strong incentive beyond morality to avoid an accident. One accident could ruin their business for good. I believe the SkyJump is safe.

So, I went to the SkyJump. I paid my money. (I think it was around $100.) I took the elevator to the top. They strapped me in. They attached the cable. They told me to jump.

I didn’t jump.

More accurately: I couldn’t jump. I couldn’t make myself jump. Something deep in my gut took command of my actions and said: you will not jump.

Did I believe? On one level, I did. I really did. I still do. I just didn’t believe it enough to take that last step. This is the difference between believing and believing.

Lots of people believe that God is good in the way that I believe the SkyJump is safe. They believe in theory. They don’t believe enough to take that last step. They don’t believe enough to trust their life to God.

Do you know who really, really believes the SkyJump is safe? It is not the engineers that designed it. They have only head knowledge. It is not the safety inspectors who certify its safety. Their belief is eighteen inches too high—it is in their head, not their heart. It is not the owners of the SkyJump or the people who sell insurance to the SkyJump. The people who really, really, really believe it is safe are the teenagers who work up there every day. I have looked into their eyes. They do not doubt that it is safe. Experience has changed them. They have worked with the SkyJump for so long that they have come to believe—really believe in their gut—that the SkyJump is safe.

They may or may not be able to explain the math. They might not be able to describe the strength of the steel cable that holds you up. But they believe. They really believe.

Josh Hunt, The 21 Laws of Discipleship (Good Questions, 2024).

Check out our Bible Study on the 21 Laws of Discipleship by Josh Hunt

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