Using Peter as a case study, there are four profound secrets or convictions I found so interesting about this Apostle in his discipleship journey and I would love to share them with you in this article. These convictions, I have discovered and realized were the driving force or the motivating factor behind his followership. If there is a possibility to start a thing and not finish, there is also a possibility for one to start the journey of discipleship and not finish. But if there is going to be a finishing of the journey that has started, there are some convictions and understanding we must have in order to make it a reality. So, If I can walk with these convictions just as Peter did; then I will finish strong just as Peter finished strong. So, the beginning is very important but not as important as finishing what has started.

So, one thing I would like you to bear in mind is that the journey of discipleship is not a physical journey, it is a spiritual journey, a journey into destiny, it is a journey that build and brings you into maturity thereby becoming the man and the woman of your destiny. i.e., becoming all that God wants you to be and to measure up into the fullness of the stature of Christ. And if you have begun this journey refusing to finish then it is as good as aborting your destiny or disrupting what God was building in you and with you concerning your God ordained destiny.

Using Matthew 19:27-20 as a Scripture of our consideration, we will begin to see how the right approach to discipleship is being built or communicated. The Scripture says; “Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” There was a conversation that made Peter to ask this question. Verse 23 says; “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you; it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴Again I tell you; it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” So, the problem here was not just who is poor or who is rich, it is primarily about who can enter or not enter the kingdom of God. Then I begin see the reasons as to why men should begin the journey of discipleship. The Bible says in Matthew 5 verse 3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” So, in order not to be a rich fool, full of pride and arrogance, discipleship became a matter of necessity. It is necessary because, the kingdom belongs to those who are of a poor spirit, meaning that there is a posture you must take in order to become a partaker or one who can enter the kingdom or make the kingdom of God an experience.

So, let’s not get it confused, it wasn’t about the material things in the first place that was not what sponsored the question, how did I know that? The Bible says when the disciples returned after they have been sent out, and they brought report that the demons were subject to them; Jesus said do not rejoice because the demons are subject to you but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. So, there is how to get your name written in heaven, there is a path which you must follow to enter the kingdom. The next verse which is verse 25 made it very clear, it says; “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” What did they hear that made them ask this question? This is what they heard; It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. But Jesus didn’t stop there; He looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

I want you to look at this way, there is a process that makes you abandon all that you are rich in, or sufficient in which could prevent you from going through the eye of the needle. So, what discipleship does for you is to trim them down. And until you allow God sit on you it won’t be possible for you to enter into the kingdom of God. That’s why the Bible says we should lay aside every weight. Many disciples know that Jesus has requested them to leave their fishing net to come for the making but their trust is in what they are rich in so it’s preventing them from entering into the kingdom. I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking to you just as He is speaking to me right now.

What is the point Jesus is trying to make here, you lose riches to gain riches? Whatever you cannot forgo you cannot gain. If it is going to be possible for the rich to be saved and to enter the kingdom, it is not those who got rich or have made gain by intermeddling with the systems of the world but those who have received the riches that comes by the word. And it is discipleship that makes this orientation and reordering possible.

So, the foundation of the understanding of Peter in His discipleship walk and journey began with this question he asked; we have left all; what will become of us? And Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife ^e or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Two things I would like us to pick from the response of Jesus, He talked about glorious throne and He talked about eternal life.

Peter came to a point where He said we have left all to follow you. Remember the first encounter Jesus had with Peter was the call for him to follow and the promise was to make him a fisher of men not a fisher man. And the intention of Jesus at that point was to send them having called them to Himself.  I want us to note the word that began that statement; he said we have left all. Meaning that there was absolutely nothing that Peter didn’t leave, thereby fulfilling the requirements of Jesus when He said whoever does not deny himself or leave his father or mother cannot be My disciple. The response Jesus gave to this question "what shall we have" revolutionized Peter's journey as a disciple and his pursuit. I don’t know about the other disciples, but the Holy Spirit will give us insight as to how the answer of Jesus reconditioned his philosophy.

This is what made him weep when he felt he had betrayed his master rather than running away or hanging himself just like Judas did; he sort for mercy and forgiveness. Having asked this question, Jesus replied; Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife ^e or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. This same principle explained this statement Jesus made in Matthew 6:33, He said Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and every other thing will be added unto you.

Peter knows that if Jesus can give eternal life and glorious thrones then the other things will mean nothing to him. And His pursuit changed forever. Alot of disciples find it difficult to leave all that they have and they expect the all-other things to be added to them. It doesn't work that way. The principle is simple; to gain the world is to die to the world, to start a nation with God is to depart from the ways of the world. God said to Abraham; Walk before Me and blameless; the blessings of God is for the blameless. Jesus said the prince of this world cometh unto me and findeth nothing. Meaning that nothing of the world was found with Him; He abandoned all. Until you are ready to abandon all you cannot have.

So, having built this background with the first point, what other revelation reveal the conviction of Peter during his discipleship walk with Jesus? What revelations or conviction established him on his path of discipleship? We saw that the first is the willingness to abandon all.  The second is in John 6:67-69. Bible says; “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. ⁶⁷ Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? ⁶⁸ Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” Every disciple like Peter discovered two things about Christ and communicated it by their life;

Peter said “to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Not only that you have the word of eternal life, we are also sure, we are fully persuaded that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter was so sure of the one whom he is following and he knows exactly the kind of life he will find as long as he is listening to the words of life. Remember how we began, from the response Jesus gave to Peter and the other disciples, promising them a reward of eternal life, and glorious thrones. If you don’t know the kind of life you want you have no business being a disciple. There is a life that Peter desired, that was why when he asked that question, we have left all to follow you, it wasn’t about the material possessions, it was about the life of Christ becoming an experience. It baffles me how people perceive life to be these days either as Christians or as disciples; his view about life is completely different. Peter simply said you are the Christ the son of the living God. If we are to be looking for bread, we won’t be with you, there is a higher life, a life of fulfilment the life of the Spirit. We have found it with you. There was something he was giving his attention to; which is to lay hold of eternal life. If eternal life means nothing to you, you will not take the walk of discipleship serious. This is the reason why so many people walk away from the path. Peter abandoned all so as to lay hold of eternal life.

If this had happened on one occasion, we wouldn’t have taken his conviction serious, in Matthew 16 verse 16, He answered Jesus again with the same revelation, the Scriptures says; “Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” If I may ask; do you know who you are following? He didn’t know Jesus His master in the flesh. Apostle Paul said know no man according to the flesh. Note that he didn’t say you are Jesus; He said you are the Christ! There is a difference between the two; Christ means the anointed One, the chosen One, the one that has been appointed for us to follow. That is why Apostle Paul kept saying that I may know Him, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His suffering being conformed unto His death. How much do you know Him, and how much do you want to know Him? That is what helps you to finish strong as a disciple. Peter at every point didn’t want to know Jesus via the flesh but by revelation. That was why at a point Jesus acknowledged that flesh and blood didn’t reveal my identity to you.

The third revelations which your discipleship walk must be founded upon is love for Jesus. Peter was one disciple who could do anything or go any length for Jesus. He pulled a sword at a point to fight in defense of is master even while others fled. Until you are persuaded that nothing shall separate you from the love of God, your chances of finishing strong would be slim. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:13, For there are these three things that endure: Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love. It takes faith to begin the journey of discipleship, that is why you can abandon, and while you journey along that path you need hope, faith made Abraham to depart from his father's house, his country and his kindred, but it got to a point where he needed to hope. The Bible says in Romans 4:18; In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told. Having had faith and hope what makes your journey or discipleship walk balanced and perfected is love. That Scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:13 says love is the greatest. It is the fire of love that purifies your intentions and searches your heart. It is love that reaffirms you yet gives you reasons as to why you do what you do. Jesus said to Peter, if you love me as you have claimed; you will have to feed my lambs.

The Bible says in John 21 verse 15; “Therefore when they had dined, Jesus says to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He says to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I dearly love You." He says to him, "Feed My lambs." So, Peter came to a point where he knows that in addition to leaving all, in addition to the revelation of faith and the lordship of Jesus and His capacity to give eternal life, He needed to love. This is what perfects the discipleship walk and enables every disciple to finish strong.

So, while you obey the commandments of Jesus to love, there are two conditions attached to it; they are self-denial which talks about serving in faithfulness and care, both in the little and in much. The second condition is responsibility which talks about willingness or the tendency to get your hands dirty while serving in humility and obedience. You must be wiling to do if you love, you must be willing to make yourself available to whatever demands your ability.

The fourth thing I noted about Peter was a statement he made in Acts 6:4. It says; “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This statement he made here made me to realize that Peter was a man given to prayer. There was also a place in Acts 10 verse 9, Bible says Peter went up on ^[d]the roof of the house about the sixth hour (noon) to pray. So, he knows how to set his priority right. Knowing that his ministry is about the word and prayer, he gave himself wholly to it. This is what powers a disciple for him to come a point where he found prayer so important and relevant it means he learnt well from Jesus who also was a man given to prayer. If strength or grace, anointing and the word will not be lacking for you as a disciple you must then cultivate the habit of prayer and be given to the ministry of the word.

So, finishing strong as a disciple is not a task that cannot be attained or achieved, you also can do it only if you can cultivate the right habit, values, mindsets and philosophies.  So, it begins by denying yourself and the world, take the walk of faith, knowing whom you are following and your pursuit be about the life He gives and the revelation of his personality in God, always giving yourself to love, prayer and the ministry of the word; if you can do this consistently focused, you have found the right path to finishing strong as a disciple.

In Philippians 1:4-6. Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church, he said; In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. I pray that would be your experience in Jesus name. you will finish strong.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Apeh Francis Abah!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!