The Blog

Thoughts and Musings from City of Refuge Church

Explicitly Discipleship


In the previous post, it was mentioned that the term Christian is mentioned very few times in the Bible, but the word disciple is mentioned hundreds of times. A disciple is a lifelong learner, student, or follower. Although, “disciple” is used many times there are only a few verses that explicitly state how the world will know someone is an authentic follower of Christ. In a culture where authenticity is prized, we should desire to know how Christ describes His people. Don’t you hate it when someone says they are a Christian, but they don’t act like it! I don’t think Christ appreciates it either.

Remember, it’s more important to focus on what people do rather than what they say. If someone says they are a religious person, or they believe in God, or even that they are a Christian, who cares! If they are not living it then it’s all talk. Maybe they even want to be what they say and mean well, but that doesn’t cut it for most people.

Let’s get down to business. While we prize authenticity in our culture, we often also prize self. While a Christ follower should be authentic, they cannot be self-centered. It’s not about being a better person. It’s not about being more “good” and less “bad.” It is definitely not about becoming a better version of you. It’s about total surrender of self.

Here’s the nitty gritty. There are three negative statements (all written by Luke-3rd book of the New Testament) and three positive statements (all written by John-4th book of the New Testament) that explicitly tells us from the mouth of Jesus Christ how the world will know someone is His follower. But as you read them below, keep something important in mind . . . we can all fool ourselves, but we cannot fool people around us. So, these statements are more for the world to see in us. This doesn’t mean it’s okay to be judgmental, but it does allow people to make a judgment call. The list below is a paraphrase of the litmus test:

  • Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26
  • Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple. – Luke 14:27
  • Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple. – Luke 14:33
  • You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. – John 8:31
  • Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. – John 13:35
  • When you produce much fruit [spiritually], you are my true disciples. – John 15:8

I like math. I think in equations sometimes. If I were to make these six statements into an equation, it would go like this.

You must love Jesus Christ MORE than anyone + You must love Jesus Christ MORE than yourself or your own agenda + You must be faithful to live out His Word + You must love others sacrificially + You must stay close to Christ = Lifestyle similar to His

This equation tells the world whether someone actually follows Christ. It is a helpful list to ask ourselves if what we say lines up with what we do. If someone says they follow Christ but you NEVER see any of these qualifications over time, then according to Christ something doesn’t add up! Pun intended. Keep in mind; only Christ is perfect. We are all a work in progress. Most people that choose to surrender their soul to Christ grow into this lifestyle over time. Yes, the journey is about sacrifice but also about love. Yes, the journey is about giving up your agenda, but also embracing a better one. Yes, the journey is about letting go of imperfect things, but it is also about clinging to a perfect Someone. Are you interested in learning more about this journey?