Marks of a Disciple

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After the resurrection, Jesus called His disciples and entrusted them with a task: reproduce themselves in the life of people of all ethnic groups or making disciples of all nations.

By extension, the same task has been given to us, the Church; to us, His disciples.

An important question regarding this task can be formulated from two perspectives: One, as a church: How do we know that we are accomplishing the task?; and two, as believers, How do you know that you are a disciple? Here are four parameters to answer it:

Self-feeding Christians.

It differentiate a baby from an adult.

Immature believers are like babies that have not learned to eat by themselves. They depend on the hand of other to be fed and fed on baby food! To immature believers, Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 3:1–2 NASB95

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

1 Cor 3:1-2

These are the one for whom the pastor still had “to do an airplane to feed them”.

These are the one for whom the pastor still had “to do an airplane to feed them”.

If you are depending on the Sunday's spoonful for your spiritual food, you are not a disciple. A disciple has learned to feed himself daily!

It produces growth in biblical knowledge.

Disciples know more of the Bible because they read and study the Bible by themselves.

Biblical knowledge is the logical result of spending time in the Word.

The more we know Him, the more we love Him! But how will we know Him if it is not thru the Scriptures?

Look at the life of men like Stephen, the deacon, Peter and Paul,the leaders, and Apollos, a teacher. All of them were powerful in the Word. Look at the church of Berea who search the Scriptures daily, to make sure they were not being deceived by Paul.

Practice spiritual disciplines.

Practice spiritual disciplines.

A disciple is “a learner, a pupil, an imitator”, some whose life is marked by discipline. A true disciple wants to do or imitate what Jesus did or practiced. Jesus’ spiritual life was marked by disciplines, spiritual disciplines!

What are the spiritual disciplines?

They are spiritual practices that help us to come more like Jesus. They are like tools that helps to build a character like Jesus’.

Drawing Close to God The Practice of Spiritual Disciplines

In my four years at seminary I read a lot about God. But reading a profound truth in Scripture or a great Christian book did not cause me to appropriate it into the daily patterns of my life. I needed to encounter God’s truth in a transforming way. As I struggled with this, I discovered spiritual disciplines, such as solitude, silence, fasting and meditation. While not means of achieving salvation, these disciplines do promote spiritual growth in Jesus Christ

They are not necessarily rules or commands that will disqualify you as disciple if you do not practice them.

They are not necessarily rules or commands that will disqualify you as disciple if you do not practice them.

Among the most known disciplines are: fasting, praying, devotional reading, meditation, memorization, silence, and solitude.

They help you to become like Jesus.

They help you to become like Jesus.

Jesus practiced fasting (40 days!); seeking secluded places, He had a daily time of prayer (to talk to the Father and cast all His cares and burdens); He practiced solitude (a forgotten practice!) to be alone, to meditate, to be away from the noise of the world; and He knew the Word by heart!

Fasting helps us to focus on the spirit and forget about the flesh; prayer teaches us to depend on God, not on our strength; solitude teaches us to have peace, practice silence, and contemplate God’s majestic creation; meditation helps us to ruminate on passages of Scripture; and memorization helps us to answer the devil’s attacks.

Have a missional mindset.

From the very beginning of His ministry, as He called those fishermen, He made it clear that He would prepare them for a mission: “I will make you fishers of men”.

Having a missional mindset means that the mission is always in our mind and that all we do must be done from the perspective of fulfilling the mission.

The mission is bi-fold:

Reaching others for Christ.

Disciples make disciples!

But in order to make disciples, we must reach them first. Jesus told them: (no slide)

Mark 16:15 NASB95

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Mark 16

The preaching is implied in the Great Commission! How can you baptize someone who has not believed? In order to believe, they must first hear the gospel. Faith comes by hearing! But, as Paul stated it, “How will they hear if no one preaches to them?”

A disciple is actively spreading the good news.

Expanding Jesus’ kingdom.

Expanding Jesus’ kingdom.

Jesus’ kingdom is not territorial; it is spiritual! It is Jesus dwelling as king in the hearts of those who have received Him.

Therefore, every time we reach someone with the gospel, we are expanding His kingdom. And every time we make a disciple, we are making His kingdom stronger!

Jesus compared His kingdom to a mustard seed...

That is something we should seek!

Growing in obedience.

Some translations render v. 20 as “to observe” and “to keep”, but the NIV is even clearer:

“teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (, NIV).

It is interesting that does not say, “to study, to memorize, or to understand”, but to obey.

The best metric of discipleship is obedience. Why?

The true test of love for Christ.

Jesus did not ask the disciples, “Show me how much you know about me or tell me how much you love”, but He gave them a better way to measure their love for Him:

John 14:15 NASB95

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

John 14:15

In the well-known dialogue between Jesus and Peter, Jesus asked him, “Do you love me?” Although Peter attempted to give a not definite answer, Jesus insisted saying, “If you love me, do what I am telling you to do”, and, in that case, it was “shepherd my sheep”.

One thing is to say that you love Him, another is to prove it.

There many who do the first, but their deeds show the opposite. Paul warned Titus about people like that:

Titus 1:16 NASB95

They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

The true test of discipleship.

The most important thing is not how much you know, but how much you obey!

There some believers who know a lot, but obey little; and there believers who know little, but obey a lot. Which one is a disciple?

To obey everything… A disciple is not selective of the areas of obedience. A disciple does his best to obey everything His Lord has commanded.

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For a disciple the most important thing is what his master wants! He set aside his desires and goals, and put Jesus’ first! That’s why Jesus warned them saying: (no slide)

Matthew 16:24 NASB95

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

When commanded them to go to a village and bring a colt that they would find there, they did not argue, disputed, or considered it an uncertainty… They just simply obeyed because they were disciples:

Matthew 21:6 NASB95

The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them,

Mat 21

Are you a disciple or just a believer?

Are you becoming a better disciple or you are satisfied as you are now?

Are you feeding yourself daily? Do you practice spiritual disciplines? Is the mission a constant part of your thoughts and plans? Are there any area where you’re not obeying or partially obeying?

Now is the moment to make the necessary changes. Christ wants to help you to make them, but He will not force you to do it!