Everyone who loves Jesus longs to be His disciple. If you don’t, you don’t love Him. It’s a basic litmus test you can use for yourself. As in any conversation, it is vital that we define our terms. What one person thinks it means to be a disciple might differ from someone else’s thoughts.
Of course, we don’t have to rely on the opinions of any fallible human to determine what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus. God’s Word reveals what genuine discipleship looks like. So, what is a disciple? God’s opinion is the only one that matters, so let’s see how He defines it within the pages of His Holy Word.
Jesus was clear about the requirements of being His disciple. He said our love for Him must be so intense that our love for anyone else would seem like hate by comparison. His statement was all-encompassing, leaving no loopholes: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). No one can hold a higher place in our hearts, and no one can ever become a higher priority than Christ. What is a disciple? It is one who loves the Lord with all their heart, all their intellect, and all their ability (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37).
When Jesus said anyone wishing to be His disciple must take up their cross (Luke 14:27), the meaning was plain: your old life is over (2 Corinthians 5:17). You belong to Him alone (Romans 14:7–8). Every desire we ever had is now garbage because serving Christ is so much better (Philippians 3:7–8). We throw away whatever we thought it meant to be alive and find every ounce of our life in Him (Colossians 3:3–4). A true disciple is one who counts everything worthless except for Jesus (Philippians 3:8).
A simple proof of whether we are genuine disciples is that we continue in His Word (John 8:31–32). We obey what Jesus commands us to do (John 14:15). We can obey His commands only if we know what they are. Unless we know what He wants, how can we do what He wants? We will not understand what it is He commands us to do if we aren’t studying His Word every day.
While there is no scripture telling us to be in the Word every day, there’s also no rule instructing you to speak to your spouse or children every day. Some things are obvious even without a written command. What is a disciple? It is someone who knows the commands of God through studying His Word and then does what His Word tells them to do.
While this is not an exhaustive treatment of what it means to be a disciple, I will mention one further indication. True disciples bear good fruit (Matthew 7:17–20). If we are walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:5–6), we will bear much fruit (John 15:1–8). That fruit manifests itself in a life marked by love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). If these characteristics are missing from your life, it’s time to hit the Book and your knees. Don’t think you are an exception to this rule. If you are in Christ, you will look like Christ. What is a disciple? It is one whose life bears the fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:9-11).
Do you bear the marks of a disciple? It’s easy for you to see, and easy for others to see as well. Don’t be a lip-service follower of Jesus. Die to yourself, study and obey His Word, and let His Spirit shine in every area and moment of your life. That is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.