Most people would call themselves Christians; few would call themselves "disciples of Jesus Christ." Discipleship is giving oneself wholeheartedly to Jesus. What are the marks of a true disciple?

1. THE FIRST MARK OF A DISCIPLE IS ABIDING IN CHRIST'S WORD. In John 8:31 we read "If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples."

Two things are necessary if we are to do this. First, we must hear that Word. And this means that we must read it, study it, memorize it, and continually put ourselves in a place where it is faithfully taught. The trouble with the discipleship of many Christians begins right here. The Word is taught, but we do not want to hear it. The Word is available,, but we do not like what it says. So we do not hear it. Or, we let it filter through our own value system and preconceived ideas, and the Word comes out altered and changed to suit ourselves. If we hear, for example, "Thou shalt not steal," we would say, "it certainly is wrong to rob a bank. We would never do that", but we would not apply it to taking extra long coffee breaks at work, or calling into work sick so we could go fishing. But that is also stealing. If we hear, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," we say, "but it's not adultery if you love the other person." Although we acknowledge that God has placed the sexual act safely within the bounds of marriage between a man and woman, people who claim to be Christians, at an alarming rate have sex before and outside of marriage, and between same sexes. We alter the truth to suit ourselves. You and I have to watch ourselves, that we hear the Word of God, as He intends us to hear it.

Also, it necessary that after we have heard Christ's Word to ABIDE IN IT, continue in it, or as the Good News Bible has it, "to obey it". I think the easiest way to obey God's Word is to read it and study it with a prayerful spirit, wanting to hear and obey, trusting God to speak to us personally. As one hymn writer has put it, "Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." There is no sense or purpose to our discipleship, if there is no abiding in the Word of god, no obeying. When Christ says, "Come unto me, all who are burdened and heaven laden," we must come. When He says, "Cast your burden upon me," we must take our problems and give them to Him. When we read, "Forgive, as I have forgiven you," we must literally begin to forgive. It is one thing to hear the word, but it is quite another thing to do it, to abide in it. And we can't begin to abide in it, until we read it, study it, and hear it. The first mark of discipleship is hearing the Word and abiding in it.

2. The second mark of a disciple is LOVING OTHERS IN A PRACTICAL WAY. In John 13:35 we read, "And now I give you a new commandment, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples." In this verse with its emphasis upon observable love, the world is taken into serious consideration. Why is this so? It is so because of what Jesus says about love. Jesus says that is the mark by which His disciples are to be known as Christians, not only to Him or to one another, but to everyone.

Now this is rather scary. For it is as if Jesus turns to the world and says, "I've something to say to you. On the basis of my authority, I give you a right. You may judge whether or not an individual is a Christian on the basis of the love he shows to all Christians." In other words, if people come up to us and cast in our teeth the judgment that we are not Christians because we have not shown love toward other Christians, we must understand that they are only exercising a right which Jesus gave them. We must not get angry. If people say, "You don't love other Christians," we must go home, get down on our knees, and ask God whether or not they are right.

But what kind of love must we show if the world is to look at it and conclude that it is explainable only by the fact that we are Christians. Obviously it must be special kind of love. What are its characteristics? How does this special love operate? If we look at l John chapter 3, verse l6, we get the answer; "This is how we know what love is. Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for our brothers. If a rich person sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against his brother, how can he claim that he loves God? My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action." These verses teach that one aspect of Christian love is its action. Moreover, they show that such love is to be exercised at personal cost, and that it is be shown to anyone who is in need.

A good place to start to demonstrate love for one another, to sacrifice for one another, is in the body of believers, the Church. We need to demonstrate love for one another, by supporting each other, by standing with one another, by caring for each other. It is so easy to say, "Well, I don't like Annual meetings, so I don't go.," "I don't like evangelism, so I don't get involved in that sort of thing." "I don't like going out at nights, so I won't be going to Sunday Evening Services or Bible Studies." "I don't like pot luck suppers, so I won't be going to the Congregational Dinner." "I am sure that the person shut in at home, in hospital, or hurting in some way, has lots of people caring for him, so I won't." We opt in and out of things, as if we were not connected to one another. But Jesus says, "you belong to each other; you are brothers and sisters." "Love one another." How? By laying out laying out your life for the other. We need to love in a practical way, within the body of believers, the Church.

3. The third mark of a Disciple is FRUIT-BEARING. In John chapter 15, verse 8 we read, "My Father's glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this way you become my disciples." We all desire the "fruit of the Spirit", as detailed in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. The context of John chapter 15 gives the steps for successful fruit-bearing, and the first is to recognize OUR OWN INABILITY TO PRODUCE IT. In verse 5 of the same chapter Jesus stated, "without me you can do nothing." We need to recognize our inability to produce "fruit" by our own efforts.

The second step is to ABIDE IN JESUS. "Abide in me and I in you," said Jesus. "A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me."

A conclusion comes from the fact that John 13:35 is followed by three verses in which Jesus foretells His denial by Peter. When Jesus was arrested Peter was unwilling to go home without knowing the full outcome. So he followed afar off and eventually saw Jesus taken into the courtyard of the high priest. The soldiers undoubtedly shut the large gate after them. But there was a smaller door, kept by a maid, and John, who knew the house and had access, went to this door and called Peter. As Peter passed through the entrance, the maid who kept the door asked, "Aren't you also one of the disciples of that man?" Unfortunately, Peter forgot his former commitments, and said, "No, I am not." Then he went in to warm himself by the fire that warmed Christ's enemies and there denied Jesus twice more. The incident shows that even one who has been among the inner band of the apostles may yet fail to be Christ's disciple. "Aren't you also one of the disciples of that man?" Are you? Am I? No doubt, most of us will answer gladly, "Yes, I am Christ's disciple." But, as we think about it, let us think about discipleship according to the definition Jesus himself gave to it. Jesus defined a disciple as one who continues in Him, loves the brethren, and bears much fruit. Do we do each of these?

God grant that we may do each of these things as we drop all lesser loyalties and draw ever closer to him.

In Christ's love,


Floyd McPhee