What Are the Marks of a True Disciple?

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Permalink Reply by David Abel on February 13, 2011 at 12:46am

The following verses mean a lot to me, and speak volumes in themselves:

 

Gal 6:12

As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

Gal 6:13

For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

Gal 6:14

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Gal 6:15

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Gal 6:16

And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Gal 6:17

From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Gal 6:18

Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

 

God Bless,

David A.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on February 13, 2011 at 5:20am

Good verses.

 

Lord Bless,
LT

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Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on February 16, 2011 at 1:22pm

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Wow!! Some excellent posts coming in on this subject.

LT,  love your summation of God`s Word - Justification, Sanctification, and Redemption.

I like to compare the process to our "Knowin`, Growin`, Showin`, and Glowin`"( just a thought). And your four things to follow regularly  keeps us on track. We must lean on the Comforter. He will help us APPLY Biblical precepts. Amen.

 

Journeymanhd, I couldn`t agree with you more. The way you paint a picture with words is beautiful. Are you an artist?

When you talk about tough times stacking up against us, which way will we turn? Unfortunately many will go the world`s way.

Sometimes I forget myself, and  find myself with the Apostle Paul, the leading sinner.

 

Yes, for sure, each day has its challenges and issues.

That`s when our faith is tested,  day to day things rather than not getting the biggies  we "need" or want. Not to mention negative intrusions to our lives. That`s  time for some to be complaining and murmuring (KJV, love that word). God definately does not like us doing that. Remember the children of Israel on the way to the promised land. Talk about murmuring, added 40 years to their itinerary, and many didn`t cross the river. We need to emulate Joshua and Caleb to show true faith and obedience.

Keep these posts coming, ya`all.

 

Grace and Peace.

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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on March 8, 2011 at 3:21am

Bravo LT, excellent way to round these discussions in the right direction. I have been praying a lot about this for... the last few years or so: What does it take to really be a disciple of Christ? (particularly in these last days). May I take a personal cut at this topic? 

 

There are some great teachers out there keeping it real and giving great guidance in many forums; books, radio and even some on television.There's also lot of junk teaching out there that can capture your attention, if you float in the Christian and religious stream of thinking in the media - where you can get lost, go off track and waste your life, if you aren't careful. There's a whole lot of "Jesus talk" that has nothing to do with being a disciple. 

 

For many years, I was a "religious" follower of several Bible teachers; if you rode in the car with me, you would have had to endure listening to one of my favorite teachers at some time. I have always been a note-taker in church and at one time had notes on my pastor's sermons spanning many years of Sunday messages. I soaked in a lot of other people's reasoning and thinking and deeply considered it - ingested it. I think, for a season, that was good because most of them were really good Godly Bible teachers. 

 

Then, one day I sensed the Lord saying to me: "When are you going to stop relying on other men? When are you going to start searching my Word for yourself?" Shortly after that, I began reading and soaking up the word directly - by doing my own exegesis into the Bible; taking down extensive notes on large portions of scripture and prayerfully meditating on it. I began to try to understand context, the original culture and languages. For a few years, I quit listening to any other teachers, except for my own pastor. I even quit listening to most Contemporary Christian music, because I wanted to hear the leading of the Spirit without mortal notions clouding my thinking about God and the Gospel.

 

I say all of that, just to share with my friends here, that sometimes you have to be willing to take a long journey. And the question begs: did it make me a better disciple? Or did it just make me a heady wise-cracker? (I guess that's for God to decide ;-)

 

The simple answer to your question LT, is that a Disciple is someone willing to "do what Jesus taught". Some verses that have captivated my interest for many years are:

 

"...everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24)

 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Mat 28:19-20)

 

So, the short and sweet answer is that we're supposed to do what Jesus taught. In John 8:31, Jesus said "...If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples."

 

What I have found in my Christian walk is that every single time that I come to a place where I really have an opportunity to obey Christ, there is a temptation placed before me. At that moment, it's no longer about what I have heard or read. It is now a time to learn what I have heard in the real crucible - the proving grounds. Usually, there is a cost involved at that moment. Doing what Christ has taught will cause me to pay a price. And there is usually an easy way out, a coward's way out. 

 

I wish I could say that I have never taken the coward's path. That's the one that the preachers used to always call "the broad road that leads to destruction". (from Matthew 7:13) 

 

What I have found is that no matter how hard it looks to take the right road, to follow Jesus, it is always the best road. It is usually harder. No doubt about it; at least in the short term. But, I could write a book about the ways that God has used obedience and trust to bless me. 

 

I will guarantee you this: if you choose to stand for the truth and obey Jesus - you will often be unpopular. You may lose friends, despite doing everything to keep them. And sometimes you have to be willing to quietly walk away, knowing you are right, but allowing the scorn of foolish people fall on your shoulders.

 

It seems to me, after years of "trying" to learn how to walk with Jesus, that it can be a hard road indeed. Jesus was very popular some days, but there were many more lonely days. And there were many days where he had to endure great hardship and great opposition. To be a disciple, you have to be willing to walk that same road. You have to be willing to say "I'd rather obey Jesus and walk with him than have anything else in the world". 

 

You also have to be willing to humble yourself and be forgiving - especially when the other guy doesn't deserve it. Because there was probably several times when you or I were "the other guy" who didn't deserve it. 

 

So, ultimately, I think the greatest mark of a disciple is someone who is a doer of the Word. Even, and especially, when it costs you something. 

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on March 8, 2011 at 3:40pm

Scribe,

 

Good word!

 

One that has caught my attention is Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14. In Lystra they healed a man. The crowd started calling them Zeus and Hermes and were going to sacrifice to them. Talk about a religous high (temptation) and yet they sought to convince them that they were mere men. Then, just a short time later after some trouble makers came who won the crowd over Paul was dragged out and stoned to death (and brought back to life). People can change and turn on us without a moments notice. Jesus was not done with Paul. Praise the Lord for we know that Jesus never changes and He will never let us down.

 

Lord Bless,
LT

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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on March 9, 2011 at 8:23pm

LT, fascinating that I was just teaching this account from Acts 14 to my son this week. I think this is a great discussion and I hope that we can continue developing it.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on March 10, 2011 at 12:51pm

Scribe,

 

One mark of a disciple is that they teach their children ... excellent :-)

 

Lord Bless,
LT

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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on March 9, 2011 at 8:27pm

Miles, I wonder if you can put the idiom "take up your cross" into a modern context. I suspect that there are many people who may read this but not understand that metaphor - who may struggle to grasp the significance in their personal context.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on March 10, 2011 at 5:54am

Miles,

 

Good word.

 

Lord Bless,

LT

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on March 9, 2011 at 9:31am

The mark of a true disciple according to our Lord is to Abide in Him.

 

These two verses have been my favorite verses of the bible since becoming born again and the ones I most often quote. It amazes me how God can place so much beautiful truth in few words. It blows my mind the amount of teaching these two verses have. When I quote them I verily scratch the surface of them, but there is precious truth in them.

John 8:31-32 (New International Version)

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Who is speaking here?"Jesus said"The perfect one, the Alpha and Omega, the Holy one, the creator of heaven and earth, Our King, Lord and Savior. Wow!!!! The one that cannot lie.

1. If you hold to my word/teaching - condition/assertion

What does it make you?
2. you are really my disciples.

What will happened then?

you will know the truth. What truth? The truth about everything pertaining to God and Godliness.

And then what happens?

3. the truth will set you free.

Free from what? From everything that wants to keep you down and enslaved.

Break Free with the Word.
The Christian life is to be the best life any human can have on earth. Paul even with all the trials and tribulations would have not change a bit of it. Christianity is exciting, IT'S BEAUTIFUL. GOD MAKES US BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (of course then there me, hahahaha a knuckle head, but don't be a knuckle head hehe).

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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on March 9, 2011 at 8:25pm

David, I love how you have tied the transformation to the word. I know that for me as a young disciple it was the Word that truly transformed my life. I know that it is also true that when I get away from daily reading the Word that my life tends to get out of balance.

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on March 9, 2011 at 9:19pm

Scribe, what still perplexes me bro is how simple it is - I mean - God has not made our walk a thing that only brilliant people can do well or understand. If we simply understand that our daily reading , which automatically leads us to prayer and worship, will keep us balance, then we have won half of the battle, of course then comes the actual doing and we all know how many things are thrown our way to keep us from being free,

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