Discipleship making begins first by being a disciple, as one cannot bring someone into an exclusive
membership without first being a member of the club. Therefore, no one can be a disciple of Jesus until
they follow Him. To be recognized as someone who follows Jesus, one must accept that Jesus is the
Messiah, and make Him the Lord and Master of their life. In this way, a disciple of Jesus is generally
known for abandoning the things of this world to follow the ways of Jesus. A disciple is required to
disciplined in spiritual habits and purpose as well as being in a relational community to continue to
develop in the context of other disciples. These are three imperative characteristics of a disciple;
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sacrificial, relational, and transformational.
When any group sets out to work together to accomplish a common goal, the tasks, methods, and
objectives must be clearly defined, communicated, and understood by everyone involved. Earley and
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Dempsey set forth 10 principles that clearly identify these characteristics of a disciple. Without first
surrendering one’s will and self, there is no salvation. Salvation is the starting point of the commitment
to Christ. Living sacrificially means living a life of no compromise and never putting anything above the
commitment you have made to Jesus Christ.
But you cannot stop at the initial commitment; no you have to continue to commit everyday to the
mission of Jesus. Living relationally is where an individual understands they are one part of the whole
