LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Discussion 1: Characteristics of a Follower
Submitted to Dr. John McGinn
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN500 D05
Discipleship Ministries
Submitted by
Wisdom Nayak
on March 17th, 2022
Contents
Topic Page
Discussion Thread: Characteristics of a Follower 3
Bibliography 6
Discussion Thread: Characteristics of a Follower
Many Christians today profess to be followers of Christ (His disciples), but it is not seen
in their lives if compared to the standards according to what the Scriptures defines and describes
a Christ follower and his/her life. One of the main reasons why professing Christians fail to
become that disciple or follower that Jesus has called them to be, is because they fully do not
understand (and not apply) what the Bible teaches about following Christ or what it means to call
oneself His disciple. Dave Early writes, “The primary term in the Great Commission is the
imperative term “make disciples.” The other words, ‘go,’ ‘baptize,’ and ‘teach’ all modify and
explain how we are to fulfill the primary task: make disciples.”1 But in order to make disciples,
one must be a disciple first. Apostle Paul writes, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of
Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).2 In this thread, the goal is to briefly study and examine the words of
Jesus in the Scriptures as to what He means to follow Him and obey His command. As Rod
Dempsey presents the sequence of a disciple’s obedience, a disciple is someone who first obeys
the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37- who first having experienced the love of God, loves
Him with all his heart, all his soul and all his mind), he then obeys the New Commandment
(John 13-34- loves one another (brothers and sisters in Christ) as Christ loves them) and lastly,
he obeys the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19- shares the love of Christ with those who have
never known and experienced God’s love in Christ).3
One of the passages that defines what a disciple looks like and what his/her life looks
like is found in Luke’s Gospel where he records Jesus’s own words. Jesus speaking to the
multitudes says, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And
whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27)
It is remarkably interesting to notice in Jesus’ words that he explains who ‘cannot be His
disciple’ rather than explaining who ‘can be His disciple.’ Many characteristics can be listed of a
follower of Christ, but the goal of this post is to point out three main characteristics that defines a
disciple according to the Scriptures and describes the life of a Jesus follower.
1. A follower of Christ is someone who puts God first and loves God more than self
and others. As Jesus writes about hating your father, mother, wife, children and
sisters, He is seeking those who will put their relationship with God above all
other earthly relationships. His love for God surpasses his love for self and others.
Rather, his love for others should flow from His love for God.
2. A follower of Christ is someone who surrenders his will to fulfill the will of His
heavenly Father. Jesus on the cross when He cries and pleads saying, “Father, if
thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be
done.” (Luke 22:42) This is the same surrender that Jesus requires from those who
want to follow Him and live for Him. Paraphrasing Jesus’ words, He says, if you
cannot carry your cross and come after me to fulfill God’s will, you cannot be my
disciple.
3. A follower of Christ is someone who dedicates his life in knowing God and
making Him known. Jesus says to those Jews who believed on Him, “If ye
continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) A Christ follower first
dedicates his/her life in knowing God and then making Him known to the lost and
dying world by following the Great Commission that Jesus has commanded to His
disciples.
The above three characteristics can be summarized in the three important attributes
described by Putman and Harrington in defining a disciple from Matthew 4: 19, “Follow
me(head), and I will(heart) make you fishers(mission) of men.”4 Therefore, a disciple can be
defined as one who having experienced God’s saving and transforming love, loves God with all
his heart, mind, and soul; surrenders his will to God’s will; and lives to fulfill the mission of God
by knowing Him and making Him known. As Jesus says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations,” (Matthew 28:19a KJV), He commands to observe(know) and then sow the seed by
making Him, His works and His word known.
Bibliography
Putman, Jim, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help
Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
2013.
Dempsey, Rod, and Dave Early. Disciple Making Is . . .: How to Live the Great Commission with
Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic. 2013.
Dempsey, Rod. “What is a Disciple?” Course Video in Module 1 of DSMN 500 at Liberty
University, Lynchburg, VA.
Chan, Francis, and David Platt. “Multiply I-1 What is a Disciple?” Course Video in Module 1 of
DSMN 500 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA.
Unless otherwise mentioned, all the biblical passages and references are from the Foundation
Study Bible, King James Version, Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2015
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