SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE DISCIPLE

Text: " ...The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." --Acts 11:26b

The Latin word "discipulus" means "a learner", and is best illustrated by our Lord when spoke of those who "hang on the lips of the gospel." It speaks of earnest learners, and is closely associated with following Christ. God’s Word gives us six characteristics of true disciples.

In John 13:34,35 --Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you ‘That ye love one an-other; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.’ By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if he have love one to another." Sometimes referred to as the "Eleventh Commandment", this is a command to love the brethren in the same manner and to strive to do so in the same degree as Christ loved us. As He lay down His life for us we ought to consider it a privilege to lay down our lives for one another. They will be recognized by all men as being the disciples of the Lord who love one another.

The Second characteristic of the true disciple is perseverance in the Word of God. "As He spake these words, many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, ‘If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed." -(John 8:30,31) There is no place among the ranks of true disciples for "Prosperity Proselytes," or Monthly "saints." The proof, the evidence of true disciples is they persevere in His Word. They continue stead-fastly, and "nothing shall offend them" because there is nothing that can tempt them or frighten them from God’s eternal Truth.

The Third characteristic is found in Luke 14:33 --"Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple." God may not call upon a person to forsake "all that he hath," but if a person is not willing to part with all his earthly goods, he cannot stand with those saints who in every age, and in many lands have been given the option of denying their convictions, or of suffering all their goods to be confiscated. If a man declares, "I must support my family" --if he places his family above the cause of Christ -- "he cannot be My disciple." For this reason we are commanded to be "poor in spirit."

Our Lord declares in Matthew 16:24, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." Self-denial is a characteristic of true disciples. As the cross is emblematic of execution, crucifixion being the most cruel of deaths in ancient times, so true disciples must not love their lives but reckon themselves as the Apostle Paul who said, "1 die daily." But the cross is also emblematic of ignominy. True disciples are willing to follow Christ though the world should shame them and ridicule them and revile them. They are not ashamed to be identified with Christ. And, they are willing to deny themselves material and pleasurable things --both sinful things as well as those things that are not wrong. They strive to follow the Apostle’s example when he said "’I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content."

The Fifth characteristic of the true disciple is a renouncing of human ties. "If any man come to Me," Christ says, "and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." -(Luke 14:26)

The disciple is not commanded to exhibit a malevolent hatred toward his family or himself: instead, the verse is teaching that true disciples so love their Lord, that to place their love for Christ beside their love for earthly relations, it would appear as hatred in comparison.

The fact that his wife was at first unwilling to go with him to the mission field did not daunt William Carey, and though John Bunyan had no other visible means of support for his family, he could not be threatened out of the way that God had placed before him: he would preach the Gospel though the English government said "Nay" and threw him into prison for six years; and when that did not daunt him, they gave him another sentence of six years. Still he would not yield but affirmed his responsibility to obey God rather than man.

In John 15:8, Jesus declared, "Herein is My Father glorified that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye he My disciples." This verse is often confused with the idea the fruit referred to here is the souls of men, but since "Salvation belongeth unto the Lord" (Psalm 3:8;see Jonah 2:9), the fruit must refer to our responsibility of carrying out the Great Commission, but must refer to good works such as the cup of cold water given in His name, too. In such good works we are to be zealous. Also, as the disciples of the Lord, we ought to bear the "Fruit of the Spirit:" love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. The fruit of moral restraints is also spoken of here that is of keeping our body under that it may be obedient to the will of our Lord.

Now, notice the text, " ...And the DISCIPLES were called Christians first in Antioch." The name "Christian" was not chosen by the disciples because it sounded pious --it was not a name they chose at all, but was a name of derision, a scurrilous label given them by the world. And note who they were that were so labeled: the "disciples," the "learners."

May God give us all to be teachable and so make us true disciples, and so correctly branded, "Christians."

So send I you --to labor Unrewarded,

To serve Unpaid, Unloved, Unsought, Unknown,

To bear Rebuke, to suffer Scorn and Scoffing,

So send I you --to toil for Me alone.

So send I you --to bind the bruised and broken,

O’er wandering souls to work, to weep, to wake;

To bear the burdens of a world a-weary,

So send I you --to Suffer for My sake.

So send I you --to Loneliness and Longing

With heart a-hungering for the loved and known,

Forsaking Home and Kindred, Friend and Dear One,

So send I you --to know My love alone.

So send I you --to Leave your life’s ambition,

To Die to dear Desire, Self-will resign,

To labor long and love where men Revile you,

So send I you --to lose your life in Mine.

So send I you—-to hearts made hard by hatred,

To eyes made blind because they will not see,

To spend though it be Blood --to spend and spare not --

So send I you to Taste of Calvary.

-E. Margaret Clarkson-

 Question: "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" --I Corinthians 9:11. One Dollar would greatly facilitate the publication of the Angelus.