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Although people often have their own understanding of how the follower and disciple of Crist must act, the Bible provides a complete list of characteristics of Christ’s disciples. Dempsey (2013) outlined three main qualities universal for all Christ disciples, namely, they must be sacrificial, relational, and transformational. Being sacrificial implies following Jesus unconditionally and abandoning any other form of worldly attachments which may interfere with the bond between the follower and Jesus. At the same time, people must also recognize all burdens in their lives and carry them. As stated in Luke 14:27 (English Standard Version), “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Essentially, a genuine follower of Christ must be willing to not only give up their earthly possessions but also their life for Jesus. As Jesus stated himself, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (English Standard Version, Matthew 16:24). Thus, the person who sacrifices themselves and all they have only to follow Jesus can be considered a worthy follower.
Christ’s disciples also need to be relational, in other words, open to interacting not only with Jesus but also with other Christians and making new disciples. According to Dempsey (2013), a real disciple of Christ must love other believers. Since followers have to strive to live and act like Christ, they need to experience the same unconditional love. As Christ said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (English Standard Version, John 15:12). Such a commandment is necessary for all followers of Christ to abide by, especially those who wish to be disciples. Therefore, all followers of Christ need to nourish other believers and actively engage in discussions with non-believers to encourage them to become disciples. Loving the neighbor is the core belief and idea of Christ’s teachings which must not be disregarded even due to existing conflicts between people.
Finally, followers of Christ must be transformational, meaning that they have to aspire to become like Christ by engaging in a variety of activities taught to them by the Bible. Followers have to continuously work their transformation into a better version of themselves, a more righteous and pious one. Dempsey (2013) considers transformational people to be committed to their spiritual growth, which manifests itself in pursuing the decision to become similar to Christ in terms of thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Christ is the example for every believer, and although achieving the spiritual level of Christ is impossible, followers still need to strive to increase their spiritual and moral growth and development. As stated in 2 Peter 3:18 (English Standard Version), “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” There, transformational followers must make gradual steps towards growth.
Based on the aforementioned characteristics, it is possible to form and present my own definition of the follower of Jesus. Thus, the follower of Jesus is a person who openly sacrifices themselves for the Lord and commits their life to pursuing spiritual growth guided by Christ’s teachings and encouraging others to follow Christ. Ephesians 5:1 (English Standard Version) states, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Followers consider themselves children of Christ and therefore have the will to sacrifice their lives for Jesus as he sacrificed his life for them.
References
Dempsey, Rod, “Beginning on a Sure Foundation.” In Disciple Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence, edited by Rod Dempsey and Dave Earley, 21–28. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic.
Packer, James. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Collins, 2008.
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