Ten Basic Qualities of a Disciple

Alfred Buxton writes on the outcome of the sacrificial giving of C. T. Studd that he is “a sign to all succeeding generations that it is worthwhile to lose all this world can offer and stake everything on the world to come. He had demonstrated what it means to follow Christ without counting the cost or without looking back.”

1. T. Studd gave away his fortunes worth of 25 crores of rupees in 1887 at the age of twenty six. Did God fail to honour him? God did honour Studd by sending 500 to 1000 pounds for his personal needs every month, which he gave mostly to missions. Through his ministry, tens of thousands of people in central Africa, in addition to many people in India and China, became Christians. Because of his efforts, ‘World Evangelisation Crusade’ was founded with more than 1100 workers, out of which came the Literature Crusade with hundreds of workers. Believers gave thousands of times more than what Studd gave to ministry at the age of twenty six. God honours those who honour Him. He blesses those who decide to follow Him paying the cost of discipleship. But anyone who wants to become a disciple of Christ must have certain qualities. These qualities are unique for Christian discipleship. These qualities are not optional, but mandatory for a disciple. Here are ten basic qualities of a disciple.

1. A disciple is one who reads the Word of God daily and also spends considerable time to meditate on the Word of God. He obeys the Word of God in a disciplined and committed way. He lives  continually by the Word of God. Jesus is his Master and so he obeys his master completely. He lives as per the  commands, teaching and example that He has already learned from Jesus Christ.

2. A disciple is a person who commits his life completely to his Master. This commitment should be a total commitment to God. It is a commitment to a loving Master who has no self-interest, but rather is concerned for the believers’ total welfare and growth in God. Jesus Christ has laid down His life for him and so He has the right to demand wholehearted commitment. Jesus is totally committed to him and He wants the same commitment in return. Jesus wants him to trust Him in every step as He takes in his life and moulds him in accordance with His will (Matt.6:24; John 10:1-18).

3.  A disciple is one who lives in a fruit-bearing relationship with Jesus (John 15 :4-5). Waylon Moore writes, “0ur union with Christ makes possible a life through which others can be saved. When a tree is so full of sap that it can no longer hold it, the result is fruit! When a Christian is full of Christ, others see Him and hear about Him and are then spiritually reborn into the Kingdom of God.” The disciple is one who is filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5: 18). So he bears the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23). Without this sort of fruit bearing in our lives, the Kingdom of God will not be expanded and the Body of Christ will not grow. The fruit bearing leads many people to join the Church in this world.

4.  A disciple is one who is committed to unconditional sacrificial love for others (John 13:34-35). This is no ordinary human love but the love, which God has demonstrated towards men on the cross. It is a selfless love that does not look for return to stimulate its action. The Greek word for this love is ‘agape’ which means ‘selfless love’ or ‘divine love.’ Those who have this love commit themselves to give first priority to God and obey Him unconditionally.

5. “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).

6. “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7: 10).

7. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and the.re He prayed” (Mark 1 :35).

8. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting oneanother, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:25).

9. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father inheaven” (Matt. 5: 16).

10. “And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I shouldbuild on another man’s foundation” (Rom. 15:20 ).A disciple is one who is dedicated to the fulfillment of Christ’s great commission (Matt. 28:18-20).The goal of a disciple· is to win other disciples, not just converts.

(Dr. C. Barnabas, taken from True Discipleship, Jul-Aug 2005)