3. It Is a Proof of Love for Jesus.

Accepting to become a disciple of Jesus Christ is an excellent proof of love for Him. Accepting to renounce oneself to follow a person requires authentic love. Just as a woman in love agrees to leave everything to follow her beloved, a person who loves the Lord Jesus Christ agrees to leave everything for Him and commits to follow Him by doing all His will.

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21

The Bible teaches us through the acts of the apostles that Paul and Silas were arrested and imprisoned for the cause of Jesus Christ. But while they were in prison, they spent their time praising and celebrating the Lord Jesus. The attitude of Paul and Silas testifies to a sincere and authentic love for the Lord. This is an attitude that can only be found in disciples.

4. It Is the Best Proof of Faith in Jesus.

Another reason why we must all become disciples of Jesus is that it is the best way to prove our faith in our Lord. The Lord wants us to believe in Him. Faith in God is so important that without it, no one can be pleasing to God (Heb. 11:6). In other words, the Lord is pleased only with those who have faith in Him.

One day, the Lord Jesus wanted to know who among those who followed Him were His disciples. He decided to tell them that they would have to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Jesus certainly knew that those who did not truly have faith in Him would be exposed. After this announcement, the Bible says that the majority decided not to follow Him anymore. Only a small number decided to stay. This small number stayed by faith because they were true disciples.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.’ These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.’ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” John 6:53-69

This text shows us that true disciples will always be distinguished by their real and authentic faith in Jesus.

5. It Is the Proof of Trust in Jesus.

Becoming a disciple of Jesus is an excellent way to demonstrate one’s trust in Jesus the Lord. It is the same kind of trust that David expresses in Psalm 23 where he declares that the Lord is his shepherd and that he will lack nothing.

“A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalms 23:1-6

The Lord seeks men and women who are willing to trust Him. This is one of the reasons why many Biblical texts exhort us not to worry. A true disciple of Jesus worries about nothing. He will always maintain inner peace even if he has to be stoned like Stephen or thrown into the lions’ den like Daniel.

6. It Is the Best Way to Acknowledge Jesus as Your Master.

Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is an excellent way to prove that Jesus is your master. One day, Jesus made it known to those who followed Him that not everyone who calls Him Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of God. Jesus wanted us to understand that true submission to a master or higher authority is not a matter of words. It is rather a matter of being able to obey Him promptly and in everything.

Many Christians say Lord without doing the will of Jesus. As soon as the will of Jesus does not suit them, they choose to disobey Him and ask for forgiveness later. It is to this category of Christians that Jesus wanted to make known that no one can serve two masters at the same time.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.” Matthew 6:24

Unlike ordinary Christians who choose to do the will of God when it suits them, true disciples do all the will of the Lord regardless of their own lives. This is how the apostle Paul could affirm that when it comes to doing the will of his Lord Jesus, he does not consider his life precious.

“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24

7. The Only Way to Be Able to Do the Works of Jesus Christ.

American author Wayne Dyer once declared during a conference that a self-centered human being is comparable to a glass filled with water from the ocean. The ocean in question symbolizes Almighty God. The author explains that God desires that this person in an identifiable glass decides to step out of the glass and plunge into the ocean to become a participant in the power and exploits of the ocean. But because of ego, this person prefers to keep their identity by staying in their small glass without impact.

The Christian who decides to renounce himself to become a disciple of Christ makes the right choice to become a participant in the divine nature and power. This person becomes a vessel through which God can perform exploits for His own glory. This is how the apostles turned the world upside down by performing all kinds of miracles, signs, and wonders through the Holy Spirit.

This text is an excerpt from the book “THE TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST” written by Dominique MBOG.

We invite you to read the following article “Many Christians Are Not Disciples of Jesus Christ.“