5 Identifiers of a Disciple

What Is It? 

The church has been called to replicate it (Matt. 28:18-20).  Yet the first question to address is: what is it? What is a disciple?  Before we can get to the how we must be able to first tackle the what.  Answering the what will give us clues toward answering the how. So, if we are to go and make them we must first know what they are.  We must first be able to grasp the ideologies around what a disciple of Christ is. Before we can be faithful to the call we must understand the call altogether.  

The question remains: what is a disciple? 

Disciple of Christ: 

In observing the source material, which are the Scriptures, one can come to the conclusion that much of the traits that resonate from a disciple of Christ is grounded in the five (5) characteristics listed below. These attributes are not meant to be an exhaustive look into the definition of a disciple, but rather a starting point in establishing a framework in understanding the task at hand.

To be a Christian means to be a disciple. There are no Christians who are not disciples.

The word disciple come from the Greek word mathetes which can be rendered student or pupil.  According to Jonathan K. Dodson, a disciple consist of three central components: rational, relational, and missional.1 This definition helps to paint a picture that can be copied and modeled. Mark Dever conceptualizes his understanding of disciple by stating, "[to] be a Christian means to be a disciple. There are no Christians who are not disciples. And to be a disciple of Jesus means to follow Jesus. There are no disciples of Jesus who are not following Jesus."2 This definition is helpful as we move forward in filling out the characteristic traits of a disciple. 

1. Learner: 

A disciple is a learner of his/her master.  They are seeking to understand and grasp the ingenuity of the One to whom they follow.  Jesus informs His followers in saying, "Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him" (Jn. 13:16).  Knowing the Master is not merely comprehending content, but rather grasping after an intimacy that transcends ordinary insight. In the High Priestly Prayer Jesus states, "And this is enteral life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (Jn. 17:3, italics mine). 

Fundamentally, this means that there is a shift in worldview that has the Gospel as the basis of seeing all of life. The Apostle Paul is adamant in saying that due to the Gospel truth in the work and Person of Jesus Christ believers are not to "be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom. 12:2, italics mine). Philip G. Ryken, president of Wheaton College, describes a worldview as "the structure of understanding [what] we use to make sense of our world. Our worldview is what we presuppose. It is our way of looking at life, our interpretation of the universe, our orientation to reality."3  All of the Christian life, then, is to be measured off of the truths conjured from the Gospel itself. For example, the Apostle Paul writes, "[be] kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:32, italics mine). 

A disciple of Christ takes on the thought-patterns, affections, and convictions of the Lord Jesus Christ as shown within the sacred Scriptures.  Paul reminds the believers that "we have the mind of Christ" (2 Cor. 2:16b, italics mine). Eric Geiger, Michael Kelley, and Philip Nation articulates this well in saying, "[seeing] discipleship through the lens of the Gospel means applying the Gospel to all of life, believing transformation occurs when disciples center their lives on the Gospel. The Gospel is sufficient; it is enough. It is relevant. It is not merely the foundational curriculum for a disciple but the overarching curriculum."4

2. Worshipper: 

A disciple of Christ sees all of life as an opportunity to worship God. The Apostle Paul urges, "[so], whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).  Worship is not merely a particular time during the week devoted to singing songs and raising hands, but rather a lifestyle devoted to making much of Christ.  Sunday, then, is the outflow of worship engaged throughout the week. The Christian life can not be compartmentalized as though one act is done through the outflow of the heart and the others are not.  According to Paul, "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Rom. 12:1, italics mine).

Sunday, then, is the outflow of worship engaged throughout the week.

A Christocentric aim in worship is an essential component in the life of a disciple.  Jesus said, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (Jn. 4:24, italics mine).  Dietrich Bonhoeffer captures this notion well in saying, "[the] response of the disciple is an act of obedience, not a confession of faith in Jesus."5 The hallmark trait of a disciple is not merely an outward acknowledgement of the faith, but rather an inward affection that bleeds and colors one's life in Christ.

3. Server: 

Because the Master has come "not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45), His followers are to have the same mind.  This service is to be played out in at least two (2) ways.

As disciples of Christ we are to love the saints.  Since we share in the affections of Christ, our heart for the church—His bride—must grow and align itself to this end. Paul clearly states, "as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10, italics mine).  The Lord has given us His Spirit to equip us with gifts in order "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12, italics mine). Colin Marshall and Tony Payne rightly conveys by saying, "the basic methodology of body growth is that all the members 'speak the truth in love,' one to another."6

A disciple of Christ loves the lost. Marks of a disciple finds themselves with the heart of God in reaching the less fortunate—physically and, more importantly, spiritually—for the cause of Christ (Matt. 25:31-46).  David Platt devises a crucial question: "Why not begin operating under the idea that God has given us excess, not so we can have more, but so we could give more?"7 

4. Member: 

Not only have we been saved into salvation, but we have also been saved into the covenant community of God—the church. Therefore, we are to belong to the saints and they belong to us.  Paul says, "[for] in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greek, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13, italics mine). Dodson emphasizes that "[baptism] results in our participation in a new, spiritual family—the family of the Trinity. Jesus is the entry point into the divine community and [is] the head of our new community."8

Therefore, we are to belong to the saints and they belong to us. 

5. Proclaimer: 

As a disciple we are called to make known the message of God's salvific work in the Person of Jesus Christ.  "Speaking God's Word for the growth of the vine, " according to Marshall and Payne, "is the work not of the few but of the many."9 Preaching, then, is not merely to be exercised on the pulpit—though it has immense value in the life of the church—but rather is done through the course of our interactions and conversations with fellow Christians and, more specifically, non-believers.  

Fundamentally, a disciple should know the basic tenants of the Gospel.  It is imperative, then, that discipleship be in the business of theological training.  Keith L. Johnson demonstrates convincingly that "[this] is the call with which theology begins and proceeds. To participate in the mind of Christ is to have our own minds shaped and directed by Christ's call to faith and obedience. Because Christ uses Scripture as His instrument to issue the call, we have to approach the text itself as a living Word. We have to read it in the expectation that—because Christ Himself speaks to us in it—this Word will overwhelm us, reform us and move us to some place new."10

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*footnotes

1. Jonathan K. Dodson, Gospel Centered Discipleship (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 29-32. 

2. Mark Dever, Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus (Wheaton: Crossway, 2016), 15. 

3. Philip Graham Ryken, Christian Worldview: A Student's Guide (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), 19. 

4. Eric Geiger, Michael Kelley, and Philip Nation, Transformational Discipleship: How People Really Grow (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2012), 84. 

5. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995), 57.

6. Colin Marshall and Tony Payne, The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-shift That Changes Everything (Kingsford: Matthias Media, 2009), 45.

7. David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2010), 127, 

8. Dodson, Gospel Centered Discipleship, 33. 

9. Marshall and Payne, Trellis and the Vine, 44. 

10. Keith L. Johnson, Theology as Discipleship (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2015), 157-158. 
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McYoung Yang (M. Div., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). He is the husband of Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (9), McCoy (8), McColsen (6), and DeYoung (2).  He is an Assistant Professor of Theology at Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN and is currently serving as a Counsel member of the Youth Ministry of the Hmong District of the C&MA. McYoung is continuing his post-graduate studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO where he hopes to obtain his PhD in Theology. He hopes to use his training and platform as a means to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens. McYoung enjoys reading/writing, sports, and playing with his children. 

6 Pillars of Effective Discipling

Where Are We Going? 

One's destination almost certainly dictates the path to which one travels. Within the scope of discipleship, understanding the destination will pay dividends toward mapping out the pathway in which one is to embark if true biblical discipleship is to take place.  As a young pastor launching into youth ministry I understood the necessity of discipleship, but I did not embody, with full conviction, a clear grasp on the final end point of where I was to point the students under my pastoral care.  After 10 years of ministry, and by God's sovereign grace, I have come to understand the end goal of local church discipleship—Christ conformity. Before the foundations of the world God has "predestined [us] to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29; cff. Col. 3:10).

One's destination almost certainly dictates the path to which one travels.

Biblical Discipleship:

The six (6) pillars provided below are not meant to be exhaustive by any stretch of the imagination, but they are—in my mind—foundational to the pursuit of faithful discipleship in the local church.  These points are by no means restricted toward youth ministry, but rather are overarching principles tied to the biblical fabric of the church life.  

1. Gospel Centrality

If we, the church, are to have any power in bringing forth transformation and hope to a broken world, it must be done through the proclamation of the Gospel.  The Apostle Paul clearly states, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16, italics mine). Let us not be mistaken that this Gospel we proclaim is a Trinitarian Gospel; where Christ is proclaimed the Spirit brings forth understanding (illumination) to the glory, fame, and praise of the Father. Paul goes on the state, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17). This faith is a regenerative faith as well as a sanctifying faith. No one graduates from the Gospel, but rather the Gospel is the air that we breathe within the Christian life. 

No one graduates from the Gospel, but rather the Gospel is the air that we breathe within the Christian life

The biblical witness clearly notes that the Person of Christ is the central figure within redemptive history.  Christ Himself communicates how the Scriptures speak of Him (Jn 5:39). The climatic figure within the meta-narrative points toward Jesus who is the Christ.  "But when the fullness of time had come," according to Paul, "God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Gal. 4:4-5, italics mine). The Gospel is the central aim within effective discipleship.  

2. Biblical Truth & Doctrine

Scripture is the primary vehicle used by the Spirit—its author—in renewing us "in the knowledge after the image of its Creator" (Col. 3:10). In Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer" the Savior states, "[sanctify] them in the truth; your Word is truth" (Jn. 17:17, italics mine). In our discipleship endeavors we must weigh heavily on the Word because it is through the Word that the Spirit awakens hearts to see and savor Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6).

In our discipleship endeavors we must weigh heavily on the Word because it is through the Word that the Spirit awakens hearts to see and savor Jesus Christ

Doctrine serves at least two (2) purposes: (1) it links us to the historical church and conveys how the saints have sought to think biblically about the things of God, and (2) it synthesizes from a biblical theological as well as a systematic standpoint the biblical composition of theological thought (ex. Doctrine of God, Doctrine of Christ, Doctrine of Sin, ect.). 

3. Genuine Personal Relationships (Local Church) 

In God's triune nature He has created humanity in His image (Gen. 1:28).  Therefore, relationships are an essential component to authentic discipleship.  Discipleship is not merely a passing on of information, but rather a life lived in order to share the joy of Christ.  These discipling relationships should reflect genuine accountability, transparency, brotherly/sisterly love, and encouragement.  Both the affectionate and difficult side of good authentic relationship should encompass these encounters. Paul writes, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17, italics mine). 

4. Prayer

Prayer is another tool in the hands of God that shapes His children into His image.  Prayer is a vehicle used to align the saints to God's creative intent (Jn. 15:7-9). Prayer must be central in the life of discipleship in order to engage in authentic transformation: illumination, sanctification, etc.  Prayer should be seen as a privilege. Prayer communicates a dependence on God. Prayer is a response to God's work in our life. Prayer is the avenue to communicate with God. Prayer should be engulfed with thanksgiving. 

Prayer is not a means to twist the arm of God, but rather is the pathway to which God uses to submit hearts and minds to His good, acceptable, and pleasing will

Prayer is not a means to twist the arm of God, but rather is the pathway to which God uses to submit hearts and minds to His good, acceptable, and pleasing will (Rom. 12:2).  Prayer within the realm of discipleship showcases that the Christian life is not dependent upon the self, or rather the discipler, but upon God who re-creates through His Word by His Spirit.

5. Modeling a Christ Centered Life

Discipleship is not merely the transfer of information, but a lifestyle that is to be observed and modeled.  The Apostle Paul charged the churches to "[be] imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1).  Much of the discipling process is caught not necessarily taught.  The emphasis upon discipleship is rightly centered upon the logos (content) and the pathos (passion), but what becomes neglected is the ethos (ethic).  Biblical teaching, then, must be put on display for disciples to see the natural flow of doctrine in the drama of life.

Simply put, biblical discipleship is the sharing of life for the sake of the glory of God.  This may mean that much of what is to be observed is not necessarily the "good" found within the discipler's life but rather the warts and wrinkles that mark a saint who is in the process of sanctification.  This authentic access into the life of a believer will showcase the transforming power of the Gospel.  Paul rightly articulates, "[you], however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconic, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me" (2 Tim. 3:10-11). 

6. A Perpetual Mandate

The initial mandate for humanity was to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen. 1:28). As image bearers God called His people to cover the face of the earth with the image and glory of God.  Sin entered into the tapestry of creation and shattered shalom as well as scaring the image of God within humanity.  Christ has re-created humanity through His work and Person on the cross and has given the church the mandate to "[go] therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19).

The aim of discipleship in the local church is not to merely engage in the act of disciple-making but rather to be a disciple-maker who makes disciple-makers who make disciple-makers

The aim of discipleship in the local church is not to merely engage in the act of disciple-making but rather to be a disciple-maker who makes disciple-makers who make disciple-makers. This is not a programmatic strategy, but rather the biblical mandate grounded within God's creative intent (Gen. 1:28; Gen. 12:1-3; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Discipleship is spreading the joy of Christ throughout the world through a life lived in total abandonment for the Glory of God in the face of Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria:

The engagement of discipleship is not glamorous, flashy, nor prestigious in any sense of the definition.  It can be tedious from the sense that you will be dealing with a great deal of hurt, pain, and brokenness.  It will be a natural grind because the sin nature is real and the flesh aspires desperately against the work of the Spirit.  Discipleship will be sacrificial because you will have to give yourself fully to the task at hand; discipleship cannot be done faithfully by going through the motions. Discipleship will be costly because the investment is of eternal value.

But discipleship is rewarding.  You will witness the Lord work miracles in opening eyes to see His majesty.  You will be apart of God's redemptive plan in proclaiming to dead hearts the life giving message of Jesus Christ.  You will observe the faithfulness of God in the wake of hopelessness in restoring lives while failures turn into victories.  You will see the hand of God touch hearts by bringing forth reconciliation and inner peace to hearts that were embittered and closed.  You will see the glory of God shine forth in the midst of darkness as lives are awakened to a new sense of purpose and aim.

The task of discipleship is a daunting task.  Yet the Lord did not leave us to our own faculties to fulfill this God-given mandate.  He has empowered us by His Spirit (Rom. 8:11) to go in faith and to strive through these endeavors by His strength (Col. 1:29).  May we stand with the Apostle Paul and say, "[Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me" (Col. 1:28-29, italics mine). 

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McYoung Yang (M. Div., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). He is the husband of Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (9), McCoy (8), McColsen (6), and DeYoung (2).  He is an Assistant Professor of Theology at Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN and is currently serving as a Counsel member of the Youth Ministry of the Hmong District of the C&MA. McYoung is continuing his post-graduate studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO where he hopes to obtain his PhD in Theology. He hopes to use his training and platform as a means to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens. McYoung enjoys reading/writing, sports, and playing with his children.