Lesson 1: What Is a Disciple of Jesus Christ?
Series: Begin Here — The Foundation of Following Jesus
Before You Begin
This first lesson introduces the foundation of discipleship. The lessons that follow will examine the different parts of following Jesus Christ in much greater depth.
This is not a collection of short inspirational readings. It is a step-by-step course intended to help you understand the Word of God, examine your life honestly, grow in obedience, walk with God daily, resist sin, serve Christ faithfully, and endure to the end.
Do not rush through these lessons merely to say that you finished them. Read carefully. Look up the Scriptures. Pray over what you learn. Ask God to show you what must change, and then obey the truth He shows you.
Before a person can grow as a disciple, however, he must first understand what a disciple is.
Jesus Did Not Merely Call People to Admire Him
Many people use the word Christian, but they have never seriously considered what it means to follow Jesus Christ.
Some think Christianity is mainly a belief system. Others think it means attending church, trying to be kind, adopting certain moral values, or asking God for help when trouble comes.
Some believe that following Jesus means receiving forgiveness and then continuing to live according to their own desires. They may want Jesus to save them from judgment, but they do not want Him directing their decisions, correcting their behavior, or ruling over their lives.
But Jesus did not merely call people to admire Him.
He called people to follow Him.
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
— Matthew 4:19, KJV
Those two words—Follow me—stand at the beginning of discipleship.
A disciple of Jesus Christ is someone who follows Jesus, learns from Jesus, belongs to Jesus, continues in His Word, obeys His teaching, and is progressively changed by Him.
Discipleship is not merely learning facts about Christ. It is placing your life under His authority.
A Disciple Is a Follower
Jesus said, “Follow me.”
He did not say, “Add me to the life you have already chosen for yourself.”
He did not say, “Respect me from a distance.”
He did not say, “Use my name when it is convenient.”
He did not say, “Ask me to bless whatever path you have decided to take.”
He said, “Follow me.”
A follower does not lead the Lord. The Lord leads the follower.
A follower does not choose his own direction and then expect Jesus to approve it. A follower looks to Christ and says, “Lord, where You lead, I will follow. What You command, I will obey. What You forbid, I will forsake. What You teach, I will believe.”
This is where many people misunderstand Christianity.
They want Jesus as Saviour from punishment, but not as Lord over their lives. They want mercy, but not His authority. They want comfort, but not correction. They want promises, but not commandments. They want the blessings associated with Christ without surrendering to the rule of Christ.
But the Jesus who saves is also the Jesus who calls.
A disciple hears His call and follows.
A Disciple Is a Learner
The word disciple carries the meaning of a learner, pupil, or student.
A disciple is taught. A disciple is trained. A disciple receives instruction from his master and learns to live according to that instruction.
Jesus said:
“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”
— Luke 6:40, KJV
A disciple is not above his Master.
Jesus Christ is not our student. We are His students.
We do not correct Him. He corrects us.
We do not improve His teaching. His teaching improves us.
We do not stand over His Word and decide which portions deserve our acceptance. His Word stands over us as truth.
A disciple must therefore possess a teachable spirit.
That means being willing to learn what you do not yet know, unlearn what you have believed wrongly, and receive correction when your thoughts, desires, habits, attitudes, traditions, or plans disagree with the Word of God.
This is not always comfortable.
Sometimes the Word of God encourages us. Sometimes it exposes us. Sometimes it comforts the brokenhearted. Sometimes it confronts the disobedient.
A true disciple does not only welcome the Scriptures that make him feel better. He also receives the Scriptures that call him to repentance, obedience, humility, patience, forgiveness, purity, sacrifice, and change.
The proper attitude of a disciple is not, “Do I agree with what Jesus said?”
It is, “Because Jesus said it, I must learn what it means and bring my life under it.”
A Disciple Continues in the Word of Jesus
Jesus gave a clear mark of genuine discipleship:
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;”
— John 8:31, KJV
Notice the word continue.
A true disciple does not merely become interested in Jesus for a short season. He continues.
He continues when the Word comforts him.
He continues when the Word corrects him.
He continues when obedience becomes costly.
He continues when his feelings change.
He continues when others turn back.
He continues when the Christian life requires patience, self-denial, endurance, and faith.
Jesus did not say, “If ye occasionally hear my word.”
He did not say, “If ye admire my word.”
He did not say, “If ye agree with the parts of my word that fit your life.”
He said:
“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.”
Continuing does not mean that a disciple instantly understands everything. It does not mean he never struggles, never becomes discouraged, or never needs correction.
It means he does not abandon the Word of the Lord.
He remains under it. He returns to it. He believes it. He receives correction from it. He grows through it. He continues.
A temporary emotional response is not the same as lifelong discipleship.
The test is not only whether you begin.
The test is whether you continue.
A Disciple Belongs to Jesus Christ
The world teaches people to say, “This is my life. I can do whatever I want with it.”
The Bible teaches something entirely different.
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
— 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, KJV
If you belong to Christ, you are not your own.
Your body belongs to God.
Your spirit belongs to God.
Your time belongs to God.
Your abilities belong to God.
Your possessions belong to God.
Your plans, relationships, words, choices, ambitions, and future must all be placed under His authority.
This does not mean God is harsh or unreasonable. It means He is Lord.
He made you. He gave you life. He has shown you mercy. He paid the price for your redemption. He knows what is right, what is harmful, what is eternal, and what will ultimately lead to destruction.
The disciple no longer asks only, “What do I want?”
He learns to ask:
“What does the Lord want?”
“What does His Word say?”
“Will this please Jesus Christ?”
“Does this decision help me follow Him or draw me away from Him?”
“Can I do this unto the glory of God?”
A disciple understands that surrendering his life to Jesus is not losing something valuable. It is placing his life into the hands of the One who knows how it should be lived.
A Disciple Is Being Changed
Jesus said:
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
— Matthew 4:19, KJV
Notice the words, “I will make you.”
Jesus did not say, “Follow me and remain exactly as you are.”
Discipleship includes transformation.
Jesus receives people as they are, but He does not intend to leave them as they are.
He changes their desires.
He changes their priorities.
He changes their thinking.
He changes how they speak, how they treat others, how they respond to temptation, how they use their time, and what they consider important.
He changes how they view God, sin, truth, holiness, people, possessions, suffering, death, judgment, eternity, and themselves.
The grace of God does more than forgive. It also teaches.
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”
— Titus 2:11–12, KJV
Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness.
Grace teaches us to reject worldly lusts.
Grace teaches us to live soberly, righteously, and godly.
A person has misunderstood grace if he thinks grace gives him permission to remain willingly bound to the same sins from which Jesus came to deliver him.
A disciple does not say, “This is simply the way I am.”
He says, “Lord, change me into what You want me to become.”
A Disciple Obeys Jesus Christ
Discipleship is more than hearing.
It includes obedience.
Jesus asked:
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
— Luke 6:46, KJV
It is possible to call Jesus “Lord” with the mouth while resisting His lordship in daily life.
A disciple must not be content merely to know what Jesus taught. He must seek to practice what Jesus taught.
Jesus compared the obedient hearer to a man who built his house upon a rock:
“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock…”
— Luke 6:47–48, KJV
Notice the order:
He comes to Jesus.
He hears the sayings of Jesus.
He does what Jesus says.
That is the pattern of discipleship.
Hearing without obeying creates the illusion of spiritual growth. A person may collect sermons, Bible notes, favorite verses, and religious knowledge while his character remains unchanged.
But truth was not given merely to fill the mind. It was given to direct the life.
You will not become a mature disciple merely by reading all 100 lessons.
You must practice what the Word of God teaches.
The purpose of this course is not only to help you know more. It is to help you follow Christ more faithfully.
A Disciple Denies Himself
Following Jesus involves more than adding religious activities to your schedule.
Jesus said:
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
— Luke 9:23, KJV
Self-denial does not mean that every personal desire is automatically sinful. It means that self is no longer allowed to occupy the throne.
The disciple cannot continue treating his own will as the highest authority.
There will be times when the will of Jesus conflicts with your preferences.
Your feelings may say one thing while the Word of God says another.
Your friends may pull you in one direction while Christ calls you in another.
Your flesh may demand immediate satisfaction while the Spirit leads you toward holiness, patience, restraint, and obedience.
At those moments, discipleship becomes more than a word.
You must decide who will rule.
To deny yourself is to say, “My feelings are not Lord. My desires are not Lord. Other people are not Lord. Jesus Christ is Lord.”
A Disciple Counts the Cost
Jesus never deceived people about the seriousness of following Him.
He said:
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost…”
— Luke 14:28, KJV
Following Jesus may cost you sinful habits, ungodly relationships, popularity, comfort, convenience, pride, worldly ambitions, or the approval of people who do not want Christ ruling over their lives.
In some parts of the world, following Jesus may cost a person employment, family acceptance, freedom, or even physical safety.
But discipleship also has an eternal value that cannot be measured by earthly loss.
Jesus said:
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
— Mark 8:36, KJV
A person can gain what the world celebrates and still lose what matters most.
The disciple understands that this life is brief. Earthly possessions, praise, influence, pleasure, and success will not last forever.
Only what is done in faithfulness to God will retain eternal value.
The question is not merely, “What might following Jesus cost me?”
The greater question is, “What will it cost me if I refuse to follow Him?”
A Disciple Loves Jesus Above Every Competing Loyalty
Jesus must not merely be one important part of the disciple’s life.
He must have first place.
Jesus taught:
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
— Matthew 10:37, KJV
Jesus was not teaching people to neglect or mistreat their families. Scripture commands us to love, honor, provide for, and care for others.
But no human relationship may take the place that belongs to Christ.
The disciple must love Jesus more than family approval, friendship, romance, social acceptance, or personal reputation.
When every other voice says, “Turn back,” the disciple must continue with Christ.
When every other loyalty conflicts with obedience to Jesus, Christ must come first.
A Disciple Is More Than a Church Attender
Gathering with believers is important. Hearing preaching is important. Worship, fellowship, prayer, and biblical teaching are important.
But attending church does not automatically make someone a disciple.
A person can sit in church and still refuse to follow Jesus.
A person can hear sermons and resist correction.
A person can sing about surrender while continuing to live for himself.
A person can know religious language while his heart remains far from God.
Jesus warned:
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
— Matthew 15:8, KJV
Discipleship is not proved merely by being present in a religious building.
It is revealed by a heart that follows Christ.
A disciple must not be satisfied with outward religion, public appearance, or the approval of other Christians.
The real question is not, “Do people think I am spiritual?”
The real question is, “Does Jesus Christ truly rule my heart and life?”
A Disciple Bears Fruit
Jesus said:
“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
— John 15:8, KJV
Fruit matters.
A disciple’s life should increasingly display evidence that he belongs to Christ.
This growth does not happen all at once. A new believer may be weak, immature, and still learning. He may have habits that must be overcome and areas of understanding that must be developed.
But where there is spiritual life, there should be spiritual growth.
Over time there should be:
- increasing love for God;
- greater hunger for truth;
- deeper conviction about sin;
- growing willingness to obey;
- greater humility;
- increasing control over the tongue;
- separation from practices that displease God;
- greater love for people;
- concern for lost souls;
- faithfulness in prayer;
- patience during trials;
- willingness to forgive;
- dependence upon the Spirit of God;
- perseverance in following Jesus.
Fruit does not earn salvation. Jesus saves.
But fruit gives evidence that His life and truth are working within the disciple.
A tree is known by its fruit, and a disciple should not be satisfied with a life that never changes.
A Disciple Becomes More Like His Master
Jesus said:
“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”
— Luke 6:40, KJV
The aim of discipleship is not merely to become more religious.
It is to become more like Jesus Christ.
The disciple learns His humility.
The disciple learns His obedience.
The disciple learns His compassion.
The disciple learns His hatred of sin and love of righteousness.
The disciple learns to forgive, serve, pray, endure, speak truth, resist temptation, and do the will of God.
No disciple will equal the sinless perfection of Jesus in this present life. But Christ remains the pattern toward which the disciple grows.
We must not compare ourselves only with other people.
Another person may be less obedient, less disciplined, or less knowledgeable than we are. That comparison can produce pride and spiritual laziness.
The proper question is not, “Am I doing better than someone else?”
It is, “Am I becoming more like Jesus Christ?”
A Disciple Helps Make Other Disciples
Jesus called His followers not only to receive truth, but also to carry truth to others.
He commanded:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations… Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…”
— Matthew 28:19–20, KJV
A disciple eventually becomes involved in helping others follow Christ.
Not every believer will stand behind a pulpit. Not every disciple will have the same gift, opportunity, or public ministry.
But every disciple should care about the souls of others.
A disciple can pray for the lost, share the Gospel, speak truth, encourage another believer, teach his family, support faithful ministry, answer sincere questions, and live in a way that points others toward Jesus Christ.
Jesus did not call us merely to receive spiritual blessings for ourselves.
He called us to become fishers of men.
A Disciple Is Not Perfect, but He Is Following
A disciple is not someone who has already reached perfection.
He does not know everything.
He does not always feel strong.
He does not live without temptation.
He does not reach a place where correction is no longer needed.
He may stumble. He may become discouraged. He may recognize areas where he has been wrong. He may need to repent, seek forgiveness, and begin obeying again.
But a disciple does not make peace with sin.
He does not defend rebellion.
He does not use grace as an excuse to stop pursuing holiness.
He does not turn away from Christ because the journey becomes difficult.
He continues following.
The apostle Paul wrote:
“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after…”
— Philippians 3:12, KJV
That is the heart of a disciple:
“I have not arrived, but I follow after.”
God is able to continue the work He begins:
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
— Philippians 1:6, KJV
The disciple depends upon the grace, truth, power, and Spirit of God.
He does not trust his own strength.
But neither does he use weakness as a reason to stop following.
The Difference Between a Convert and a Disciple
A person’s first genuine response to the Gospel is the beginning of the Christian life, not the completion of spiritual growth.
A newborn child is truly alive, but he must still grow.
In the same way, a new believer may truly belong to Christ while still needing instruction, correction, spiritual nourishment, and maturity.
The New Testament does not present salvation as permission to remain spiritually undeveloped forever.
Those who come to Christ are called to grow in grace, increase in knowledge, learn obedience, put away sin, renew their minds, walk in the Spirit, serve others, bear fruit, and endure faithfully.
A convert has begun.
A disciple continues.
A convert has received the message.
A disciple builds his life upon it.
A convert has entered the way.
A disciple keeps walking in it.
This entire course exists to help the reader move from the beginning of faith into a mature, obedient, fruitful, and enduring walk with Jesus Christ.
What This 100-Lesson Course Is Designed to Do
The lessons ahead will address the foundations and responsibilities of Christian discipleship step by step.
They will help you examine subjects such as:
- repentance and faith;
- assurance of salvation;
- building your life upon the Word of God;
- obedience and surrender;
- prayer and Bible reading;
- worship and daily fellowship with God;
- overcoming temptation and sin;
- walking in the Spirit;
- developing Christian character;
- loving, forgiving, and serving others;
- recognizing spiritual deception;
- sharing the Gospel;
- enduring trials;
- remaining faithful;
- living with eternity in view;
- preparing to meet the Lord.
No single lesson can cover every part of following Jesus.
That is why the course contains 100 lessons.
Each lesson has its own purpose. Together, they form a progressive path designed to help a believer understand and practice biblical discipleship.
The goal is not that you merely finish the course.
The goal is that God uses His Word to change the course of your life.
Do Not Be a Hearer Only
The Bible warns:
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
— James 1:22, KJV
There is a danger in hearing truth repeatedly without obeying it.
Knowledge can make a person feel spiritually secure even while he remains unchanged.
You can read every lesson, agree with every Scripture, and still fail to follow Jesus if you refuse to act upon what you learn.
Therefore, at the end of each lesson, pause.
Ask yourself:
“What truth did God show me?”
“What must I believe?”
“What must I stop doing?”
“What must I begin doing?”
“Is there someone I need to forgive?”
“Is there a sin I need to confess?”
“Is there an act of obedience I have delayed?”
“Is Jesus calling me to change my direction?”
Do not move quickly past conviction.
Obey the Lord while His Word is dealing with your heart.
Examine Yourself Honestly
The purpose of this lesson is not to cause sincere believers to live in constant fear because they are still growing.
Neither is it intended to give false comfort to people who use the name of Christ but refuse to follow Him.
It is an invitation to examine yourself honestly.
Ask:
Do I merely know about Jesus, or am I following Him?
Do I want His forgiveness without His authority?
Am I continuing in His Word?
Am I willing to be corrected?
Do I obey only when obedience is easy?
Is my life being changed?
Do I love Jesus above competing loyalties?
Is there spiritual fruit developing in me?
Have I surrendered my right to rule myself?
These questions should not lead you to trust in your own goodness.
They should lead you to Jesus Christ.
Only He can save you.
Only He can forgive you.
Only He can give you the strength to follow Him.
Only He can change your heart and produce spiritual fruit in your life.
But you must respond to His call.
He still says:
“Follow me.”
Discipleship Questions
- Before reading this lesson, how would you have defined a disciple of Jesus Christ?
- What is the difference between merely knowing about Jesus and actually following Him?
- Why is continuing in the Word of Christ an essential mark of discipleship?
- In what area of your life do you most need to remember that you are not your own?
- Is there any command of Jesus that you know but have delayed obeying?
- What evidence of spiritual growth would you like God to develop more deeply in your life?
- What is one definite step you can take today to follow Jesus more faithfully?
Closing Exhortation
A disciple of Jesus Christ is a follower, learner, servant, and witness of the Lord.
He belongs to Jesus.
He continues in the Word of Jesus.
He submits to the authority of Jesus.
He learns from Jesus.
He obeys Jesus.
He is changed by Jesus.
He bears fruit through Jesus.
He helps others come to know and follow Jesus.
Do not settle for shallow religion.
Do not settle for hearing truth without practicing truth.
Do not settle for knowing Christian words while living far from Christ.
Do not be satisfied merely to say that you believe in Jesus.
Follow Him.
The question is not only, “Do I know about Jesus?”
The question is:
Am I following Him?
A Prayer to Begin as a Disciple
Lord Jesus Christ, teach me what it truly means to follow You.
Do not let me be satisfied with empty religion, words without obedience, knowledge without surrender, or belief that never changes my life.
Make me teachable. Help me continue in Your Word. Correct me when I am wrong. Give me grace to obey when obedience is difficult.
Change my heart, my desires, my thoughts, my habits, my priorities, and my direction.
I confess that I cannot follow You faithfully in my own strength. I need Your grace, Your truth, and Your Spirit.
Help me deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You. Help me belong to You fully and live for what will matter in eternity.
Make me a faithful and fruitful disciple.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Next Step
Before moving to Lesson 2, take a few quiet minutes and pray honestly:
“Lord, show me whether I am truly following You.”
Then write down one area of your life that needs to come more fully under the authority of Jesus Christ.
Do not merely write it down.
Take one definite step of obedience.
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Next Lesson: Lesson 2 — What to Do After You’re Saved