A genuine disciple of Jesus has three dimensions that make him or her fully mature and Christ-like. The first dimension is that the person is truly devoted to Jesus. This point might seem obvious, but many would-be disciples minimize it. A person who is devoted to Jesus has become convinced that Jesus is Lord, and that salvation is found in Him alone.
Discipleship begins with devotion.
When Jesus started His public ministry, He proclaimed a simple message that had two points of application. He said, “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” Mark1.15 NLT. It’s not enough for someone to try harder, be more religious, or do more good deeds. Until and unless people turn away from their sin and toward Jesus, they cannot be Jesus’ disciples. They have to repent and believe. They must trust Him to be the forgiver and leader of their lives.
The process of turning from sin and trusting in Jesus is called “conversion,” and it’s where discipleship has to start. When an influential pharisee named Nicodemus went to see Jesus, he said flattering things about the work that Jesus was doing. He said, “We all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you,” John 3.2 NLT. But that wasn’t enough. Being impressed by Jesus isn’t the same as believing in Him.
Jesus replied to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” John 3.3 NLT. Nicodemus needed to be converted. Even though, as a Jewish rabbi, he was committed to observing certain religious rituals, traditions, and teachings, Jesus told him that he needed to be born again to see Jesus for who He truly was and be able to respond accordingly.
Every person has been born into an earthly family, but to enter God’s family, each person must be born again by placing their faith in Jesus and expressing their devotion to Him. This is the first dimension of discipleship.
Conversion includes an acknowledgment of your sin, and a belief that Jesus is the Son of God whose death and resurrection can pay for your sin and restore your relationship with God. To the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul relayed this idea succinctly: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10.9 ESV.
Genuine disciples have turned from sin and trusted in Jesus. They’ve put their faith in Jesus and been born again. As a result, they are devoted to Him and live with uncompromising loyalty.
This blog features an excerpt from one of our Student Series books, Invest In A Few.
