Portrait of a Disciple

Here are the eight marks of a fully devoted follower of Jesus as distilled from the Scriptures as best I see it.

· Pursues his joy in God by abiding in Christ through the practice of spiritual disciplines
· Manifests his godliness of character by obeying God’s word through the power of His Spirit
· Fulfills his roles in society by embracing God’s design for functioning in each of the ordained spheres – home, church, and state
· Shares his faith with unbelievers by engaging them through a wise combination of gracious words and merciful works
· Does his part in global missions by maximizing his investment through praying, sending, and/or going
· Accomplishes his ministry to others by using his gift(s) in the domain(s) of God’s calling
· Manages his resources from God by utilizing them according to the principles of biblical stewardship
· Demonstrates his love for believers by engaging in fellowship through keeping the covenants of church membership

May we give ourselves regularly to the kind of self-examination that measures our commitment to follow Jesus in terms that the Scriptures prescribes.