Four Major Characteristics of a Biblical Disciple: Part 3 (Steadfastness)

“Follow me” (Matthew 4:19, English Standard Version). Perhaps one of the boldest statements ever uttered. The self-assurance required for such a demand could only abound from one of two heart conditions—arrogant hubris or accurate humility. These two simple words of Jesus would set the course for worldwide change while impacting individual lives in intricate and intimate ways. For two millennia, Jesus’s command to “follow” has been carried throughout the corridors of history on the backs of animals, in the bags of messenger boys, rolled up in newspapers, from the pens of scholars, from the lips of peasants, and through the lifestyles of countless believers. This continuous following of Jesus century after century is a marvelous and miraculous reality. Why has this happened? Because those who have been commanded and called to “follow” have done so. They have become followers. 

In Matthew 28:18b-20, Jesus expanded this call and command to a missional statement for His followers. He presented them with the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (ESV). This Great Commission would act as the catalyst for turning followers into follower-makers—disciples into disciple-makers. From this point forward, a called-out group of people in the world would be known as Christians, and those Christians would be marked by lifestyle traits that proved they were disciples. Four of those characteristics would be servitude, sacrifice, steadfastness, and studiousness. These four major Christian characteristics identify a true, believing disciple of Jesus Christ to the Church, their families, and the world.

Steadfastness – Disciples are Patient

Many renowned people have had their names etched into the walls of history through their testimony for Christ, but none have done so without the quality of patience. Patience is a key attribute in the life of a true disciple. James penned one of the most prominent passages regarding this topic. James chapter 1 covers the patience and steadfastness of a believer as they are facing lives that are scattered throughout the Roman empire. Peter wrote an amazingly congruent passage to James in 1 Peter 4. In each of these chapters, James and Peter are encouraging disciples of Jesus to endure and hold onto hope amidst the trials that they are facing. Peter unveils the eternal motivation that underlies this ability to remain steadfast, “rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13, ESV). Though not as plain language, James also gives an eternal perspective by informing believers of the crown of reward that they will receive if they endure the trials that they are facing (James 1:12, ESV). Mel Lawrenz, in his book Spiritual Leadership Today: Having Deep Influence in Every Walk of Life, stated, “There are reasons—sometimes life-or-death reasons—why we must exercise the skill of perseverance.”^[1] The disciple may never know on this side of eternity why it is that they must persevere through their current trial, but they can rest in the fact that they are serving an eternal purpose. That eternal purpose can be weighty at times and cause even the strongest disciple to grow anxious and weary. Zack Eswine wrote a chapter about living life at a pace that God has designated for an individual. In that chapter, he stated, “Jesus handles our anxieties with us by asking us to place them within a one-day-at-a-time pace for life.”^[2] Eswine brought an applicable reality to the discussion of perseverance. He answered the question, “How?” The answer—Jesus. A disciple of Jesus will persevere only by learning to lean on Jesus.

Until we write again,

Hunter V.S. See

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^[1] Mel Lawrenz, Spiritual Leadership Today: Having Deep Influences in Every Walk of Life. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 178.

^[2] Zack Eswine, The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering joy in our limitations through a daily apprenticeship with Jesus. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), 171