If a disciple is someone who follows someone else in order to become like them and continue their work, then it makes sense that a disciple of Jesus is someone who follows Jesus and is in the process of becoming like Him to continue His work. That’s why the first dimension of a disciple is devotion. The second dimension of a disciple of Jesus is that he or she is progressively developing the character and competencies of Jesus in their own life.
The theological word for this development is “sanctification.” To be sanctified is to be separate and set apart. For a disciple of Jesus, sanctification is the process through which the Holy Spirit molds and shapes them into the image of Christ. On the night before His death, Jesus prayed, “Father, they are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth; your word is truth” John 17.16-17 ESV.
There are two primary areas in which disciples are progressively developing:
1. The Character of Jesus
A disciple must develop the character of Jesus by becoming like Him on the inside. Philippians 2.5 NLT says, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” With these words, the Apostle Paul was encouraging believers in Jesus to take on the character of Jesus.
The most straightforward list of Jesus’ character qualities is recorded in a list that Paul called “the fruit of the Spirit.” He wrote, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” Galatians 5.22-23 ESV. Jesus expressed and exemplified all these things in a variety of ways in all sorts of circumstances. Disciples of Jesus are learning to let the Holy Spirit have His way to develop these same qualities in their lives. They aren’t perfect, but they’re making progress.
2. The Competencies of Jesus
A disciple must develop the competencies of Jesus by becoming like Him on the outside. Like a master training a group of apprentices, Jesus trained His disciples in specific areas so they could carry on the work that He started.
As you read through the Gospels, several of these areas come into view. Jesus trained His disciples to understand and apply God’s Word. He taught them how to pray.
He taught them how to pray. He modeled public and personal evangelism, and He sent groups out to do it themselves. Jesus also trained His disciples to invest their lives in others. Instead of giving the bulk of His attention to random crowds of people, He spent the majority of His time with these few emerging leaders. True disciples of Jesus are progressively developing in these areas.
The key word for the process of sanctification is progress, not perfection. Paul told his young disciple Timothy, “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress” 1 Timothy 4.15 ESV. A true disciple’s earnest desire is to progressively become more like Jesus on the inside and the outside.
This blog originally appeared at: From the Inside Out: Developing the Character and Competencies of Jesus – discipleFIRST and features an excerpt from one of their Student Series books, Invest In A Few.