Follower, Disciple, Servant
Many people call themselves Christian, but I wonder how many really are. Christian means different things to different people. Do you call yourself a Christian?
Some people call themselves a Christian because they go to church once or twice a year. Or perhaps their parents are Christians, and they assume they inherited it. It could be they adopted the label of Christian because they ruled out every other religion.
Of course, some people who call themselves a Christian profess their belief in Jesus as their Savior and follow his teachings.
Not counting subheadings that were added later, the word Christian only appears three times in the Bible. The first time was in Antioch (Acts 11:26). It may have been meant as an insulting label, mocking people as “little Christs.”
Later, King Agrippa used the word Christian (Acts 26:28). Last, Peter used it in what is perhaps the Bible’s only positive mention (1 Peter 4:16).
Instead of using the label of Christian, there are other words we might do well to consider.
Follower
Personally, I prefer to call myself a follower of Jesus. Being a follower of Jesus shows intentionality.
Followers of Jesus have stopped following worldly passions or engaging in personal pursuits. They made a U-turn in their life to follow their Savior. Where he goes, they follow.
Jesus often invited people to follow him (Luke 5:27 and many more). I’ve said “yes “to Jesus’s invitation to follow him. Many others have as well.
Following Jesus was easy to do two thousand years ago, when they could physically follow their Savior. But it isn’t so straightforward today. Still, we can follow Jesus through what the Bible teaches us about him.
When we follow Jesus, we become more like him. This means we learn to do what he would do and say what he would say.
Disciple
Perhaps a better label is disciple. A disciple not only follows their leader, but they commit their life to him. They go everywhere he goes and orient their lives around him.
Then they tell others about him. Being a disciple demonstrates an all-in commitment.
Though Jesus had twelve primary disciples, he also had many more (Matthew 10:42). To be his disciple they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him (Luke 9:23). To pick up our cross symbolizes self-denial and expresses a willingness to die for him.
Likewise, we can choose to be Jesus’s disciple today. This is a great label and one that I embrace, yet I’m hesitant to proclaim it too loudly. I don’t feel worthy.
Servant
Next, we have servant. A servant is someone who performs a service for another. In this context, it means someone who serves Jesus.
Paul often identified himself as a servant of Jesus (Ephesians 3:7, Philippians 1:1, and Titus 1:1). James also called himself a servant (James 1:1), as did Peter (2 Peter 1:1) and Jude (Jude 1:1).
As a servant of Jesus, our purpose is to serve him. Being a servant, however, carries with it a much deeper commitment.
We must move our mindsets from being a follower and disciple to becoming his servant. This makes Jesus our master. To be a faithful servant, we must do what our Master says—all of it.
If we are a true Christian (as opposed to being one in name only), we will do well to adopt the attitude of Paul: that through Jesus we are his servants, called, and set apart (Romans 1:1).
In this way, I strive to be Jesus’s servant.
Do you call yourself a Christian, a follower, a disciple, or a servant?
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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