Who is a disciple?

A disciple is someone who adheres to your doctrine. To fit into this description, the person has to believe your teachings, principles, live by them and spread them. A disciple believes what you believe, and patterns his life after it. Jesus said people like that are ‘family’.

“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? Pointing to His disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.
~Matthew12:46-50

At this point, I want ask you the following questions:

• Who do you believe?
• What do you believe?
• Why do you believe in who you believe and in what you believe?

If you lack clarity with respect to the above questions, you will ruin and destroy any family you build. Please understand this: Clearly taught faith and truth are the bedrock of a godly and strong family.

For instance, I personally believe in certain things that have come out of years of my walk with God; these are the revelations of God for my life and ministry. I hold them dear and precious, and I pattern my life according to them. If you don’t believe these things that I believe, you’re not my family; you’re an outsider. Anyone whose principles and values are identical to mine is family.

So a family is a community of people who believe the same things and live according to the same principles. For you as a child of God, it begins with believing in the same person: God and His Son Jesus Christ. It is not biological blood that connects great families; it is principles, doctrine and faith.