At our small group gathering recently a question came up regarding the difference between a believer and a disciple? Is there any?
DISCIPLE Let’s start with the basics of the meaning. Disciple is a noun from the Greek word, mathétés (from math-, the mental effort needed to think something through”). The meaning would indicate a disciple is a learner, a pupil, a follower of Christ who learns the doctrines of Scripture and the actions and lifestyle that aligns with those doctrines. Those who came to Christ in the New Testament were followers of Jesus and were disciples – a pupil learning to follow and living to please Jesus.
BELIEVER A believer has to do with faith. I believe! This word is from the Greek meaning pisteúō which means to “have faith in.”
Strong’s Concordance defines it this way: Pistis (faith) is derived from peithō, (“persuade, be persuaded”) – believe (affirm, have confidence); used of persuading oneself (human believing) and with the sacred significance of being persuaded by the Lord (faith-believing). Faith is anchored IN Jesus. This “having faith in” is related to being persuaded in your own faith, and linked with the persuasion that God is who He says He is.
When believing is anchored in God, there is a heart-core trust (faith) in God that transforms our thinking. This faith affects how we behave and live and conduct ourselves. True faith in God becomes the priority of our days, and the light that guides our choices. It’s the catapult to right relationships. This kind of faith IN God takes hold of us and transforms everything about us.
DEMONS
BELIEVE
DEMONS BELIEVE and KNOW WHO JESUS IS
There is a difference between believing and being a disciple. Even the demons believe. But they are not disciples or follower or students of the Savior. They know of him and know he exists, and they believe in him, but they do not want to become like him or be his follower. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Each time a demon encountered
Jesus in the New Testament, they knew immediately who Jesus was.
- In Mark 5: 7 the demon “What do you want
with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name
don’t torture me!”
- Acts 19:14 One day the
evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are
you?” This is an incredible story about
the sons of a Jewish priest who were trying to mimic the work of Paul. More
below.
- Mark 1:24 “What do
you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us? I
know who you are —the Holy One of God!”
What a powerful statement of belief by the demons! They knew Jesus, his name, his power and authority. Yet, their knowledge did not transform their minds or actions. They continued in their rejection of Jesus and were allegiant to their father, the Devil.
Acts 19 reveals the story of a
Jewish chief priest’s sons who try to mimic the power of God through Paul. Paul was in Ephesus and was speaking for
three months in the synagogue about the Kingdom of God. Some of the hearers
became obstinate and refused to believe.
Then they made trouble for the followers of Christ. Paul leaves the synagogue and moves to the
local lecture hall. For two years both
Jews and Greeks from Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did powerful miracles through Paul,
healing and driving out demons.
Then this happened…
Some Jews who were driving out
demons began to say this: “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul
preaches, I command you to come out.”
Were
these Jews disciples or believers? Or
either? If we recall that believing
doesn’t necessarily mean the person has given his entire life over to this
gospel. Believing is the first step to
true faith, but believing can also short-circuit and lead to just that,
believing without the commitment of following fully. Perhaps the case with the Jews here.
One
of the Jewish priests had sons who were exorcists. Being a Jewish chief priest in Ephesus would
have been unusual since the chief priest were in Jerusalem. This may be this Jewish priest was part of a sacerdotal
order or one of the 24 divisions of the Levites. He could have been a former
priest who held the office but now a ranking ruler in the Sanhedrin. This priest (perhaps an imposter) and his
sons were exercising powers other than the power of God. The name, Sceva (mind reader), is of Latin
origin and this priest and his sons may have been part of the Hellenistic Jews
(ancient Greek culture) hadn’t heard the truth of Jesus resurrection yet. Or they were just religious charlatans
seeking the same extraordinary power they saw in Paul.
When
these Jews tried to copy Paul, it backfired! Apparently there was some kind of
“belief” going on.
Acts 19:13-17 says,
Some Jews who
went around driving out evil spirits tried to
invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They
would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to
come out.” 14 Seven
sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day
the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I
know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the
man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave
them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
Notice
that these Jews realize they may believe in the Jewish laws and seek the power
of God, but were they disciples?
17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas (one drachma may have been a day’s wages). 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Notice how the demons responded to
the Jews trying to cast them out. We know Jesus and we know Paul, but who are
you? Demons believe in God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit as
one God. They shudder because their fate
is sealed for the future judgment, yet it still didn’t change their thinking
and actions. They continue on in their destructive actions and rejection of the
true God.
The Jews who believed took even further steps to prove their belief. One of the ways they showed their changed lives was exhibited by their willingness to rid their lives of distractions to truly following Jesus. One example is burning up many dollars of valuables of books, and charms, and those items that tied them to their past ways of just being religious to now becoming a believer and a disciple of Christ. Notice what they did – they burned everything that was against God. It cost them something. They were on the road to change and to discipleship.
JESUS CALLS DISCIPLES
Jesus becomes the first and foremost desire of a disciple. Hours are spent in God’s word to learn what God values and the principles that guide a true follower of Christ. A disciple is one who presses into all the God-secrets available through the Word and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus stresses the point of discipleship to crowds who were following him.
Luke 14:25-27 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
But even disciples desert Jesus. When the time to forsake all and follow Jesus came, these believers and disciples said what Jesus was teaching was just too hard. Hard to those whose hearts are still filled with the world, but easily entreated by those whose hearts believe and obey.
On hearing it, many of his
disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (who can
believe it, or obey it?)
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
Many who came to Christ were believers and disciples, more or less. The word disciple here may be used of those who may have accepted Jesus’ teaching, while others of the disciples not so fully accepted the doctrines Jesus was teaching them. Yes, they followed, but when they heard what Jesus was saying about being a true disciple, they rejected him. The words Jesus had spoken were offensive. Even these “disciples” (learners) were not committed Christians. Many walked away! From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John 6:66
Is there a difference?
Is there a difference in believing or being a
disciple? The basic determination rests in the growth and perseverance to know
God. Faith is woven tightly with
obedience to the Word. Jesus said we are truly his disciple if we love him and
obey and keep his commands (John 14:15, 21).
Keeping, living out, obeying God’s word is the proof and validation of
our faith as a believer and as a disciple of Christ.
Peter expressed it clearly, “We have come to believe and to know that you are the
Holy One of God.” Knowledge comes
through learning God’s Word, applying it to our lives, and growing thereby.
It’s easy to believe (even demons do); it’s
harder to become a disciple (one who learns the how to truly believe the truth
of God). Discipleship is day by day pursuit of God. It takes all of our will, heart, life, and
priorities! Contend for the faith. It’s not easy, but a life-style of a
Christian. This disciple life-style develops that intimate relationship with
God through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit which equips us for daily
victorious living.
ACTIONS OF A DISCIPLE
Paul the Apostle, John the Beloved, James all
say that belief is nothing without action.
Peter writes that a new life is the result of believing. Peter also says to move on past the elementary
things and grow up in Christ. God’s word has a huge impact on that growth!
Romans 5:2-5 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace
in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that,
but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does
not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through
the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet
trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one
receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
2 Peter 1:5-11 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm
your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and
you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
Are you a believer or a disciple or both?
GOD’S WORD DRAWS US IN
Everyone then who hears these words
of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Mathew 7:24 ESV
There are many who believe in Jesus and others who have taken on the discipleship of growing deeply into the ways of Jesus. One of those ways is being in God’s Word, learning God’s secrets. Here’s a few of the scriptures to encourage us in spending time with God’s word and growing stronger in being a follower of Jesus! Notice the many times we are encouraged to be in the word and grow stronger as a believer and a disciple.
BE IN THE WORD AND GROW!
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:18
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:15
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:12-14
I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. Proverbs 8:17
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 ESV
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4 ESV
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2 ESV
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Matthew 24:35
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:5 ESV
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 ESV
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 ESV
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Mathew 7:24 ESV
So, in conclusion, is there any difference between a believer and a disciple? Let me know what you think.
May God encourage you in HIS LIFE-GIVING WORD today!
LEARNING GOD-SECRETS FOR LIFE!
