From Anstey’s Doctrinal Definitions:
The word “disciple” means “a learner.” A disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ is a professed learner and follower of His teachings.
Scripture presents discipleship as being a complete and unconditional surrender of the believer’s life to the cause of Christ in this world. The cost of this commitment is great in terms of what one must give up. It involves letting go of every personal ambition and goal that we may have had in life and adopting God’s objectives for the spread of Christ’s glory on earth. With this commitment comes suffering, reproach, hardship, and much hard labour. There is no escape from these things; they are normal to true discipleship. Strange as it might sound, these incredible sacrifices and hardships for the Lord’s name do not give the disciple a better standing in heaven; nor do they add one iota to his spiritual blessings in Christ.
In view of these hardships and difficulties, we may wonder why any believer would make this commitment to become a disciple of Christ when there is no apparent advantage in it. Furthermore, the Lord never commanded anyone to be a disciple of His! Those who have committed themselves to Him as such have done so on their own volition. In fact, the Lord forewarned those who considered being one of His disciples that it would involve much self-denial and sacrifice (Matt. 16:2424Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)), and thus it would be a costly decision (Luke 14:28-3028For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. (Luke 14:28‑30)). Yet, in spite of all this, many thousands have taken it upon themselves to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ—and none have regretted it! The reason for their willingness to surrender their lives in this way is that “the compassions of God” (Rom. 12:11I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)) and “the love of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:14-1514For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14‑15)) have taken a hold of their hearts and have constrained them—and therefore, they do it gladly. They see it as being the least that they could do for Him. They don’t regret the step they have taken because they have found, that while it is a difficult path, it is also a very happy path (Luke 6:20-2320And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. (Luke 6:20‑23) – “blessed” means “happy”). In fact, they have found the secret to true happiness in life that millions are looking for!
• Scripture indicates that there are two kinds of disciples of Christ:
The difference between these is great. As to being a “disciple” of the Lord, He indicated that there are two things that make a person such. He said to His apostles, “Go and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have enjoined you” (Matt. 28:1919Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19)). The first of these things (baptism) is a one-time act. It is the outward sign of a person’s identification with Christ (Gal. 3:2727For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:27)). It formally introduces a person into the sphere where the Lord’s authority is recognized practically in a disciple’s life. The second thing, which has to do with receiving moral and spiritual instruction, involves a process of learning. If these instructions are received and practised, it also makes a person a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
However, a mere professing believer with no real Godward faith can submit himself to the ordinance of baptism and receive moral instructions—and thus he could be counted as a disciple of the Lord. This being the case, the Lord tests each of His disciples as to his or her reality. We see this in John 6:24-5924When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. (John 6:24‑59). The Lord intentionally used symbolic teaching in connection with eternal life when addressing His disciples. Many of them could not understand what He was saying and balked at it. They dismissed it as being senseless and went back from following Him (John 6:6666From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. (John 6:66)). And, in doing so, they proved that they were not real believers at all. Strange as it may sound, they were disciples but not believers!
On the other hand, there are those who are real believers and committed to following the Lord. He called these “disciples indeed” (John 8:3131Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; (John 8:31)). They prove themselves to be such by continuing in that path of faith, following the Lord through hardships and rejection associated with real discipleship. Besides being marked by the two outward signs of a “disciple” (baptism and receiving instruction), there are a number of other things that set them apart as being “disciples indeed.” These are:
• They deny themselves and make Christ’s claims pre-eminent over all other claims in their life (Luke 14:2626If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26); Matt. 16:2424Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)).
• They have counted the cost and have made a lifelong commitment in their Master’s service (Luke 14:28-3328For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:28‑33)).