There is still such a thing as a true disciple of Jesus. It is clear that not every person called a Christian is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. Earliest uses of the term ‘Christian’ probably applied to actual disciples of Jesus Christ, but there has been some drift of meaning of the term. Jesus himself taught that not every individual or group who believes in him is necessarily a true disciple of him. He taught that to be a true disciple of him, the one who believes must actually adhere to his teachings, obeying his actual commands. He taught his true disciples to teach such obedience wherever they went. It then became a matter for any potential believing disciple to follow the teachings of those who in turn were truly following the teachings of Jesus Christ, as the apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul, wrote in his first letter to the believers in Corinth: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). When this true discipleship chain gets broken, you end up with branches no longer joined to the vine. You end up with those who follow a teacher who follow a teacher whose following of the actual teachings of Jesus Christ is questionable. There have been so many occurrences of this since the early times of Christianity that it might have become by far the norm. The Holy Spirit is key. The Holy Spirit is forever true to the teachings of Jesus Christ as he first gave them and as he himself holds still to them today. Holding fast to what the Holy Spirit imparts genuinely, really, truly, is a matter of truly following Jesus, if it is done in true faith in Jesus Christ, as the light sent by the Father. The teachings of Jesus as the Father gave them to him, this is the true light, which the Holy Spirit still imparts purely. This makes you a true follower, a true Christian, even today. One way is to receive the Holy Spirit and what the Holy Spirit imparts, and keep on persisting in this out of persistent persuasion it is light from God. But be careful it is truly light from God. If not, it is true in Jesus’ words, that “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness”. Get back to the light God the Father has sent into the world. Be a true disciple. Be a true Christian.
