Are You a Christian or a Disciple by Edward N Gross [Summary] Pt1

Main Summary: Are You a Christian or a Disciple by Edward N Gross is a book that calls believers to move beyond the title “Christian” into the life of biblical discipleship—marked by obedience, transformation, and spiritual reproduction. It exposes modern distortions of faith and guides readers back to Jesus’ original call: “Follow Me.”

Lessons You’ll Learn From This Post 

• Are you a Christian or a disciple?
• The Origin of the Word “Christian” 
• What “Disciple” Meant in the 1st Century
• Following Jesus or Being a Christian?
• Jesus and Evangelism
• Jesus and Salvation, Grace & Faith

Followers of Jesus often have to choose between nice and truth.

Are you a Christian or a disciple?

• This question isn’t just wordplay, it’s about unlocking a forgotten dimension of faith.
• Many Christians live their spiritual lives unaware of or indifferent to true biblical discipleship like a locked door in their spiritual house left unopened.
• The book emphasizes that the Christian life isn’t about trying harder, but about responding to the Gospel—a flourishing life in Jesus through obedient love.
• The world is not friendly to the real disciples of Jesus. True discipleship involves facing rejection, hardship, and spiritual warfare.
• The author notes that many biblical words, especially “disciple,” have lost their meaning due to neglect and lack of practice, even in seminaries and churches.
• One way biblical concepts are lost is through disobedience; when we stop practicing them, we forget them.
• The modern Church often lacks depth because it has substituted real discipleship with comfort, religion, and culture.

Today’s Christianity offers the name ‘Christian’ to millions before they ever consider the cost involved in following Jesus as His disciples.

Also read The Price of God’s Miracle Working Power by A. A Allen [Summary] 

The Origin of the Word “Christian” 

• The way we define ourselves shapes our identity and behavior. Labels like “Christian” deeply influence how we live and what we believe.
• Over 2 billion people globally claim to be Christians, but that term is defined and applied in widely different, often contradictory ways.
• The term “Christian” is used only three times in the Bible, and never by Jesus or the apostles to define themselves—it was a label given by outsiders.
• In Acts 11:26, the disciples were first called “Christians” in Antioch, after they were already living as disciples. The name was likely meant as a term of mockery.
• King Agrippa used the word “Christian” with irony in Acts 26:28, distancing himself from the shameful idea of following a crucified Messiah.
• In 1 Peter 4:16, Peter encouraged believers not to be ashamed if they suffer “as a Christian”—indicating the label carried stigma and persecution.
• The modern use of “Christian” has become diluted and popularized, often devoid of the cost and commitment that defined discipleship in the early Church.
• The author used a 21st-century parable to show that Jesus asked us to make “apple pies” (disciples), not fruit salad (a broad, undefined Christian identity).
• The early Church made disciples first, being called a Christian was a result of that life, not a starting point.

Discipleship not done became discipleship lost.

What “Disciple” Meant in the 1st Century

• Entering the “locked room” of biblical discipleship reveals a forgotten, ancient way of life that feels outdated but is deeply valuable.
• The modern Church has substituted biblical discipleship with religious activities (e.g., attending church, Bible studies, service events), which are good but not the same.
• Many Christians are confused or even fearful about the concept of discipleship because they’ve never been taught its true meaning.
• In the first century, a disciple wasn’t merely a learner but someone who made a radical, personal life commitment to their rabbi.
• Discipleship was a well-understood, rigorous process involving full submission, imitation, and personal transformation under a teacher.
• Jesus raised the standard of discipleship beyond that of other rabbis—calling for absolute surrender and loyalty.
• Five core traits marked first-century disciples:
  • Memorizing the rabbi’s teachings.
  • Accepting the rabbi’s interpretation of Scripture.
  • Imitating the rabbi’s way of life.
  • Becoming a rabbi and making more disciples.
  • Total submission to the rabbi’s authority.

• Today’s confusion about discipleship stems from a loss of these biblical definitions and from reading the Bible with a modern, diluted lens.

Being a Christian without following Jesus is like calling yourself a chef but never entering the kitchen.

Also read School of the Spirit by Robert Liardon [Summary]

Following Jesus or Being a Christian?

• The author urges us to “test everything” (1 Thess. 5:21) because many follow a version of Jesus shaped by personal preference, not Scripture.
• Many Christians settle for a Jesus who demands little—a sanitized, westernized version that doesn’t reflect the biblical Christ.
• The author shared his personal story of initially rejecting the real Jesus for a more palatable one, only to later discover how dangerous that was.
• He also critiques shallow versions of Jesus promoted through books, music, and pop culture—versions that ignore His commands.
• Jesus warned that some who claim His name will be shocked when He says, “I never knew you” (Matt. 7:21–23).
• Following Jesus involves embracing the cost of discipleship, not just enjoying spiritual benefits.
• The Church must stop settling for a Christianity that makes people comfortable but never transforms them into obedient, reproducing disciples.
• Real change requires more than tweaking methods—it demands a return to the radical call of Jesus to follow Him.

Jesus didn’t say, ‘Go and get decisions.’ He said, ‘Go and make disciples.’

Jesus and Evangelism

• The author explores two primary ways of evangelism: the popular Western model and the model Jesus used.
• Many evangelism efforts today focus on making converts instead of making disciples—a serious deviation from Jesus’ example.
• Jesus emphasized both calling people to Himself and teaching them to obey His commands. True evangelism is disciple-making, not just decision-making.
• The modern approach often makes salvation too easy, removing the call to repentance, obedience, and life transformation.
• The author critiques his own earlier approach to evangelism, which prioritized numbers and emotional responses over lasting spiritual growth.
• He calls for a return to the biblical gospel, which includes the hard truths of sin, repentance, suffering, and surrender.
• Effective evangelism should align with Jesus’ clear call: “Follow Me”—not just pray a prayer or raise a hand.
• The true Gospel transforms lives, and evangelism should not shy away from that transformation for the sake of appeal.

Grace does not cancel obedience—it enables it.

Also read A Life of Obedience by Andrew Murray [Summary]

Jesus and Salvation, Grace & Faith

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• The author addresses the question: “Are only a few people going to be saved?”—a question Jesus Himself was asked (Luke 13:23).
• Salvation is not a casual experience or automatic result of grace; it demands a response of faith and repentance.
• Jesus taught that grace is not a license to sin. True grace leads to transformation and obedience—not apathy or lawlessness.
• There is a difference between true saving faith and counterfeit faith. Many people profess belief but are not truly born again.
• The New Testament warns that demons believe in God (James 2:19)—but they are not saved. Faith must go beyond intellectual assent.
• The author calls for a return to biblical definitions: salvation that results in obedience, grace that produces holiness, and faith that bears fruit.

The Gospel without repentance is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus and Repentance

• Repentance is not optional—it is central to the Gospel Jesus preached. He began His ministry with the call: “Repent and believe the Good News.”
• The order matters: in Scripture, repentance often comes before faith because it clears the heart to truly believe and receive.
• Biblical repentance involves both turning away from sin and turning toward God—heartfelt sorrow for sin and a change in behavior.
• True repentance is both internal and external, involving deep conviction and visible fruit.
• Many today rush through repentance or skip it altogether, treating grace as permission to remain unchanged.
• Revelation shows that the resurrected Christ still calls His Church to repentance, especially when they’ve compromised or grown lukewarm.
• The author recommends that the church must recover a theology of repentance—not as a one-time act, but as a continual posture of humility before God.

After reading this, it’s time to examine your spiritual identity. Are you following Jesus with full surrender, or simply wearing a label? Take the first step by rethinking your understanding of grace, salvation, and obedience. Choose the path of true discipleship, where faith meets transformation.

Finally, here is a question we’d love you to answer.

What version of Jesus have you been following—the biblical one or the one shaped by culture?

We would love to hear from you. Please leave your answer and comment in the comment box below.

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