What does it mean to be a true disciple of Christ, and how does this display itself in our interactions within the church and the world?

Chris Law emphasizes the significance of love as an identifier of a true disciple, as stated by Jesus in John 13:35. This love, however, is not the type casually thrown around in society today, but rather a biblical love that serves as evidence of discipleship within the local church. Law points out that the New Testament spends considerable time discussing love, not just towards the world, but specifically within the church, where it often portrays the most substantial impacts.

Despite the hurt and disappointment people have encountered due to a lack of love in the church, Law states that Christ's expectation is for love to be the beautiful picture of discipleship that the world sees. He also mentions that unity within the church and our spiritual unity in Christ result in prayers for one another and carrying each other's burdens, further evidencing true discipleship. At the core of it all, however, is reliance on Christ's work for salvation.

1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV): 'Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.'

The New Testament speaks a lot about the evidences of a disciple is the love for one another. Jesus said in John 13 35, by this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. And love is thrown around in our society so much yet the biblical picture of love and specifically love within the local church is to be a great evidence to the world of being a disciple of Christ. You think of how much time the scriptures spend on speaking about love in the New Testament. Not just love towards the world, but specifically in the church.

And isn't that the place where often people have been hurt the most? People who have been looked down upon the church because of a lack of love. And yet Christ says that should be the beautiful picture to the world so that they would know. The Epistles speak of our unity, our unity spiritually in Christ, but then flows out into how we pray for one another, how we carry one another's burdens. And so we see these as evidences as fruits, but in the middle of it all is the resting on the work of Christ for salvation.

And so this beautiful picture of discipleship in the local church is evidenced in the love we have for one another.