Modeling Christlikeness: The Heart of Discipleship

https://www.thewoodsoninstitute.org/post/modeling-christlikeness-the-heart-of-discipleship

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9 (ESV)

Living “life-on-life” is a central aspect of discipleship where Christians lead others to grow in their relationships with God. It is a modeling cycle which surpasses providing the transfer of information but leads to demonstration of how to walk obediently in Christ and respond to life’s circumstances. “Teaching others cannot be done solely through a classroom situation. It entails the imparting of a life—the same in-depth transmission that occurred between Paul and Timothy.” (1)

The Biblical Foundation: Paul as a Model

Paul conscientiously modeled Christ and urged others to do the same. He represented his behavior as imitation worthy because of Who he modeled. He wrote, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1) Modeling is true and biblical, but Christians must be mindful of the lifestyles they model.

In modeling Christ, Paul emphasized maintaining commitment to God by being faithful and steadfast. (1 Cor 16:13) He reminded Christians to maintain unity and peace within the body of Christ. (Eph 4:3) In Titus 3:8 he stressed the continual practice of good deeds to reflect faith and testimony to others by maintaining good works. Further, in 2 Timothy 1:14, he instructed Timothy to “guard the good deposit entrusted to” him by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Paul continually exhorted churches to stand firm and remain diligent in these practices of the Christian faith. As leaders, it is our responsibility to pass on this legacy of faithfulness to others while being attentive to what they see, hear, and observe from the world, as these learned behaviors may have contributed to their current spiritual states. Likewise, we must be careful to create environments that will model appropriate behaviors and practices. 

The Role of Accountability

Discipleship also provides wise counsel and a source of accountability. Though often overlooked or neglected, accountability helps us address struggles biblically instead of resorting to worldly means. Bill Hull describes how accountability and structure provide viable support for Christian living in The Complete Book of Discipleship. 

"...accountability is a biblical concept—a contemporary term for the ancient principle of helping fellow disciples keep their commitments to God. . . It’s like a chaperone for life—always in the room with us but tucked discreetly in the corner. We submit to accountability when we have a passion to please God, to avoid moral failure, or to avoid wasting away the years through neglect and sloth. . . A structure should simply compel us to take action, setting into motion the Holy Spirit’s action to reshape us. . . True community means living in submission to each another."(2)

Practical Ways Leaders Model Christ

As leaders we can effectively maintain discipleship relationships through modeling the character of Christ. Some of the ways we can do this are: 

• Checking our viewpoints of discipleship.  Robby Angle of Trueface asserts that how we “view” discipleship impacts how we “do” discipleship.  Correcting our viewpoints to mirror abiding with our relational God instead of merely completing seemingly obligatory tasks of making disciples changes the way we disciple.  This in turn changes our success in maintaining discipleship relationships.

• Renewing our minds daily (Rom 12:2). Make sure that when looking in the mirror we see ourselves through the lens of Christ properly so that we can lead others to view themselves through the lens of Christ properly as well. Make sure to model the character of Christ.  Again, it’s not just about doing discipleship; it’s about living it out daily.  

• Staying mindful that discipleship is about relationships.  Angle also notes, “Relationships are central to our spiritual growth, not groups.”(3)  Small group meetings and worship services are not sufficient discipleship time.  Paul invested deeply in his spiritual brethren and children, even communicating with them through letters in his absence.  He did ministry with them, and he broke bread with them, just as Jesus did—and so should we.

• Fostering environments of abiding love (Jn 15:4-17). Encourage meaningful relationships with Christ, not just sermons and scripture memorization.  While acquiring knowledge of the Word of God is important, it is the application of it through abiding in His love that spurs

  growth.  We must do, not just hear the word.

• Being transparent, vulnerable, and authentic. Because discipleship “is an intentional participation in a continual cycle of giving and receiving love,” it is imperative that we allow our discipleship relationships to display the transforming work of the Gospel.  This means being “vulnerable enough to acknowledge personal weaknesses while helping brothers and sisters in Christ learn from one another’s examples of the love and grace of God.”(4) Live the Gospel of grace so that those following can see what it looks like and follow suit.

Leading Well by Living Well

Consistently modeling the character of Christ is crucial to maintaining strong discipleship relationships. True discipleship goes beyond rote teaching—it’s intentionally living lives that others can imitate. We become living testimonies of the Gospel that invite others to grow when we walk in humility, truth, love, and grace. Let us lead well by living well—renew our minds daily, nurture authentic relationships, and act intentionally—so that those we disciple will yearn to abide with the Lord.

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1. Walter A. Henrichsen and Howard G. Hendricks, Disciples Are Made Not Born: Helping Others Grow to Maturity in Christ, New edition (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2011), 9.

2. Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ, Kindle Edition (Colorado Springs, CO: Navigators, n.d.).

3. Robby Angle, “Discipleship Framework,” (PowerPoint presentation, RightNow Media Conference, Dallas, TX, November 6, 2024),

4.  Samantha Clark-Childs, “The Importance of Discipleship In Transitional Living Facilities For Women” (DEdMin diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 2024), 8.