“The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him…… Nevertheless, many did believe in him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, so that they would not be banned from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than praise from God.” John 12:25-26, 42-43 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/jhn.12.25-43.CSB

Perhaps the easiest means for identifying a Christian believer from a Christian disciple is their willingness to identify with Jesus. Believers identify with Jesus on Sunday at Church or around disciples. Believers make no effort to identify themselves with Jesus in the marketplace, in their vocations, among their pagan friends, for they want men to think well of them more than they want God to think well of them. Disciples follow Jesus into the world as servants willing to suffer for His Name’s sake. Disciples seek God’s reward, so they work to seek and save the lost, creating treasure in heaven. Disciples follow Jesus into places where evil reigns to stop evil and rescue the prisoner captured by that evil. Disciples are willing for men to speak evil of them to receive God’s ‘well done, My good and faithful servant,’ upon entering heaven. Disciples have every reason to believe Jesus will welcome them into heaven, but believers have no such reason for the warning Jesus gave concerning those who deny Him on earth would be denied in heaven applies to them. Intentional action toward making disciples identifies the disciples of Jesus. Passive participation in the activities of the Church is where believers reside. Are we believers, or are we disciples?