The Beliefs of John Robert Stevens

John Robert Stevens used the term discipleship to signify a high level of Christian dedication. Just as the disciples of Jesus had a greater dedication to the Lord than others of His followers, there are still various levels of commitment to Jesus today. As Jesus said regarding discipleship: “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39). It was this level of complete commitment to God, in every aspect of the believer’s life, that Stevens strived to find—for himself and for those around him.

This idea of complete dedication to Christ was clearly evident from the beginnings of Stevens’ ministry, as seen in “To Be A Christian,” a statement of faith that he wrote when he was fourteen years old.

To be a Christian means that I am no more my own man, but Christ’s man. It means the giving of myself away to Him, so that I have no more right or title to myself; so that I have no more claim upon myself, and am no more at my own disposal. To be a Christian means to belong body and soul to Christ, now and evermore, for Him to do with me as He wills.¹

Part of Stevens’ emphasis on the concepts of dedication and discipleship was that they were a means by which Christian believers could come into a deeper relationship with the Lord. The more that there is a commitment to do God’s will, the more He entrusts to us. Stevens encouraged every believer to lay aside the good for the better, and the better for the best. However, as much as he did this, he never made discipleship the measuring stick by which to accept someone. Stevens was clear that discipleship is an individual choice to be made, and was not necessarily a requirement for every believer. Instead, it is a gradual process that every believer is able to enter into, if he or she chooses to do so.

The term discipleship appears 266 times in Stevens’ written materials.
The term disciple appears 1,650 times in Stevens’ written materials.