John 8:31

So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word (continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then) you are truly My disciples.

To be a Christian who follows Jesus, we are to obey His teachings and continually act in accordance with the word. We are to train up in our Bible knowledge and learn to have faith in the word of God. We are responsible for our own growth and the extent to which we pursue being a disciple.