A “Jesus freak” is a slang term that refers to someone who is deeply devoted to following Jesus Christ and living according to his teachings in the Bible. The term originated in the 1960s and 1970s during the Jesus Movement, when many hippie and counter-culture youth converted to Christianity and began expressing their faith in ways that seemed extreme or fanatical to mainstream society.
While the term “Jesus freak” started out as a pejorative, many Christians who were labeled this way eventually reclaimed the term as a badge of honor. They saw their countercultural methods of worshipping Jesus and telling others about him as a radical way of life that rejected lukewarm faith.
Here are some key things the Bible teaches about what it means to be a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, which could lead someone to be described by others as a “Jesus freak”:
1. Putting Jesus first in everything
Jesus emphasized that following him needed to be our top priority in life, above all else. He said things like:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).
“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).
The call to follow Jesus demands our full allegiance. He wants to be first in our lives, even if it means giving up earthly relationships or possessions to obey and worship him.
2. Being devoted to God’s Word
Jesus said that true disciples abide in his Word:
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31).
Followers of Jesus read the Bible, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it continually to renew their minds and grow closer to God. The Word exposes sin, equips us for ministry, and transforms us to be more like Christ.
The Bible says the Word of God should richly dwell within us (Colossians 3:16) and we should earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). Jesus freaks treasure the Scriptures and base their lives on them.
3. Obeying Jesus’s commandments
A key part of following Jesus is obeying his commandments. Jesus said:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me” (John 14:21).
Some of Jesus’s key commandments include loving God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39), making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), loving one another (John 13:34-35), and taking up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). Jesus freaks align their lives around Jesus’s commands out of love and devotion to him.
4. Imitating Jesus
Part of being a disciple is patterning our lives after our master. The Bible says:
“Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6).
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
Jesus freaks consciously imitate Jesus in everything from his prayer life to his concern for the poor and needy. Their passion is being like Jesus in character and conduct.
5. Being filled with the Spirit
The disciples followed Jesus, but after he ascended to heaven they still lacked power to live the Christian life. That changed at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them.
Part of being a Jesus freak is seeking to be continually filled with and guided by the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us:
“Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).
Jesus freaks actively surrender to the Spirit’s leading on a daily basis. This empowers them to love boldly, serve generously, and proclaim the gospel.
6. Possessing childlike faith
Jesus highly valued childlike faith in his followers. He said:
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:15).
Children have a humble, sincere, wholehearted faith. Jesus freaks depend on God with simplicity and humility, not leaning on their own understanding. Their approach to Jesus is unpretentious, authentic, and fiercely believing.
7. Being heavenly minded
Since Jesus freaks live in eager expectation of his return, they keep their eyes fixed on eternity. The Bible tells us to:
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).
With their hopes centered on the world to come, Jesus freaks pour themselves into building God’s eternal kingdom. Earthly treasures do not preoccupy them.
8. Being committed to evangelism and discipleship
Before ascending to heaven, Jesus commanded his followers:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
Jesus freaks are passionate about spreading the gospel and making new converts. They also prioritize discipling others to follow Jesus wholeheartedly like they do.
9. Embracing the cost of discipleship
There is a cost to radically following Jesus. He said:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).
“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Despite persecution, rejection, and sacrifice, Jesus freaks continue to worship and obey Christ with abandon. Their love for him outweighs any trials they face.
10. Displaying the countercultural lifestyle of the kingdom of God
Since Jesus freaks belong to God’s kingdom rather than the world’s system, their values, behaviors, and lifestyle often contrast starkly with earthly culture.
Jesus himself was non-conformist. He shocked the religious elite of his day by fellowshipping with sinners and outcasts. His followers reflect this radical stance.
Though sometimes viewed as strange or extreme, Jesus freaks adhere to God’s countercultural standards regardless of opposition. Their commitment to purity, selflessness, and simplicity flows from their citizenry in God’s upside-down kingdom.
In summary, while the term “Jesus freak” originated as a pejorative, it has come to signify anyone who wholeheartedly adheres to Jesus’s extreme call to follow him.
This includes making Christ preeminent, treasuring Scripture, obeying Christ’s teachings, imitating his example, relying on the Spirit, embracing childlike faith, keeping an eternal perspective, fulfilling the Great Commission, enduring persecution, and living counterculturally as an act of kingdom allegiance.
Jesus freaks simply take the words of Jesus seriously and allow their devotion to him to shape every aspect of life. Their enthusiastic obedience and unconventional lifestyle causes those around them to see the transforming power of God’s kingdom. Far from being the relic of a passing fad, Jesus freaks are as relevant today as ever in calling attention to what matters most: the greater glory of following Jesus faithfully no matter the cost.