Sun, Mar 21st - 12:13AM

Christian Discipleship

“Disciple” or Just an Ordinary Christian

If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] begin to mock him,  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.  Luke 14:26-33

          The term “disciple” in its noun form is rarely used today amongst Christians, at least to my hearing.  I don’t think I have heard someone referred to as a disciple, or in an evangelistic outreach that a person needs to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.  The words “Christian” or “believer” are the common terms used to describe persons in the contemporary churches who profess to know Christ, even though “disciple” is the definitive word used by Christ in the Gospels to describe one of His followers, or would-be followers.  A word search in the Bible (KJV) yields a differing proportion of the use of these terms.  The word "believer" is used twice in the singular form, in Acts and First Timothy, and not at all in the plural.  "Christian" is found twice in the singular, in Acts and I Peter respectively, and once in the plural in Acts. The word "disciple," however can be found about 29 times in the singular in the Bible, and about 232 times in the plural, once in Isaiah and the remaining times in the Gospels and Acts.

          I believe that there are at least two distinct reasons for the reversed imbalance in the use of these terms amongst contemporary American Christians.  First, there is a simple, linguistic ease that accompanies the word "Christian."  It seems to cover the full range of persons associated with what has culturally and religiously been labeled as "Christianity," or all of the religious groups who profess some relationship to the historic Jesus Christ.  But the deeper and more essential reason may be that becoming a disciple, in the strict, disciplined devotedness that this term implies is no longer thought to be absolutely necessary as accompanying conversion and salvation.  The Gospel has undergone a shift in definition in the past half to three quarters of a century.  Whereas the command to repent before a holy God and have faith in the atoning work of Christ was the historic message delivered to the world, today a very simplistic formula is given for would-be converts:  “simply believe.”  Those who state or imply that a full, radical change of lifestyle is needed upon conversion are accused of proclaiming a “works gospel,” or one requiring some kind of good deeds in order to be saved.  The more recent gospel proclaimers have so intimidated those who would present the whole message proclaimed by Christ and His apostles, that they have effectively silenced them, and supplanted the Biblical Gospel with their newer, abbreviated version.  Even a cursory look at the literature commonly used in evangelism today by well-respected denominational and para-church groups would confirm this assertion.

    “Just ‘believe’ in what Jesus did for you on the cross, and go on your happy way to heaven.  Never mind the ongoing problem of sin in your life, and all of the Biblical commands for holiness, because you are always going to sin no matter how hard you try to overcome it.  Perfectionism is a false idea promoted by legalistic, works-oriented believers.”  This statement is the sum total of counsel given to those who would come to Christ as new born babes in today’s Evangelical culture.  Certainly, a form of discipleship is taught in today’s churches, but, again it is a very simplistic, hollow, and non-essential “form of godliness.”  “Read your Bible, pray every day, and find a Bible-oriented church to be a part of,” goes the rhetoric.  I suppose that with this advice, shallow and lacking teeth in its imperatives as it is, a new believer (not necessarily a "disciple") could conceivably set out on a course for heaven.  The trouble with such spineless gospel preaching is that the hard sayings of Christ must somehow be dealt with in such a manner as to either negate them altogether, or spiritualize them in the mind of the new convert.  By this I mean that the new believer sees such commands to forsake all to follow Jesus, and to take up the cross of self-denial as merely metaphorical imperatives rather than real and practical ones.  For a preacher, whether he is professional or otherwise to incorporate these New Testament sayings of Christ into his Gospel presentation would be tantamount to high heresy, and place him in danger of excommunication by the bishops of today’s "Evangelical Rome."  Hopefully, my facetiousness here conveys the fact of a serious, and actual condition in the church world today. 

Dispensationalism as well as Some Forms of “Calvinism” are both Partly Responsible for the Problem

    Though several of the many theological systems devised by man appear to have  good as well as bad points, it appears to me that “Dispensationalism” must take the most blame for the present undermining the historic Gospel and supplanting it with an easy, “no-cost” message, often devoid of the need for persevering commitment rooted in genuine repentance.  Sadly, these folks have been looked up to as being very conservative in their religious, social and political outlook and practice, and yet their pet doctrines have, likely done more harm to the body of Christ than many other teachings coming on the modern scene.  While strict dispensationlism, in its common variety certainly does not justify or condone spiritual laziness and loose living, the implications of dividing the Gospel into two distinct gospels for two distinct groups, Jews and Gentiles are really quite devastating to the essential message.  All the commands of Christ and His early disciples can be easily dismissed for our modern world in Dispensationalism, because “they were given to the Jews, who were under the Law.”  We, on the other hand, it is asserted are under "grace," and, therefore need only to believe on what Jesus did on the cross in order to be saved.  All of the various commands given in the New Testament to crucify the flesh, live a consistently holy and blameless life are, by implication only options to strive for if one has the inclination for the “deeper life” with God.  But to lay them on one’s fellow believers as necessary, as Christ did is certainly inappropriate.  In the first place, they are virtually impossible to comply with (so they say), and in the second place implying their necessity would not be a sign of openness to “seekers,” which would surely drive multitudes of them away to the more “seeker-friendly” churches.  Alas, it can now be seen why this non-discipleship gospel has become so necessary in our modern, self-oriented culture.  The practical requirement for being a disciple of Christ and all that is implied in it, in terms of separation from the world and separation to God have thus, been effectively eliminated from, not only the message of today’s churches, but the very lives of their people.

            Now, I wouldn’t want to place all of the blame for the present sad state of affairs in the body of Christ solely upon these dear saints who advocate and promote their Dispensational doctrine.  All quarters of the church have had their compromises in order please men and gain members and followers.  Those in the “Reformed” quarter of the church are really just as guilty of promoting spiritual-religious complacency as their Dispensational brothers.  The so-called “five points of Calvinism” contain the essential doctrines of election and of “sovereign grace.”  Among these are the “perseverance of the saints,” which asserts that the true elect shall persevere in their faith unto the end of their salvation.  The problem with their teaching is that perseverance is assumed, but not necessarily commanded, again likely because of the desire to make the Gospel appealing to the masses.  The concept of “grace” to the modern churches seems to imply an almost automatic, willing compliance with the commands of Christ, with no self-mortification necessary.  Obedience, therefore becomes however one chooses to obey whatever ones chooses to believe must be obeyed.  The early Puritan forebears of these modern Calvinists, as well as the early Baptists were, however not so soft with their hearers. 

The irony of all this, however is that the most conservative elements in the church today, many of whom consider themselves to be “fundamentalist” in the faith, adhering to the supposed basic tenants of Biblical Christianity may, unwittingly be undermining the very truths that they so staunchly uphold.  While many "fundamentalists" and other “conservatives” have become so busy criticizing and correcting the glaring faults of other segments of Christianity, i.e. the “new revelations” of the Charismatics, the sensuous music, dress and lifestyles of nearly all other Evangelicals (including many “fundamentalists”), or the infant baptism, amillennialism and lack of rapture in the teachings of the Reformed churches, that they have failed to remove the doctrinal beam out of their own eye.  Truly, the systems and concepts devised by men are all bruised, shaking and broken reeds upon which they often try to stand.  The teaching of the whole counsel of Scripture is clear that there is but one doctrine, as Paul states it, “...the doctrine which is according to godliness...” 1Tim. 6:3.   While justification before a holy God is without merit or works on the part of the one being justified, discipleship, practical holiness, bearing the cross, or whatever other language is used to describe God’s requirement for us to live a life of repentance, true faith and full obedience to all of His moral commands is not optional for the professing Christian.  One wonders what kind of tribulation, moral failures in the churches or persecution of the churches will it take to get this truth into our adolescent Evangelical heads in the wicked time in which we now live?

        I suppose I could go on to harping about all of the compromises of the present program-oriented churches, as I often do.  I'll spare my readers of that. My point is simply this:  Isn’t it time to go back and see what Jesus and His apostles taught about the Christian life, and to put aside all of our contemporary notions of what His Gospel really is?  Let's try something new and quote their words in presenting the Gospel to the lost world around us and in exhorting each other concerning Christian living.  Sure, there were false believers in early New Testament times, wolves in sheep’s clothing, who taught wrong gospels.  There were carnally oriented, professing "Christians", and perhaps even entire assemblies of them, who believed, like many today that they could just kick back and live  self-oriented, cross-less lives and be assured of heaven. But the call has, from the very beginning been the same.  ”Come, deny yourself, take up the cross, die to self, crucify the flesh and follow me!”  I realize that this is a hard message to preach to a self-oriented generation in this modern world.  But if we are obedient to our Master, we’ll proclaim this very message faithfully until He returns.  Mary Poppins sang, “A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down...”  In this case, the leaven of a little sugar only diminishes the potency of the powerful medicine that has been entrusted to us.  Let’s give the Gospel in its full strength to a dying world, and allow God be responsible for the results.

The disciple is not above [his] master, nor the servant above his lord.  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more [shall they call] them of his household?  Matt. 10:24,25

Come, Follow Me

Take up your cross and Follow Me

A home in heaven waits.

Forsake this world and you will see

The glory of its gates.

The sting of death is what I bore

For you upon the tree.

To give you life and so much more

As it was meant to be.

“Disciple” I am calling you

Reproach for me to bear.

As I your teacher always knew

My righteousness you�d wear.

Do not expect the world to give

Approval or its love.

My Spirit in your heart shall live;

Your mind on things above.

Come unto Me, I’ll give you rest;

The journey is not long.

Eternally you will be blessed

And sing redemption’s song.

Did not the preacher tell you this,

That dying is your lot?

In clinging to this life you’ll miss

Salvation that you sought.

This cross for you I’ve made today;

It’s not too much to carry.

I’ll help you bear it on the way,

So come, and do not tarry!

W. M. C.