This past week I was listen to an audio book, “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It lays out hard truths Jesus said about being a disciple, and how the church is watering down grace and salvation so as to attract people, but in turn causing entire generations to lose the weight of the cost of following Jesus.
Almost everything in the book has come up in my recent life (especially on the Race), as I have been searching for what being a follower (disciple) of Jesus practically looks like.
Here are a few of my discoveries, that coincide with some of Bonhoeffer’s points:
First, grace is not cheap, and cannot be presented as such. So often the modern church says, “simply pray this prayer, and you will be saved,” and forgets all about discipling and training people to follow Christ wholeheartedly in all circumstances and situations. Essentially this is preaching forgiveness without repentance. It allows Christ to take all of our sins, but does not require us to take responsibility for our actions and turn away from our sinful lives. We are not required to keep away from sinful activities, because Christ forgave all of our sins, past, present, and future. Christ did take care of all those sins, but God also requires us to keep from sin in order to honor him as wholly as we can. Churches are only requiring the “Salvation Prayer”, instead of also requiring a lifestyle change and helping to train patterns of behavior into God’s lifestyle. “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). If we cheapen grace, we do not ever feel the need for grace, because we never have to fully repent from all of our sins.
Second, in connection with the first point, we can no longer sit on our butts. We have a requirement to follow Christ, regardless of what the command is. If we have faith in him to forgive our sins, we now must rise up and follow where he leads, with all of our hearts. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Matthew 22:37). If we are asking questions of how to exactly follow his commands, we are focusing on the commands and dotting our “i”s and crossing our “t”s. It doesn’t matter who the person is, according to Jesus. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28). Everyone, including those who hurt you, we have to love, too, in the unconditional love that means we may even have to die for them to show God’s love. There are no “if”s, “and”s, or “but”s when following Christ. The response to his “love” shouldn’t be “how”, “when”, “who”, “where”, “why”, or “what”. Questions are non-existent here. There can only be literal obedience, with love to ALL people, as “Christ loved us, and gave himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:2).
Third, “the disciple is not above his master” (Matthew 10:24). Have an open mind on this one for a second.
We are not above Jesus, Therefore…
…We do not have the right to ask others to wash feet. We must do it ourselves. (John 13:13-16)
…We do not have the right to pick and choose who we love. We have to love everyone, regardless of their background. (Matthew 5:44-47)
…We do not have the right to pick how we love. We must even die for others to show them love, if that is God’s will. (Matthew 5:48)
…we must imitate Christ. Otherwise, we are not being true to his image, in which we were made. (Genesis 1:27)
Since we are not above Christ, we must be like him. “It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master” (Matthew 10:25). We must love as he loved us. We must be the least so others may be honored. We must take up our daily struggles, so that others may be spared the burden.
Lastly, there are a couple of independent points I do not want to forget, so I’m writing them here.
A disciple is only a disciple through God, and he or she cannot be disassociated with him.
The extraordinary is completely and simply natural and ordinary when you are following Christ as wholly as you should be. Nothing will surprise you.
I cannot hold others to a standard to which I do not hold my own life.
If you are brave enough, I challenge you to find and read this book and see what God says to you through it. But be warned, once you have read it, you are accountable to the knowledge you now possess! You must do something about it!
#GodIsInControl #redefiningdisciple
#THIRD
