If someone asked you what the greatest hindrance to the spread of Christianity was, what would you say? Would your answer be the sway of atheism, materialism, skepticism, or humanized religion? Well, these ideologies have been around for a long time and the Church has continued to survive and flourish despite these influences. In actuality, the greatest obstacle to fulfilling Christ’s commission to His disciples is that blood-bought, born-again, heaven-bound believers fail to be true disciples of Christ. Perhaps this realization is why the Lord addressed the subject of discipleship often, usually by prefacing the necessity of His own death.
After hearing the Great Supper parable (Luke 14:12-24), an impulsive crowd began following Christ. Everyone seemed to enjoy this parable. However, this enormous following troubled our Lord, as many simply wanted a good meal rather than spiritual transformation. He stopped, turned to face them, and taught them about the cost of following Him (Luke 14:25-35). The Lord was more concerned with the commitment of His disciples to Him than with the crowd of people merely following Him. He desired disciples who would learn from Him and be loyal to Him without reservation.
True Discipleship: An All or Nothing Venture
The parables of the Unfinished Tower and the King’s Rash War (Luke 14:25-33) were told together directly after the Great Supper parable and share a common message: following Christ is an all-or-nothing venture. It is foolish to begin building a tower without first knowing that you have the resources to finish it. If started and then abandoned due to poor planning, the builder will lose the initial investment and appear foolish to others. Likewise, if a king decides to take on an invading force twice the size of his own army, it must be an all-out effort—any haphazard battle plan will end in defeat. He and his soldiers must give their all in the defense of their city or capitulate and offer terms of surrender to avoid war.
True Disciples Must Forsake All
Our desire to follow Christ measures how much we truly love Him and believe His message. The reason we hold back from being fools for Christ, and thus from seeing the mighty hand of God in our lives is disbelief; we do not trust God. Through disbelief, the One who was offended for us becomes an offense to us. Those who associate with Christ superficially will ultimately find Him loathsome. The Lord Jesus did not teach a middle ground concerning discipleship; those who follow Him are to do so without any reservation (Luke 9:23-24; 14:33).
A true disciple of Christ esteems Him as more important than anything this world has to offer: career, wealth, education, prestige, fame, following peers, or going with the flow. The Lord’s message on true discipleship dispersed the people. In general, the crowds followed Him no more. Only a few loyalists were willing to make the necessary sacrifices to be His disciples. These disciples “forsook all and followed Him” (Luke 5:11), leaving behind their professions and families (Mark 1:16-20). Forsaking must occur before following; otherwise, there are too many anchors to the old life, which will hinder close fellowship with the Savior. The Lord grew weary of shallow followers; He wanted true disciples. He desired quality in consecration, not a large quantity of half-hearted patriots.
True Disciples Must Deny Themselves
Complete identification with Christ means that we practically reckon our former selves in Adam (that is, in our unregenerate state) as dead and gone, and recognize that we are now alive in Christ. Paul put it this way: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). The Greek verb translated “crucified” is in the passive voice and perfect tense, indicating that God has, once and for all, carved us out of the world by the cross of His dear Son, and now we are to live for Him. We are one with Christ forever and must seek to live out His life in the way He desires. This new calling excludes self-ambition, self-sufficiency, self-exaltation, and self-gratification (that is, anything beyond what has God’s approval).
True Disciples Must Bear Their Own Crosses Daily
Each disciple must take up their cross daily. In ancient times, anyone nailed to a cross was destined to die a slow, agonizing death. Those crucified had no plans for the following week. Dying daily means saying, “Not my will, but Your will be done, Lord.” Additionally, when someone’s hands were nailed to the cross, it was impossible for them to grasp anything. Bearing one’s cross daily means that believers cannot engage in carnal appetites or become sidetracked by worldly pursuits. Thus, we come to Christ’s cross and leave with our own cross. The cross is a symbol of shame and death, and Christ asks those who believe in Him to follow His selfless example of faithfulness, even unto death.
True Disciples Must Love the Lord Above All
Christ must be the believer’s first love, which means all other natural relationships must be a distant second compared to our affection for Christ. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). From the parallel account in Matthew 10:34-39, we understand that the word “hate” is used as a comparative term. Our love for the Lord should be so great that any natural affection we might have for another would, by comparison, seem like hate. The Lord will not tolerate a divided heart in those who serve Him. He warned His disciples that having more than one master would keep them from living for Him (Matt. 6:24). Divided allegiance is not possible! The Lord states that there can be no middle ground; He is either the believer’s first love or He is not the believer’s Lord.
True Disciples Obey the Lord
The Lord Jesus told those following Him not to call Him Lord if they were not willing to do what He commanded (Luke 6:46). He must be Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all. John 14:15 records the Lord’s plea to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Is there any greater way to show the Lord that you love Him than by doing what He says? Obedience can be forced, but submission is a heart issue, a matter of the will. This is why the Lord Jesus posed faithful submission to His word as a test of discipleship: “…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed” (John 8:31). Faithful obedience to Christ’s teachings is proof that one is His disciple.
True Disciples Learn Christ
A disciple is a “learner,” which is the meaning of the Greek word “mathetes,” generally rendered as “disciple” in the New Testament. What is a disciple to learn? The true disciple of Christ must learn Him (Matt. 11:29)! Matthew 11:28-30 is the only passage in the New Testament where the Lord personally informs His disciples of what He is like and tells them that they should learn from Him. Believers are able to experience the Lord’s gentle and humble spirit when yoked with Him in service. His abiding presence imparts peace to the weary soul. We can do nothing without Christ (John 15:5), but we can do all things that have His approval through Him (Phil. 4:13). True discipleship is an invitation to learn Christ. Every believer is to be a lifelong apprentice of Christ, properly reflecting His character and message to a world that desperately needs to see real Christianity—Him!
Summary
True discipleship emphasizes that the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification in a believer’s life is crucial for effectively serving the Lord. Learning and knowing Christ are integral parts of the sanctification process. Completely identifying with Christ: learning from Christ (Matt. 11:29), becoming like Christ (Matt. 10:25), and living for Christ (Gal. 2:20) are the essence of biblical discipleship. The extent to which this identification occurs will directly reflect how well the believer manifests the nature of Christ to the world. The Lord Jesus forces no one to be fully devoted to Him, but He does promise a life worth living to those who choose to be His true disciples. May we seek to gain what has value to God and can never be lost.