Salvation = Discipleship, or NOT?

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.”   2 Timothy 2:1

It must be recognized from the very outset of this address that Judas Iscariot was a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and part of His inner circle, and yet he unfortunately went to hell as he evidently was not a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour (John 6:64, John 17:12, Acts 1:25). This reality should sound a deafening alarm to anyone reading this, especially when it is considered that there are innumerable false gospels circulating the churches, air waves, and television stations today that all equate salvation with discipleship, or semantically frame them as synonymous with one another. The truth however could not need to be made any more distinct, as there are evidently damning eternal consequences to this all too common egregious error as we have seen.

If one were to indulge the media outlets above, they would inevitably notice that despite much lofty speech about God’s grace and His love toward the wretched sinner, the following popular “buzz phrases” would likely be rampant as a substitute for the ONE and only true Gospel that brings salvation to the believing sinner.

  • Commit your life to Christ.
  • Give your life to Christ.
  • Surrender your life to Christ.
  • Promise to follow Christ.
  • Put Christ on the throne of your life.
  • Forsake all your sins.
  • Accept Jesus into your heart.
  • Accept Jesus into your life.
  • Become a disciple of Christ.
  • Become a follower of Christ.
  • Make Jesus Lord of all. (He already IS Lord of all)
  • You need to feel sorrow for your sins.
  • You need to mean business with God.
  • Give Jesus your heart and reins.
  • Commit to follow Jesus.

When such as these are thought through to their logical end, the reader will quickly be able to deduce that each one quite obviously involves human merit or impossible personal effort in order to secure their salvation. This however my friend lies diametrically opposed to the clear message of God’s grace via the Gospel extended toward all mankind through His only Begotten Son. In fact, we have to soberly ask ourselves that if one could somehow earn or contribute to his or her getting to Heaven by their own efforts, then why did the Lord Jesus Christ have to die anyway??? The answer of course is in the question.

Despite the multitude of counterfeit gospels that the devil has been successful in sowing and watering in the churches of today, let’s consider what Paul the Apostle explicitly stated is the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4:

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain (ie. If Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead, but He did! – 1 Cor 15:17, Romans 4:25). For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:”

Moving along, a discerning student of the Word of God will realize upon study of the Scriptures that salvation and God’s grace (undeserved favour) is always spoken of as free, not of works, and a gift from God toward all mankind because He so loved the world (John 3:16). This of course is in complete contrast to the passages and contexts involving discipleship, as they very obviously require much personal effort for one to be effective in the endeavour. For memory sake, and while studying the Bible and labouring to keep things in context, it’s perhaps the easiest to remember that salvation is something that the Lord Jesus Christ did for the world on the cross of Calvary because we couldn’t pay the price without going to hell, and that we receive freely – apart from works. While discipleship is something that we can do for Him in service as born again believers out of our own volition and thankfulness for what He did for us. But make no mistake about it my friend, the road of a true Biblical disciple is many days frought with persecution and challenges on behalf of both the Lord and the Gospel’s sake.

In order to make the distinction now even clearer using the Scriptures, let’s consider the following verses:

SALVATION

  • For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
  • But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)
  • And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. (Romans 11:6)
  • Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)
  • For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
  • But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one Man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (Romans 5:15)
  • Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”. (Titus 3:5)
  • For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesian 2:8-9)

DISCIPLESHIP

  • And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men (NOT, I will give you eternal life). (Matthew 4:19)
  • Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)
  • 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. (Luke 14:26)
  • For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it. (Luke 9:24)
  • If any man serve Me, let Him follow Me; and where I Am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour. (John 12:26)
  • And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27)
  • So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:33)

Remember friend, something declared to be free to the believer by God in His Word cannot also be costly to them. This would be an obvious contradiction of what Scripture clearly teaches and we know that the Bible tells us that God cannot lie. Not that He won’t, or that He promises not to, He cannot lie.

Titus 1:2 tells us: “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began”.

So in conclusion, it is possible based on what the Bible reveals that one can be a disciple and not be saved (Judas), as well as one can be saved and not be a disciple (Luke 7:36-50, Mark 5:1-9, also, see WAR! link). To be clear though, it is God’s desire for all mankind to believe the Gospel and be saved, however, God allows man’s destiny to wholly depend upon man’s own individual choice (John 5:40, 1 Tim 4:10). We see that God has lovingly provided the only Way of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed Blood (John 6:53-54), but every sinner has to accept that free gift for themselves in order to go to Heaven (John 5:40). God does not violate anyone’s free will and there is nothing glorious about a God forcing His creation to worship Him. Moreover, it is God’s will and expectation that everyone who believes the Gospel and is subsequently born again by the Holy Spirit, that they go on to live a life of submission and obedience to His Word and Will through their own volition and the resident power of the Holy Spirit. Not only for His glory, but also for the temporal and eternal blessings (rewards) of that child of God.

Friend, if you have believed the Gospel and have been subsequently born again, will you go on for the Lord in proper Biblical discipleship and preach the Gospel to the lost? And if you’re reading this and have not trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed Blood as your only hope of Heaven, please click on the link below to learn how you can receive eternal life right now.

The Gospel

 

All quotations taken from the King James Version.