The cost of Discipleship

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ~ Matthew 16:24

Becoming a disciple of a school of thought or a master means letting go of your way of thinking or living to adopt another’s. That can be easy or difficult depending on your natural inclinations before coming across the school of thought or master. However, there is discipleship that will cost everyone that decides to follow because it is against our natural inclinations.

Let us examine the invitation to become a disciple of Christ and the cost required. From the text for this session, the first thing to notice is that the invitation to follow Christ is open to your personal choice. Jesus says: “if any man would come after me.” in other words, you can decide not to come after him. Therefore becoming a disciple of Christ is not something you stumble across it is a conscious decision you make. If you call yourself a disciple of Christ because someone forced it on you, because of a friend, or because you were born into a Christian family, I will encourage you to re-examine your Christian walk as it might not be genuine. Sometimes God uses this method to extend the invitation to you, but the acceptance of the invitation solely depends on your choice.

The second thing to notice is: to let him deny himself. Some interpret this to mean forsaking your sins. I believe it goes further than this because Jesus in the next verse says: For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Mathew 16:25). To become a disciple of Christ, we must as Apostle Paul puts it, set our mind of the things above, for the things of this earth are fleeting and passing away. We are to put off the pleasures of this world no matter how acceptable they may seem. At this point, many back off because they don’t want to lose the enjoyment of this world. They instead invent their definition of discipleship as forsaking their sins yet enjoying the pleasures of this world as their flesh dictates. They state that Christ already suffered it all for them and need not suffer. Christ, Himself said: If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you (John 15:18-21). How can you enjoy sensual pleasure in a world that hates you for the sake of Christ?

The third to notice is: let him take up his cross. Here is where it becomes difficult, and most aspiring disciples fall off. It is just too much to bear. They are willing to go through the first two points, but this seems impossible. Indeed it is impossible for any without the help of the Holy Spirit. In the Roman Empire, whenever a man carried a cross, you knew he had a death sentence to be executed shortly. Similarly, when Christ tells His disciple to take up their cross, He warrants their death sentence. Ah, how painful it is to die by the cross: it is a slow, full of excruciating pain type of death. Accepting the invitation to become a disciple of Christ is to consent to die to this world, but remember after death to this world comes resurrection to eternal life (Galatians 2:20).

The last thing to notice is: follow me. After you have come from death to the world to life in Christ, you need to walk daily in the new way of life. Becoming a disciple of Christ is a lifetime commitment even unto eternity. The culmination of being a disciple of Christ is to be where He is, and it is made possible by following even when the going gets rough and unbearable.

Are you a disciple of Christ? If the Holy Spirit bears witness within you that you are, then glory to God. I only admonish you to keep on following till the end. If not, cry out to God until He gives you the grace to become His disciple. Then continue in your walk till He calls you home.

 

Ready to suffer grief or pain (A.C. Palmer)

1 Ready to suffer grief or pain,

Ready to stand the test;

Ready to stay at home and send

Others if He sees best.

Refrain:

Ready to go, ready to stay,

Ready my place to fill;

Ready for service lowly or great,

Ready to do His will.

2 Ready to go, ready to bear,

Ready to watch and pray;

Ready to stand aside and give

Till He shall clear the way. [Refrain]

3 Ready to speak, ready to think,

Ready with heart and mind;

Ready to stand where He sees fit,

Ready His will to find. [Refrain]

4 Ready to speak, ready to warn,

Ready o’er souls to yearn;

Ready in life or ready in death,

Ready for His return. [Refrain]