The Costs of Discipleship

Luke 9:23-26 (Mt 16:24-27; Mk 8:31-38)

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

In the context of this passage, Jesus just mentioned how He must suffer many things and then be killed. In light of this, to come after Him means to follow Jesus and for the disciples to subject themselves to the same kind of mistreatment that Jesus experienced. Jesus is informing them what the outcome will be of following Him, especially in the culture and circumstances in which they lived at the time. Jesus is saying that whoever wants to come after Him, must count the cost of doing so because they will be persecuted and killed for believing and following Jesus. However, if they choose to not follow Jesus, they have the option of preserving their own lives, to not endure persecution, and live out the rest of their days on this earth since the possibility of martyrdom won’t be looming over their heads. But if they choose to do that, they will actually lose their lives eternally. In this context, to be ashamed of Jesus is to make the decision to not believe in Him and follow Him because of the road being too hard. But for those who have decided not to believe in Him, when Jesus returns to the earth, He will not look favorably upon those unbelievers and so will not save them from destruction.

This passage is really describing the outcome and expectations of suffering that people will likely endure for following Jesus. It is not saying that such things are conditions for salvation. For example, He is not saying that you need to be a martyr to have eternal life. Jesus is just saying that before you make this commitment to follow Him, you need to count the costs because the life of a follower of Jesus will not be easy and you may not live a long life due to the possibility of being martyred. But, if you choose to believe and follow Him, this is the path that leads to everlasting life.

However, those who teach Lordship salvation will say things like, “these are the demands of the gospel,” “this is about complete obedience to God,” “Jesus is showing us what it means to be a genuine believer,” “the gospel calls sinners to complete self-denial.” But the problem with all that language is that they are connecting the gospel, which is the good news of salvation in Jesus, to the “demands” of doing something for God. As if, our good works are required for God to forgive us. As if, this is how we enter into salvation, through “complete obedience” to God. That sure sounds like works salvation to me, but Jesus wasn’t preaching that. Forgiveness and salvation are free. It is a gift that we receive but after we receive it, there will be many challenges and sacrifices ahead which we will have to endure and will have to continue to maintain our faith in Jesus despite it all. Jesus is saying that if someone decides to believe in Him and they choose to follow Him, it is not going to be easy.

Luke 14:25-33

Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

Matthew 10:16-39

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

23 “But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

26 “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

In Luke’s account, the focus is on counting the cost of being a disciple and this is explicitly stated. In Matthew’s account, that phrase isn’t explicitly stated but it is certainly implied since Jesus is informing and warning His disciples of all the persecution that they are going to face down the road. In summary, Jesus says that those who follow Him can expect to be imprisoned, scourged, maligned, hated by all, even from the members of their own family, and that the peace of this world will elude them. In the context of this passage, to confess Jesus before other people means to confess their belief in Him to members of their own family, to the courts, judges, and governors of those who have imprisoned them, and to proclaim the name of Jesus everywhere (in the light, from the housetops). The desire to make Jesus known and to not be ashamed of speaking His name is through the power of the Holy Spirit who speaks through them. But those who do not have the Spirit of God, will not confess Jesus to people because they deny Him or are ashamed of Him. For this reason, those who deny Jesus before mankind, will also be denied by God in heaven. God will deny knowing them because He does not know them because they are not His.

Luke’s account says that those who do not hate their own family and even their own lives more than Jesus, cannot be His disciple. Matthew’s account says that those who love their own family more than Him are not worthy of Him. The meaning is the same but they are just stated differently. To choose Jesus over family, friends, or your own worldly pleasures, is to hate them in comparison (yet, not literally). Matthew’s account clarifies that this is not literal because it says, “He who loves Father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” The emphasis is really on where one’s loyalty and devotion lie. That is, you can choose to live at peace with your family by denying Jesus and giving up Christianity. Or, you can choose to follow Jesus though it may cost you that close connection you once had with your family. But if you choose the former, you are not worthy to be Jesus’ disciple and therefore, cannot be His disciple. That is to say, if you decide to stay with or go back to the religion or agnosticism of your family for the sake of peace, then you will lose peace with God and will forfeit eternal life. Therefore, those who are converted to Christ will stay true to their faith so that they choose their faith in Jesus over family, friends, and even over their own comfort, occupation, security, and past lives. But this is not so much about a higher level of obedience to God as it is about devotion to the one true faith and the endurance of that faith unto the end so that one does not deny the faith. It’s not saying that we have to obey perfectly in order to be saved or prove that we’re saved.

However, many people who hold to Lordship Salvation teachings, will use passages like this to try and make other Christians feel guilty for not doing enough for God. Or, they might try to say or imply that if all of these persecutions haven’t happened to you, then you need to question your salvation. But that is not at all the intent of this passage. The theme of this passage is to warn people who desire to follow Jesus of the potential impact of such a decision and what persecutions will likely be awaiting them. It’s about counting the cost of professing faith in Jesus before actually committing to the decision to follow Him. So, it’s not saying that you must do all these things to be saved or to maintain your salvation. Rather, it’s saying that this decision of faith in Jesus is to choose devotion in Jesus despite all the persecutions that will come. Depending on where you live and who you know, it may be more or less persecution. In some places in the world, it will cost you much more compared to other places. But to each, there will be a certain cost. It may come immediately or it may come later. But you can expect it.

I would distinguish between Lordship Salvation and Devotion. Lordship Salvation focuses on obedience to God whereas Devotion focuses on a commitment in one’s faith to choose King Jesus. Lordship Salvation focuses more on the outward actions whereas Devotion focuses more on the inward fortitude of faith. Do you see the difference? Lordship Salvation is about outward standards. Devotion is about the transformed heart and loyal love to Jesus from a place of faith. Of course, a transformed heart will manifest itself in a transformed life. So, obedience to God is implied. But it is dangerous if we measure our spiritual health by a list of outward rules or by comparing ourselves with how other Christians are living and suffering for Christ. We can certainly challenge ourselves to do more but that needs to come from a place of love and devotion to God springing forth from faith rather than from a place of fear, guilt, and shame. If we do it from the latter, then we have probably entered into the self-effort of pietism, perfecting works in the flesh, which actually disconnects us from true power. But that is exactly what Lordship Salvation teachings produce, people striving to do more and more for God to measure up in an effort to please God because they feel guilty. It produces a bunch of Christians who perfect obedience in the flesh rather than in the Spirit.

To illustrate the difference, let’s take Luke 14:27 which says, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” What is Jesus saying? People who were to be crucified had to carry their own crossbeam and along the path, they would be persecuted. In this way, to carry your own cross is to have faith in Jesus and stand strong in that faith so that as you walk through this life, you keep walking by faith even though you are persecuted and people mock you and insult you along the way. However, the Lordship Salvation teachers do not emphasize endurance here but rather, obedience. But this isn’t a verse about obedience or striving harder to suffer for Christ. It’s not saying that if you’re not willing to seek out more sufferings for Jesus, then you are not saved or maybe you’re a pathetic Christian. It’s saying that suffering for Christ will be inevitable and you will have to endure that persecution to the end by maintaining your allegiance to Jesus.

What about Luke 14:33? “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” Are most Christians condemned to hell because they have not given away their houses, cars, every single possession of theirs, and every single dime? Do they need to prove their devotion to God by giving everything away? That’s not what Jesus is saying. It would be helpful if we notice the “so then,” which means that this verse is connected to what has previously been said. It is really a conclusion of all that has previously been stated of all the various costs of deciding to follow Jesus and how the world will come against them. If we take the costs mentioned in Luke’s account and combine them with what is said in Matthew’s account, then we will come to the conclusion that “all his own possessions” means anything and everything that could be taken from you because of your decision to follow Jesus. It is a summary statement of any cost to follow Jesus, not a superlative condition for all everywhere in order to become Christians. It’s the potential cost of following Jesus, not how you get into the family of God. So, we don’t interpret this super literally and myopically but we take the full context to understand it. To some people, following Jesus may not cost them everything they have. But for others, especially for the twelve apostles, the specific audience Jesus was speaking to here, and many Christians around the world, choosing to follow Jesus costs them everything they have because their families disown them, their houses are burned, they are slandered and falsely accused, taken advantage of, lose their jobs, are ostracized and imprisoned, and much more. But just because you haven’t suffered or lost as much as other Christians, that doesn’t mean you’re a fake or undevoted Christian or will lose your salvation. Salvation is by grace alone through faith, not by works.

However, the Lordship salvation teachers often claim this text is saying that “you must give everything you have. It doesn’t say to only be willing.” But the problem is they don’t understand the whole context and so they hyperfocus on the apparent literal sounding nature of this one verse and exclude it from the rest of the text, making this verse about obedience to God rather than about the inevitable cost for many people to follow Jesus because of persecution. So the difference between the two perspectives is that one is about what you have to do and the other is about what will happen to you. Discipleship is about following Jesus. It isn’t about how you get salvation and forgiveness.

But although there is this distinction, every true believer had to make some level of commitment to believe. Devotion to Jesus is necessary to be saved as it exemplifies true faith. In Luke 14:15-24 Jesus gave a parable of a dinner in which many people were “invited.” Everyone made dumb excuses for not coming. But this passage wasn’t about a call to service but a call to partake in a dinner. It was free. All they had to do was attend. But they refused because they had things going on in their lives. Those things could have waited and been put off. But this is how it’s like when people hear the invitation of the gospel and refuse to believe. Salvation is free through faith but people refuse it because they’re not ready to commit. And so they think, “maybe when I’m on my death bed, I’ll get my life right with God. I’ll have time.” But then time passes them by and it becomes too late. It’s not hard to receive but people make it hard. So there is a cost to following Jesus. It will cost you your time, convenience, and devotion. But some people aren’t ready for that. They aren’t ready for the sacrifice. They aren’t ready for the commitment. They aren’t ready for the persecution. And so every person needs to count the cost before following Jesus because if they can’t make the commitment now, then they won’t make it to God’s heavenly banquet at the end of the age. This would either be because they never put their faith in Jesus with a repentant heart, or because they didn’t have enough faith to endure to the end.

Notice the difference between the excuses people made for not partaking of the dinner and the words that Jesus says later in this chapter, “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” In the parable of the man giving the dinner, he didn’t tell those he invited to give up their oxen, give up their wives, or give up their land in order to attend. They just needed to change their priorities so that they could make it to the dinner. So, accepting the gospel invitation is how you get into salvation. But in the verses later, being a dedicated follower of Jesus could cost everything that they have. And so, we can clearly see that there is a distinction here between entering the kingdom of God and serving the kingdom of God as a fully committed disciple. Starting out as a Christian won’t cost you anything but along the journey, it could cost you everything.

Continue to part 4: The Rich Young Ruler