the cost of discipleship

THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

In a world that is only dying more by the day we are to live like a "city on a hill." In the philosophy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, it seems unimaginable how many Christians blend in with the rest of the world and just how much "cheap grace" has infected religion today. Understanding the very fine line between cheap grace and costly grace without falling into a legalistic theology is essential. Just as it is essential to live a life of radical discipleship as a response to the glorious grace we have recieved from our Heavenly Father and understanding that our works do nothing for our salvation but after we have recieved our salvation our works should glorify our risen Lord. For this conversation I will use Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. Just focusing on these 3 chapters but right now starting with just chapter 5. The call to discipleship according to Chapter 5 and this chapter only at the moment states this:


1. recognize my spiritual need
2. mourn
3. be gentle
4. hunger and thirst for God's approval
5. show mercy
6. keep our thoughts pure
7. make peace
8. allow persecution for doing what God approves of
9. allow people to lie, insult, and persecute you because of your Lord
10. rejoice and be glad in the face of persecution
11. shine your light before all people and live like salt of the earth to give glory to God the Father
12. Teach and do what the commands of Scipture say. Live a life of God's approval and live it more faithfully than the pharisees did.
13. Make peace with all who are angry with you, try to live peacefully with everyone.
14. do not look at anyone with lust.
15. never swear or promis by anything, simply say YES or NO, anything more than this is from Satan.
16. love your enemies, do not fight back against persecution, pray for all those who persecute you
17. turn no one away who wants to borrow something from you
18. love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
19. live perfectly as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

(Matthew 5:1-48)


"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."- Mathew 5:20


With this being said, I am not going anywhere particular with all this, I just thought this would be a good place to encourage and share thoughts on living as a faithful disciple of Christ in the world today. Peace be with you all.

It's complex. On the one hand we need to make a living, we all have our various jobs and not everyone is in the work of the church, but we should all adhere to these things you well point out. I think the problem for non-workers in the Church is that they are so caught up in their activities and employment they don't take the time to study the Word which I guess is a form of selfishness, because they are more concerned with getting ahead or doing good works than they are spending time in fellowship with the Lord through prayer and reading His Word or going to Church. I am guilty of this lately, because of the need to make ends meet and the financial gains/opportunities presently before me.

I changed your "Whit this being said" to "With this being said".

I must agree with you. Unfortunately, I have also been caught up lately in making ends meet. I find it all too easy to walk in a worldly nature without even realizing it until it has consumed much of my time, but praise God because He makes us lonely and miserable when we are distracted, and draws us back to Him. Praise Him for this because if it were not for Him who knows how long we would wander for. The Holy Spirit comes and burdens us to go back and seek His face and there we surrender. But for whatever reason we are permitted to wander for some time, perhapse it strengthens us in the long run. But hold fast brother because soon you will hit that place where to go on so busy is no longer worth the inner turmoil and then you'll once again be drawn back. Not that we are falling in any way and I am not implying that you are, I am just saying I know how easy it is to go with the flow of everyday life. But praise Him for we are saved over and over again. How is it do you think that we successfully live this devoted?