Discipleship Denied

And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, “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.  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, ’this man began to build, and was not able to finish.’  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”  Luke 14:25-33

Access denied.  Request denied.  Application denied.  We are all familiar with these terms and the many others like them.  Perhaps you have received from a court or government office an official “application denied,” or “request denied,” or maybe you have been greeted with “access denied” when seeking entry into an event or particular private setting.  Oftentimes these denials are temporary obstacles that we are able to circumvent, and thus continue on our way.  At other times, they are final and force us to alter our plans and re-evaluate our course.  

But of all the denials and rejections that we may endure in this life, none can compare with the possibility of having our discipleship denied.  What I mean by discipleship denied is this: Our claim that we are the disciples of Christ may be denied by the Lord himself if we fail to meet the conditions of discipleship which He has established.  Yes believer, there are conditions of discipleship, and no man or woman should think that these conditions do not apply to him or her personally.  

In the above text from Luke, Jesus explicitly set forth three conditions or requirements for those who would consider becoming his followers.  Failure to meet these requirements resulted in a failed bid to be a disciple.  As Jesus set forth his conditions, He was emphatic that those who came short could not be his disciple.  In other words, discipleship denied.

Here are the three conditions.

Condition #1

“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

This first condition deals with our love for Christ.  We are to love Jesus supremely and at all costs.  We are to prefer Him above every earthly relationship.  Jesus uses the word “hate” to convey what our affections toward our loved ones are to be in comparison to our love for Him.  We are not to hate our relatives in the sense of ill will or malice, but we are to prefer them less than we do Christ.  We are not to disobey Christ, or slight Him to please our mothers or fathers.  We are not to compromise our faith to keep peace with our spouses.  

Included in this condition is the charge that we are to “hate our own lives” as well.  We are to prefer Jesus over our very lives – for our relationship with Him is more important than life itself.

Now you may say, “No one really lives this way, and it can’t be necessary to do so.”  But what have you said, other than that you do not live this way, and that you do not take Christ seriously?  “But isn’t this condition unreasonable?”  Unreasonable!  Was your mother crucified for you?   And your father, was he scourged?  Did your wife bleed for your sins?  Have your children died for you?  Unreasonable?  It is your “reasonable service.”  (Romans 12:1) 

Condition #2

“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.”  Luke 14:27 

The second condition addresses our suffering for Christ.  The cross is the symbol of suffering and shame.  In the first century, “bearing one’s cross” had both a literal and figurative application.  Many of those who heard these words directly, ended their earthly lives upon a Roman cross.  They denied themselves the comforts of this life that they might promote a higher purpose – the honor and glory of God.  

This condition is still the standard for believers today.  If we do not bear our cross, if we live lives of self-preservation and compromise in order to avoid suffering and humiliation, we CANNOT BE, and ARE NOT his disciples.  

Condition #3

“So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.  Luke 14:33

This condition stresses our sacrifice for Christ.  We often hear of the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.  This is the great truth of the gospel.  Yet He does require a small sacrifice from us in return – we are to forsake all that we have.  All that we possess is to be at his disposal.  In some cases there is a literal forsaking of everything required.  In all cases, there must be a willingness to do so.

Now what can be said about Christ’s teaching concerning discipleship?  Jesus taught that men were to “count the cost” before they began to build – not half way through, lest they find themselves unable to finish and thus become a laughing stock.  In other words, before one chooses to follow Christ, he needs to know what is expected of him so that he can make a proper decision. 

What a gross disservice we have done to the Christian faith, by not only neglecting to set before those coming to Christ the conditions of discipleship, but more so, even hiding these truths from them!  In our desire to make disciples, we have omitted Jesus’ own words on the subject!

Now what have we done?  We have told people that all they need to do to be saved is to “ask Jesus into their hearts.”  We have said, “You don’t have to change.  If the Lord wants you to change, He will change you.”  And again, “It doesn’t matter why you become a Christian, as long as you become one.  Jesus doesn’t care, He loves you so much He will take you any way you come!”  “You should try to obey Jesus, but if you are unwilling to, pray that He will someday help you to become obedient!” 

And what wonderful results have we produced with this steaming pile of garbage that we wrongly call the gospel?  We have made countless converts who are worldly, selfish, rebellious, “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,” who never have repented a day in their lives; they are shallow, do not overcome sin, justify continuing in iniquity, excuse their own sinful state, are unreasonable and unreachable.  They are religious hippies, drunk on the hippie love message, and know just enough of the Bible to be happily deceived.

But where will they stand when they are judged by the “words in red?”  They will be deficient.  Their claims of discipleship will be denied.  It will be a day of sorrow, grief and woeful surprise.

And what about us who knew the words of Christ but were afraid to declare them to these poor souls?  We did not want to scare them off, and so we watered down the gospel and presented to the masses a “Jesus” who bears almost no resemblance to the Jesus of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Did we do them any favors by changing Biblical Christianity into a non-threatening love message of unconditional acceptance?  How will we be judged who have “changed the truth of God into a lie?”

People, it is not too late to sit down and “count the cost.”  If you never have, you must, if you are to be found acceptable to God.  Then let us go from there and present Jesus in a way that is worthy of His approval.  We might be surprised to find that there are yet souls out there who will meet the conditions of discipleship, and “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.”  Who knows, we may have our discipleship approved as a result.