Cost of Discipleship

The basis of the Christian life must be the life of Jesus. In Philippians, Paul appeals to the church to live to a higher standard of living on the grounds of Jesus’ life and death. In Matthew 16, straight after announcing his death for the first time, Jesus gives his disciples the implication of beings his follower: they must deny themselves and pick up their cross. (Mat 16:21, 24).

Following Jesus, we are called to place him above everything that we have. He has a higher mission than a life of tranquility (Mat 10:36), to the point that when it comes to choosing between our family and Christ, Christ must always come first. Between trying to please our parents in pursuing that career they always hoped for us, and deny ourselves to follow Christ, Jesus must come first (Mat 10:35).

The call to pick up our cross is one of publicly living our lives for Christ (Mat 10:33, 38). We are called to let go of our life for the sake of Jesus to truly find it, by willing to suffer, to be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12), even die for the sake of Christ. If we cling on to this life, leisure, popularity, financial security, we will never live the life God has for us, we will always be empty. When we deny ourselves as Christ denied himself (Phil 2:6), we become free to follow Jesus, receiving eternal life (Rom 6:23), and at once we experience the blessings he has for us (Eph 1:3). Christ was highly exalted for his humility (Phil 2:9), we will also be revealed in glory if we suffer with him (Col 3:4, Rom 8:17).

True discipleship, is walking in the footsteps of Jesus, who ended crucified. We are promised persecution (2 Tim 3:12). We walk in the steps of those who followed Christ before us, who denying themselves have died for it: John the Baptist (Mat 14:7), Stephen (Acts 7:60), James (Acts 12:2). This fulfills the words of Jesus who warned his disciples they would be persecuted and put to death (Mat 24:9).

After warning them that it will involve carrying their cross daily, Jesus asks his disciple to consider the cost of following him (Luke 14:28). There is no way of truly following Jesus without denying our self (Luke 19:23), but it is also the only way to live a live pleasing to God. Serving God is the only thing worth doing, we are to seek his kingdom first (Mat 6:32), not promised any earthly benefits, our treasure is stored in heaven (Mat 6:21). Knowing that Christ was able to endure the cross for the Joy set before him, (Heb 12:2), also when we serve Christ, when we are reviled and persecuted for his name’s sake, we rejoice knowing that our reward his great in heaven for so others persecuted the prophets before us (Mat 5:12), we can rejoice with the apostles for being counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus (Acts 4:41).

Can you Lose your salvation?

Introduction

So first not all Christians agree on the issue. Most say YES (you can lose your salvation), others say Nope! But despite our opinion, the fact is: some people are in church one moment, and the next they are no longer there!! So what happened!?!

The person who brought me to church the first time, was a professing Christian back then, today (I believe) he professes “Richard Dawkins”. So what does the Bible say anyway? Can you become a Child of God, and then un-become a child of God?

What is salvation?

Let’s define terms! What is Salvation? Maybe understanding it better will help us understand if it is something that can be lost. We are saved from something. So in the garden man sinned (Genesis 3), our sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2, Ps 5:4-5, Romans 6:23, John 3:16). Jesus offers the forgiveness of sin (John 1:29, Acts 2:38, Matthew 26:28). So we are now saved from the coming wrath (2 Thess 1:9-10, Revelation 21:8, Matthew 25:46 ). The Book of Zephaniah describes this really well, wrath is coming because of sin (Zeph 1:14-18) but God saves his people from this wrath (Zeph 3:14-20). So all this to say, when people want to know, if you can lose you salvation, I think they mean can you no longer be saved from the coming wrath of God.

How do you get saved?

John 3:16 (3:16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

A great text which explains salvation is the whole John 5:19-47. It describes what God’s role in the process is, and what man’s responsibility is. God is the one who saves, in fact he knew before the foundations of the world who he would save (Eph 1:3-7). God draws people to Jesus (John 6:44), and only Jesus can reveal God to them (Mat 11:27), and God gives faith (Eph 2:8, Hebrews 12:2). So what must I do? Believe! (John 1:12, 6:29, Acts 2:37-38).

What happens at Salvation?

God “delivers us from the domain of darkness and transfers us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Col 1:13-14). He washes our sins away (1 John 1:7) so we are presented “holy, blameless, and above reproach” (Col 1:21-23), you become children of God (John 1:11-13, Romans 8:14). We are given God’s righteousness (2 Cor 5:21, Romans 5:17), we are baptized in the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13), and the Holy Spirit testifies to us that we are the children of God (Romans 8:9-11), and no one with the Holy Spirit can say “Jesus is accursed”(1 Cor 12:3).  

So what can we conclude already?

So all that said we have not even began to look at the verse which people use to make a point on either side. But I feel like you can already come up with some conclusions. If you look at everything that happens at salvation, to lose your salvation would mean that all these things would have to be undone. If someone denies Christ (or says he is accursed), they do not have the Holy Spirit, and if you do not have the Holy Spirit (You are not a child of God… Romans 8:9)! So what happens to people who one moment seem to profess Christ, and the next deny Christ? I know people who seem to have taken that route, and I think the following verses help me make sense of it all.

Verses that show people can lose their salvation?

 - People who are almost there!

So verses that people use to say you can lose your salvation (Heb 6:4-6, 10:26-27, 2 Peter 2:19-22, Matthew 13:18-22).

Heb 6:4-6 4For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

Heb 10:26-27  26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

I would argue that it seems like there is a state when people get more interested in Christianity, experience the joy of going to church, singing powerful songs, being around a loving community of Christians; but then, something happens and they leave! Hebrews 6 says that it is then impossible to get these people saved, this is because Jesus is the only way, so while they reject him, there is no way for them to be saved. If they stop rejecting then it will become possible again!

2 Pet 2:19-22 20For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

2 Peter says that for these people who have been exposed to the faith and have shown signs of interest that it will be worse for them than if they never received anything. So there is a sense of responsibility for what you receive (Luke 12:47-48), and people who have turned away after being involved in Church are the hardest to bring back to church, because they already think they know what church is all about. I don't think these people were truly converted. 

In Matthew 13, the explanation of the parable of the Sower, Jesus describes some who accept the word, but when trouble came they just left. I know some people who seemed to be this kind of Rocky ground, described in the parable. The curious thing was that when I ask them about Christianity now, even a simple: what is the gospel? They have no idea how to answer. Which kind of tells me that they never really got it in the first place. The best verse to confirm this is:

1 John 2:19  (2:19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

 - Are we saved conditionally?

Colossians 1:21-23  (1:21-23)  21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

A good way of knowing if you are truly saved is that you will persevere! If you notice the fruit accompanying your faith, you should have great confidence. If not, then you must start worrying about getting right with God! Again refering to 1 John 2:19 those who do not continue in the faith, were those who only appeared to be in the faith, but in reality they were never disciples of Jesus.

Verses that show nothing can separate us from God

Then you have verses that teach that God knows his children and he will never let them Go! (John 10:27-29, Rom 8:28-39 (specially 39), Phil 1:6). I actually believe that you cannot lose your salvation, and believe these verse do not need any explanation, when people quote them to affirm you cannot lose your salvation, I believe they are absolutely correct!

If you do not bear good fruit…?

What about when Christians misbehave?! And what about those who seem to have left the faith?

First what if a Christian does not behave? there are verses like John 15:2 that people use. Because you do not bear good fruit you are then cut down. If you are a Christian, but don’t behave you can lose your salvation. I would argue, with James 2:17, that if your faith does not come with good fruit, it was never the right faith to start with!

What if the prodigal Son died before coming home?

I have known people who have left and then come back! So two possibilities. Maybe they were in the group that was never saved in the first place. But I also believe some were saved all along. And even in their “rebellion” they were still saved while they probably did not look like they were! This means, we might have some surprises in Heaven!! So 2 passages: Paul is rebuking the church in Galatia because they have took up some false teaching. You can make mistakes and still be a Christian, it was never a question of them no longer being part of God’s people. Just they had gone astray! (Galatians 3:1-3). And the most famous example would be the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. The son went wild, spent his father’s money, went partying and all that. When he finally returns home his father accepts him with his arms wide open. So the question is, if the son represents rebellious Christians who seems to have left the faith, and the father is God. What would have happened if the son died before returning to the father?!

I believe that though the Son was Partying the whole time he still knew whose son he was, which is why he returned. And so I believe many Christians who rebel have the Holy Spirit testifying to their Spirit that they are the children of God, and so even if they die before confessing, I still think we will see them in heaven! On the other hand, some others who have “rebelled” I would say have never been saved! So if you know people have seem to have left the faith,  which ones are which?!? Only God knows!! (Deut 29:29). Just pray that they return!

Conclusion

Some people are in Church one day, and no longer there the next! So we deal with: can you then lose your salvation? After looking at what I believe are all the relevant verses my conclusion, is that no you cannot lose your salvation, meaning that either the person was never a Christian to begin with, or even though they seem to have fallen away they are still a child of God, and are saved!

I do not really like this question, because often people ask to know if they can become a Christian, and then just live the way they want and still go to heaven. I think it is a good question when you are concerned for others, and so I think my conclusion is really important. Those who “were Christians, and no longer are” I believe often they were never Christians in the first place anyway, so do not let that worry you, God promises: no one can snatch God’s sheep out of his hands (John 10:27-29), as nothing in creation can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:39). God gave us faith as a gift (Eph 2:8) so he who began the good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6).

What is the Gospel? Why does it seem to change as we read the Bible?

The gospel is simple

G: God Created the world good (Rev 4:11)
O: man Opposed God, and rejected him, wanting to run his own life (Rom 3:10-12)
S: Man is Sinful God is Holy, man is Sentenced to death (Rom 6:23)
P: The Person of Jesus Christ entered the world to solve the problem of Sin (1 Pet 3:18)
E: After his death, Jesus' tomb was Emptied, and he was raised from the dead ( 1 Pet 1:3)
L: We all must a choice to Live our way or God's way (John 3:36)

In other words, GOSPEL means Good news, this Good news is that God has made a way for us to be accepted by him, even though he is perfect and we are sinners.

Gospel for Abraham - 'in you shall all the nations be blessed'

Galatians 3:8

(3:8) And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

 According to this verse, the gospel was even preached to Abraham. Did it look like it does today. "God loves you, he sent Jesus to die for your sins, so now if you believe in him you will have eternal life?"
Abraham did not even know Jesus, and Jesus had not even died yet, so how could the gospel in our general understanding of it be communicated to Abraham?

This is the passage referred to:

Genesis 12:3

(12:3) I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 

From this verse I gather that through Abraham blessing will be available to all people. This blessing will come through Abraham.

In Genesis 22:18 we get additional information, "in your offspring"

(22:18) and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

This verse is interpreted for us in our God inspired commentary - The Bible! - Book of Acts.
We see how all prophecies come together in Jesus, even the promise made to Abraham!

Acts 3:19-26 - 

(3:19-26)  19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

This passage is great: First it explains how the promise to Abraham (all the families of the earth would be blessed through his offspring), is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

If we look at the Bible as a whole - everything started well in Genesis 1&2. Everything changed with the fall (Genesis 3). Genesis 8:21 tells us that right from our youth our heart is bent towards evil! We can deny it all we want, but mankind is pretty messed up (just turn on the News!).
God has been actively working throughout history to restore mankind that has been separated from Him due to their Sin (Isaiah 59:2).

Throughout the Old Testament, according to this passage in Acts (quoted above) the prophets tell us of a time in the future where God would bless all the Nations. Early on we knew this would happen through the descendants of Abraham (Gen 22:18) as time moved on, we are told that he would be one from the line of King David (2 Sam 7:12-14). This passage in Acts confirms that this has now happened through Jesus.

Gospel of Jesus - 'Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand'

The Gospel preached to Abraham was that through his descendants all the families of the world would be blessed. Additional information is given to King David (a descendant of Abraham) that the one through whom all will be blessed will come through his line.

After David, it gets rocky for Israel, they get invaded by the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, then the Persians, then the Greeks, then the Romans (New Testament period)...

The Jews know God's promises and they are waiting for that King from the Line of David (part of the offspring of Abraham) to come. (Seen in Acts 1:6)

Jesus comes around proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom (Mat 4:23). Previously in Matthew 4:17 more detail is given: "Jesus began to preach, saying: 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'.

How do the gospels of Abraham and Jesus fit together?

Abraham was promised his offspring would bless everyone. In the context of the Bible, the Righteousness of God, the sinfulness of Man, could this mean that God would restore humanity from the consequences of the Fall?

King David is promised an heir who will rule forever. The prophets keep talking about the coming of a Messiah King. 

Christ's good news (Gospel), is that the fulfillment of all these things, the Blessings of Abraham, and the Messiah King, had now come near (him being the King). What you need to be part of this kingdom is  to admit that you had broken God's Law, and that you needed to Repent! (Matthew 4:17).

The Gospel after Jesus Death? - 'death, burial and resurrection of Christ'

John the Baptized said the following when he saw Jesus: 

John 1:29 

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

The Acts 3:19 passage clearly says that for our sins to be forgiven we must repent!

Colossians

(1:20-22)  20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.  21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

 Through the Blood of Christ, though we were practicing evil things, God has reconciled us in Christ, that we might be presented as holy before him.

So when Paul mentions clearly what the gospel is: "Christ died, was buried and was raised" it also then fits perfectly with the others "gospels".

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

(15:1-4)  1Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain.  3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

 Conclusions:

This is the gospel:

• According to Galatians 3:8, Abraham was given the gospel in Genesis 12:3 - I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 
• When Jesus comes it sounds more like this: Mat 4:17 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
• Paul makes it very clear that the Gospel is the Death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:3-4)

So how do they all fit together?

Due to the Fall, our sins separate us from God (Is 59:2). God is actively finding a way to reconcile the world, and promises Abraham this will happen through his offspring. Do go from the blessing of Abraham to the Kingdom of Jesus. God tells David that Abraham's defendant will come from his line of Kings.

Christ proclaims the Good news that he is this King of the line of David. In order for the people to receive the blessing of being reconciled to God, to have eternal live they must believe in Him (John 3:16). Through his sacrifice on the Cross, all those who have accepted Christ can now be seen as Holy before God ( John 1:12, Col 1:22, 2 Cor 5:21). All this is possible through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. (1 Cor 15:3-4). He died because a sacrifice was necessary for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrew 9:22), his burial showed to everyone, that he was truly dead. His resurrection confirmed that Jesus Christ was the one he claimed to be, that God does have the power to rise people from the dead, and this give us hope also that when Christ returns if we have died already we too will be raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:20-22).