The Cost of Discipleship (3)

Intro

When Cortez disembarked his five-hundred men upon the eastern coast of Mexico, he set fire to the ships. As his warriors watched their means of retreat burn, they knew they were committed with their lives to conquer the new world for Spain. Similarly, everyone who sets foot on the shore of discipleship is called upon to burn his own ships in the harbor. We Christians cannot spend our days looking back. We must move forward. Jesus said: “no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). There is no compromising center, no relaxed position. The Christian life is one of tension and triumph.

In our society today, the general consensus of what a Christian is, would in most cases be different in comparison to those who were first called Christians at Antioch. It is important to take note that these followers of Christ who were first called people of the way, were observed as one who took on the persona of Jesus Christ, therefore, they called them Christians because they were like Christ. As a Christian, one must go through this process of learning the teachings of Jesus and following after his example in obedience through the power of the Holy Ghost. Discipleship requires the denial of self-interests and desires, and a total commitment to do the will of God, even to the point of death.

1. The cost of discipleship involves denial of self-interests and desires

Luke 18:18–24 KJV 1900

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

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