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Is There A Difference Between Being a Christian and Being a Disciple? The true expression of being a Christian or disciple should be one and the same - in the Bible there is no difference, however in the modern church, there is a deviation. The message of the gospel is ‘repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ’ and when people respond to that message, they become a Christian. But when we read the gospels, Jesus is often preaching about discipleship. The message of discipleship is ‘forsake all and follow Me.’ The first disciples obeyed this command, Matthew 19:27. Jesus is constantly talking about the cost of discipleship and His words aggressively confront the modern expressions of Christianity. But He is not asking us to literally walk away from our lives, but to ‘put all on His altar.’ He is asking us to lay everything down, so that He truly becomes our Lord. If we have laid down our all on this altar, then we shall obey when He says to go or give. He should be the Master and we His obedient servants. We all have probably sung, ‘I surrender all’, but have we really? ‘…Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.’ Luke 14:33. Paul Backholer Back |
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