These days any serious conversation defining the gospel will sooner or later get around to the tension that exists between a call to salvation and a call to discipleship involving seriously following Jesus. Does the true gospel just involve a call to a decision regarding believing Christ Jesus for salvation and deliverance from the bondage to sin and its penalty death, through His sacrifice and resurrection, resulting in forgiveness by grace and eternal life? Or, does it call us to a deeper knowledge of Him that involves moving, beyond salvation alone, to comprehending the Kingdom and giving ourselves in service of Jesus as LORD & King as His bond-servants and following Him as His disciple.
The debate often moves into a discussion of: Is Jesus’ gospel, the “gospel of salvation”, or “the gospel of the Kingdom”.
The answer may be simply: BOTH.
The thief on the cross speaks to one side of this equation (if you haven’t seen Alistair Begg’s video on this watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrYsXPntRS4) Salvation indeed depends only on what Jesus did, and has done and accomplished on our behalf. However, I could also post many other videos from the likes of John MacArthur and many others, and books by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and others, on the Cost of Discipleship that would convince anyone that if you are saved, but simply sitting comfy in your salvation alone, you probably have reason to question whether you know Jesus or comprehend His Lordship and Kingdom.
Don’t get me wrong. I am no proponent of so-called easy “believe-ism” that has come to be the accepted norm in the Western culture church. You know generally identified with what we see in traditional altar calls and “making a decision for Christ” in a moment where you say a repeat-after-me-prayer, and walk away unchanged nor regenerated. But, neither am I a proponent of the pharisaical approach that adds layers of legalistic weight to what it takes to be “holy or righteous enough” in your own efforts to be called a disciple. The moment we start depending on our efforts for, or to keep, our salvation, we begin to build works as the basis for righteousness. Jesus never sugar coated the cost of following Him, but neither did he add much beyond “follow me” by way of rule and regulation.
I will not go into a long dissertation on, or dissection of, the sides of this question but to say I think much of the debate comes from our need of understanding that Salvation by grace is Free, but Discipleship is Costly! (In fact, it will probably cost you all you are and all you have). You see as Jesus was called to, and did, lay His glory and His life down to pick up a cross in the will of the Father for our salvation. So are we called to lie down ourselves and pick up our cross (living focused on dying to self to live unto and in Him) to serve His will, and others.
Is it any wonder that in Matthew 6 after preaching regarding giving to the poor, prayer for the Kingdom and the will of God to be manifested on earth, displaying hypocrisy in religious activity like fasting and prayer, putting value in treasure for heaven (people and relationships) instead of earthly/worldly wealth, and laying down anxiety and concern over daily provision (what we are to eat, drink or wear), Jesus summed it all up with:
[Matthew 6:33 NASB95] 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Seek here is to “continually seek”. What? “His kingdom”, to live under His LORDship as King, as His bond-slave and servant/disciple. And, “His righteousness”, trusting in, having confidence only in, the salvation/holiness/righteousness that are only in Him and not initiated by us, or what we have done. But, that are initiated in His love, and complete in what He has done. In giving this direction He holds up both salvation and discipleship, hand in hand, as the way to full provision for each day…. and eternity.
Ephesians 2:4-10 helps flesh out our understanding of salvation…. and the works of a disciple:
[Ephesians 2:4-10 NASB95] 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Paul makes it very clear to the church here that we had nothing to do with initiating the faith that ignited the work of regeneration in us. In fact, we were dead! Dead men can do nothing! He/God in his abundantly rich mercy, and because of His love for us, even as we were dead… began the resurrection process or regeneration to make us alive …. WITH Christ. By His grace we have come to salvation and been placed IN Jesus . All, that He might reveal the fullness of His grace, kindness, love in Jesus.
Please note… that the faith, you have been saved through by His grace, is not created, worked up, caused by, or initiated in you. It is His gift! So salvation by grace through faith is indeed FREE! Praise His name and His purpose in Jesus! Romans provides more on this:
[Romans 6:23 NASB95] 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
[Romans 3:21-24 NASB95] 21 But now apart from the Law [the] righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even [the] righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
NOW …. Back to Ephesians 2. Everyone loves to quote verses 8-9 regarding salvation “by grace through faith”. But nobody quotes verse 10 which makes it clear that we were NOT saved just from something, namely sin and death. But, we were saved unto something, namely “good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”. From eternity past the Father’s plan was that we should be “made alive together WITH Christ “, ” raised (us) up WITH Him”, “seated (us) WITH Him in heavenly places”, so that the Father/God might show His grace in kindness toward us IN Christ Jesus” for we are His/God’s/Father’s workmanship specifically “created IN Him(Jesus) for good works” as Jesus’ servants/disciples.
Salvation is Free, and came WITH Christ setting us free from the bondage of sin and death. But the discipleship that came with being alive in, and bound (enslaved) to, Him, for His righteousness and eternal life IN Him, is costly. It cost Him His life on the cross. It will cost ours in daily picking up our cross and following Him as well. Resurrection life only comes out of death.
[Romans 6:20-22 NASB95] 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved (bound)to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
Being His bond-slave, a slave willingly submitted to Him because of the fullness of His love, reaps eternal rewards, life, and benefits. So Salvation is Free. Discipleship is costly.
In Luke 14 Jesus wraps up the parable of the dinner saying
[Luke 14:23-24 NASB95] 23 “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel [them] to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 ‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.'”
Clearly an invitation to dinner/salvation to those that were originally not on the guest list.
And right after this He gives the most astounding and harsh outline of the cost required of true discipleship.
[Luke 14:25-235NASB95]25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. 28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and CALCULATE THE COST to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand [men] to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 “Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 “So then, NONE OF YOU CAN BE MY DISCIPLE who does not give up all his own possessions. 34 “Therefore, salt is good; but IF SALT HAS BECOME TASTELESS, with what will it be seasoned? 35 “IT IS USELESS either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
3 times in this short passage He references.. “unless…. you cannot be my disciple”, and He urges those that would be His followers to count and consider the costs, then He references salt that has become useless. This passage should give us pause if we are tempted to uncouple salvation that is free from discipleship that is costly. Jesus offers, indeed, a salvation that is free, but He does not give us the option of discipleship without costs to go with it.
Both Salvation that is free, and Discipleship that is Costly are a part of the full gospel Jesus preached, manifested, and lived in loving the Father, and serving the will and purpose of the Father, and loving us. Both are also a part of the full gospel we, as His disciples (not to mention His Body and he fullness of Him) are called to preach, manifest, and live in loving and serving Him and others