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Topic: COUNT (01/27/22)
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TITLE: You Can Count On This | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
02/02/22 -
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Making discipleship a condition to retain salvation, casts an ominous cloud over the promised assurance made to born-again believers found in such verses as Romans 8: 1.
Although popular, the concept of losing salvation is a blasphemous attack on the foundation of Biblical Christianity.
If discipleship finishes the job, it would mean that Jesus failed to complete the work He claimed to have finished (John 19: 30) on the cross.
The world’s sin debt was stamped PAID in FULL by Jesus’s blood on the cross (1John 2: 2).
If discipleship is required to retain salvation, it would mean that many of those who claim to be Christians are in serious trouble. All disciples are believers, but not all believers become or remain, disciples.
Many born-again believers initially respond to the call of discipleship, but jump ship after being distracted (Luke 8: 14), or after getting a taste (e.g., Luke 14: 26, 27) of the cost of discipleship.
Many born again believers worship on Sunday mornings for an hour or so, but prioritize their own agenda during the remaining 167 hours each week. Discipleship, is a 7 - 24 lifestyle.
Thanks to the grace of God, the Romans 11: 29 gift of eternal life that a born-again believer has already received is never in jeopardy (Romans 8: 1), but there are serious consequences for rejecting the life of discipleship.
Among these consequences is the forfeiture (1Cor. 3: 15) of 1Cor. 3: 14, and the Revelation 2: 10, 17, 23, 26, 28, and the Revelation 3: 5, 9, 12, 21 privileges.
Discipleship is not a walk in the park. The further one treads and shines light into enemy held territory, the bigger a more desired target one becomes in the spiritual combat with the devil, the Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil, and the vast majority of religious people that have been “blinded 2Cor. 4: 4).”
All three sources of evil are active inside (Matt. 7: 15) and outside (Psalms 96: 5) of the Christian Community.
God places limits on how much adversity that the devil and the Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil can bring upon a disciple of Christ. The devil and the forces of evil can do nothing to take away the salvation of a born- again believer, but a close examination of both Old (Book of Job) and New (Heb. 11: 35b - 39) Testament Scripture, paints a horrific picture of what many advancing disciples have, are being, and will be called on, to endure.
Suffering the same adversity that is common to all men is NOT bearing the cross of discipleship. Bearing the cross of discipleship (Matt. 16: 24) refers to the required self-denial, and all the inevitable suffering that is the direct result of learning and then promoting the unadulterated Gospel Message and accurate Bible Doctrine.
By remaining faithful to God while suffering in ways common to all men, the disciple can have an even greater influence on those around him or her.
Jesus strongly advises believers to count the cost of discipleship (Luke 14: 25 - 33), knowing the challenges that lay ahead for those who choose to take that path (2Tim. 3: 12).
Peter thought that he had it all together (Matt. 26: 33), but at the moment of truth, denied that he even knew Him (Matt. 26: 72).
Like Peter, all disciples will have their moments of both failure and success. Such failures or success neither diminishes nor improves the integrity of one’s salvation.
While having nothing to do with obtaining or retaining salvation, Church Age discipleship has everything to do with glorifying God.
The human race was created to glorify God.
Here in the Church Age, the first time that a soul brings glory to God is when he or she is born again by choosing to believe in a presentation of the Gospel Message.
A born-again believer brings further glory to God throughout the course of his or her post salvation spiritual life by way of discipleship.
Discipleship, being the study and application of the Word of God, is initially for the edification and spiritual growth of oneself, but with the long-term objective of participating in the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19, 20).
By counting the cost, one will be prepared for what the life of discipleship will bring.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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