Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic book, The Cost of Discipleship, is perhaps one of the most challenging books any Christian can read. It is a challenging book because discipleship is a challenging subject, one that is at the center of our understanding of salvation in Christ.
The question of discipleship has to do with the relationship of grace and faith in the believer's life. These two topics may seem at first to be one and the same and synonymous with each other, but the issue becomes a little complex as we understand the meaning of the words. For saving grace is the work of God to regenerate our hearts and faith is the response we exercise as we walk obediently to him. Grace always produces faith and so they are sometimes used synonymously.
Becoming a Christian means accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts in faith as the Savior and Lord of our lives. It is an individual decision we must make based upon the belief that the Jesus of the Bible is who he truly claims to be, the Savior of all who call upon his name. He alone can atone for our sins through his substitutionary sacrifice on the cross for us. This belief that Jesus is Lord however must be manifested in obedience as walk with him. Without our obedience our belief is worthless as James teaches us. Faith without works or obedience is dead, and even the demons believe, and shudder.
With the faith and obedience that Jesus is Savior and Lord we see in Scripture that Jesus calls believers to himself to become disciples. And what is a disciple but simply a follower or a student of somebody else. A disciple in particular is a student who obeys the teachings and becomes like his teacher. He is one who walks in faith and takes on the life that his Master exhibits.
The are many aspects of the Christian faith as we come to understand discipleship. Dietrich Bonhoeffer challenges us with a view of faith that goes beyond simply saying we believe in Jesus. He describes discipleship as a step of obedience that stands against the ungodliness of the world. This obedience may cost us everything we have. Or at least it is a call that will require us to relinquish our own selfish desires, and to grow in sanctifying grace as we pick up our own cross daily to follow Christ.
Discipleship is genuine Christian faith and transforms our lives to become like Jesus. In this life of obedience and service we may suffer in this world, but we will discover the greatest joy in following Christ that we could ever imagine. Bonhoeffer knew the peace of the Lord from this dying with Christ. The cost of discipleship could cost us our very lives but the blessings of discipleship is our eternal fellowship with Christ.
The question of discipleship has to do with the relationship of grace and faith in the believer's life. These two topics may seem at first to be one and the same and synonymous with each other, but the issue becomes a little complex as we understand the meaning of the words. For saving grace is the work of God to regenerate our hearts and faith is the response we exercise as we walk obediently to him. Grace always produces faith and so they are sometimes used synonymously.
Becoming a Christian means accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts in faith as the Savior and Lord of our lives. It is an individual decision we must make based upon the belief that the Jesus of the Bible is who he truly claims to be, the Savior of all who call upon his name. He alone can atone for our sins through his substitutionary sacrifice on the cross for us. This belief that Jesus is Lord however must be manifested in obedience as walk with him. Without our obedience our belief is worthless as James teaches us. Faith without works or obedience is dead, and even the demons believe, and shudder.
With the faith and obedience that Jesus is Savior and Lord we see in Scripture that Jesus calls believers to himself to become disciples. And what is a disciple but simply a follower or a student of somebody else. A disciple in particular is a student who obeys the teachings and becomes like his teacher. He is one who walks in faith and takes on the life that his Master exhibits.
The are many aspects of the Christian faith as we come to understand discipleship. Dietrich Bonhoeffer challenges us with a view of faith that goes beyond simply saying we believe in Jesus. He describes discipleship as a step of obedience that stands against the ungodliness of the world. This obedience may cost us everything we have. Or at least it is a call that will require us to relinquish our own selfish desires, and to grow in sanctifying grace as we pick up our own cross daily to follow Christ.
Discipleship is genuine Christian faith and transforms our lives to become like Jesus. In this life of obedience and service we may suffer in this world, but we will discover the greatest joy in following Christ that we could ever imagine. Bonhoeffer knew the peace of the Lord from this dying with Christ. The cost of discipleship could cost us our very lives but the blessings of discipleship is our eternal fellowship with Christ.
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