Page 132 - Discipleship Ministries Student E-Book

from the crowd will bring ridicule and disparaging comments. If you are light and salt, you will rub
sinners the wrong way. If you hold to a Biblical view of marriage and sexuality, the “politically correct”
will hate you. You may suffer as a believer no matter where you live, if you are a true disciple of Christ.

A true disciple is a person who is willing to suffer so that others my hear.

In the world today, it is unpopular to say, “Christ is the only way to Heaven.” That’s considered “hate”
speech. The world’s response is, “are you saying that you are the only ones that are right, and
everybody else is wrong? - How haughty can you get?”

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, and NO MAN comes to the Father, by through me.”
(John 14:6). That’s a pretty limited path! If what Jesus said is true, then only through Christ will a
person inherit eternal life. All other ways will lead to death. That statement alone is considered
bigoted, restrictive, and unloving by the world. Such a limiting position on eternal salvation certainly
will foster persecution in a world bent on living contrary to God’s Word.

The Nature of the Gospel will lead to persecution.

The Gospel of Christ requires a person who wishes to receive it to 1) Admit he is a sinner and in need of
a Savior, 2) repent from his sin, and 3) receive the free gift of salvation purchased by the blood of Jesus
Christ. It is totally freely given. It cannot be bartered for, exchanged, purchased, or obtained by any
works of the recipient. Repentance is the difficult process when it comes to receiving salvation.
Repentance means you have to admit you are wrong, have gone the wrong way, and desire to lay aside
future sin, and turn to a new way of living. Repentance is saying, “I was wrong” every time we sin to
the One who has never been wrong and cannot sin, and therefore can help us get out of the mess we’re
in. The Gospel shows that when we come to our senses and leave the pig sty of sin for the Father’s
house, he runs to meet us with a party and a fatten calf and robe and ring. (Luke 15:11-32)

Repentance brings to us God’s grace. Not only does repentance seek forgiveness, but it also seeks to
obey from a forgiven heart. Cheap grace is being forgiven without changing directions. “Cheap grace,”
Bonhoeffer says, “is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance…Cheap grace is grace
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without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.” Cheap grace cannot save.

True repentance helps us understand that our sins are forgiven, and we can have true peace of heart.
Discipleship sends us to others with the message that through repentance, the lost can be forgiven and
can enjoy fellowship with the one true God. God calls his disciples to repentance because He is sending
us to herald His Grace and the message we carry is best expressed from forgiven sinners, not prideful
do-gooders. Repentant sinners show the watching world the kind of King Jesus is. Repentant sinners
invite others in because they are amazed with God’s grace. They’ve heard the good news and the MUST
share it, whatever the cost. The world must know the Savior who went to the cross to save a wretch like
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me!

49 https://www.thingsofthesort.com/sermons-2/2019/5/12/mark-614-29-the-cost-of-discipleship
50 Ibid.

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