Page 167 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

In no way was discipleship considered a salvific relationship in the sense we often hear today. Though
obvious if one reads the Gospels, the disciples were not believers when they became disciples. Many
came to faith in Jesus later as they followed Him. Some never did. John 6:60-72 makes it clear that many
who were disciples did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God or Messiah. Many abandoned following
Him as a disciple specifically because they did not believe. Judas is specifically said to be a disciple who
does not believe. What then can we say about the meaning of being a disciple in the Gospels? First, it is
not the same as being a believer. This is important to remember when tests of discipleship are brought
up. Many passages say something like “so prove to be my disciple” and are mistakenly equated to being
the test of being a believer. In that culture, and in John 6:60-72, that is an entirely incorrect assumption.
The goal of the believer is to become and make disciples, but that does not mean if you are not a
disciple, you are not a believer. Consider the following important points as the issue relates to salvation
theology:

1. “Jesus had disciples who He knew were not believers (John 6:60-71). John made it clear Jesus
had disciples who were not believers in Verse 64 “For Jesus knew from the beginning who they
were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.” If one can be a disciple
without being a believer, the two roles cannot be the same thing.

2. Jesus had people who believed in Him but did not follow Him as a disciple. Consider the crowds,
Nicodemus, the thief on the cross, and the lepers He healed. Many believed, but we have no
indication they followed him in the disciple/master relationship Jesus shared with many.

3. As has already been shown, the Scripture is clear that to be forgiven and saved eternally; one
must simply believe in Jesus (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9). To become a disciple, one must deny
oneself, take up one’s cross, follow, and obey (Mark 8:34, Luke 14:25-33).

4. Scripture is clear that those who do not obey may lose their status as disciples (John 15:8). They
can also walk away (John 6:66). It is equally clear that a believer who stands before Christ for
evaluation, and every evaluated work they did burns up, will themselves still be saved (1
Corinthians 3:10-15). They can be faithless, but He will still be faithful to them (2 Timothy 2:12-
13). Nothing can separate them from Him (Romans 8:39-39). So while you can cease to be a
disciple, you cannot cease to be saved eternally.

This leads to an inescapable conclusion – while the role of a disciple and a believer are symbiotic, they
are not identical as such. One must be careful how one reads the passages about tests of discipleship.
John 15, for instance, says that they should prove to be Jesus' disciples. This should not be directly
applied as a test of a true Christian. Christ clearly calls believers to a life of discipleship. They do not,
however, lose their salvation if they do not obey. Rather they lose daily fellowship with Christ and the
blessings he would have given them along the way. They may be disciplined, taken out of this world
early, and lose earnable future rewards at Christ’s return as well.

What then is the relationship of being a disciple to a believer today? If they are not the same thing in
scripture, how do we engage that as pastors? First, we need to recognize that our role in pastoring is to
bring people to Christ and then to seek to move them into discipleship. The Great Commission was to
make disciples. We need to ask ourselves what a modern-day disciple of Jesus looks like and model that
for them. Second, we need to intentionally avoid using threat motivation by questioning the salvation of
those who believe but don’t follow Christ as wholeheartedly as we would love to see them do. Christ will
judge them; they need to know it. They will live in discipline from God. They are not in danger of hell.

166