Chapter 5-
Discipleship and the Individual
Today I want to
review yesterday's study and hopefully by the grace of God, expound on it some
more.
Bonhoeffer- 'This is
the second way of becoming an individual--to be a follower of Christ in the
midst of society among our own kith and kin and in the enjoyment of all our
worldly wealth. But note that it is Abraham who is called to this manner of
life. Abraham who had already known what it was to make a visible breach with
the past, Abraham who in the New Testament became the example of faith.
We are easily
tempted to generalize the possibility that was granted to Abraham, to
understand it as a spiritual principle and without hesitation to apply it to
ourselves. We would like to think that we had the same call to a Christian
life, as a specially called follower of Christ who yet retrained the enjoyment
of his worldly possessions.
Yet the outward
breach is most certainly easier than the hidden one.
Unless we have
learnt this from the Bible and from our experience, we are indeed deceiving
ourselves.
We shall fall back
on our direct relationships and forfeit our fellowship with Christ.
It is not for us to
choose which way we shall follow.
That depends on the
will of Christ.
But this at least is
certain: in one way or the other we shall have to leave the immediacy of the
world and become individuals, whether secretly or openly.
But the same
Mediator who makes us individuals is also the founder of a new fellowship.
He stands in the
centre between my neighbour and myself.
He divides, but he
also unites.
Thus find the new
and only real way to him-- the way which passes through the Mediator.'
Mar 10:28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have
left all, and have followed thee.
Mar 10:29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say
unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or
father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the
gospel's,
Mar 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in
this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and
lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Mar 10:31 But many that are first shall be last; and
the last first
*******
My thoughts-
Jesus said, There is
no man that has left house, there is no man that has left brothers, there is no
man that has left sisters, there is no man that has left father, there is no
man that has left mother, there is no man that has left wife, there is no man
that has left children, there is no man that has left lands- FOR HIM, for HIS SAKE, and for the SAKE of
the GOSPEL- the message of eternal life found only in Him- No man has left all
that who will NOT receive an HUNDREDFOLD now in this time.
How do we equate
with doing that and not receiving an hundredfold? Do we even really know? Is it
possible that we are LEAVING all those things, or even some of those things,
amiss? Selfishly? We do so much - with more self interest than Christ interest.
Are we striving to
leave these things in hopes for receiving that hundredfold? That would be
striving amiss, wouldn't it? We have to live for CHRIST, only for CHRIST. All
our works, all our actions, all our leavings mean nothing if they aren't by
Christ's will.
It goes along these
lines- Jas_4:3 Ye ask, and receive not,
because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
God knows our
hearts, we can't fool Him for a second.
Bonhoeffer talks
here of a SPECIAL servant, Abraham. He had the faith necessary to be truly
God's. He heard and he obeyed God.
We tend to want to
put people like Abraham upon pedestals, imagining them to be something more
than merely human with human faults like our own. As if perhaps they had some
magical power that we don't have, power than enabled them to be God's. They
didn't have any magical power at all. They had this…
Gen 6:8 But Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD.
Gen 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was A
JUST MAN and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
1Co 15:10 But by the GRACE of God I am what I am: and
his GRACE which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more
abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the GRACE of God which was with me.
Exo 33:12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou
sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou
wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also
found GRACE in my sight.
Exo 33:13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found GRACE
in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find GRACE
in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
Psa 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the
LORD will give GRACE and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that
walk uprightly.
Psa 84:12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that
trusteth in thee.
Psa 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him:
but all the wicked will he destroy.
Tit 2:11 For the GRACE of God that bringeth salvation
hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of
good works.
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his GRACE, we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne
of GRACE, that we may obtain mercy, and find GRACE to help in time of need.
These men found
grace.
These men LOOKED
OUTSIDE OF THEMSELVES FOR SALVATION!
To be Christ's true
disciples we have to be willing to give up everything if we are called to do
so. And truly it is being called to do so that matters, not us doing it
thinking we will be rewarded for it. God
has to convict the hearts of His followers, if we presume to give up everything
and put on sackcloth and ashes it could all be in vain because we are not
following the path God desires of us.
And yes, we are now
all asking how do we know what God calls us to? What if we don't even
spiritually hear a call to do anything at all?
We HAVE GOD'S
WORD. We have to read God's word and
know this ultimately--
Joh_17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out
of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Jesus prayed to the
Father that we wouldn't be taken out of the world, but that we would be kept
from evil!
We are all called to
shun evil. Over and over our Savior tells us that we are called to LOVE not to
the strife of the world. We are NOT to promote evil in any way from the
smallest bit to the greatest. We are to REPENT of any evil and seek to follow
Christ in all things.
Bonhoeffer said
this--
'Yet the outward
breach is most certainly easier than the hidden one.
Unless we have
learnt this from the Bible and from our experience, we are indeed deceiving
ourselves.
We shall fall back
on our direct relationships and forfeit our fellowship with Christ.
It is not for us to
choose which way we shall follow.
That depends on the
will of Christ.
But this at least is
certain: in one way or the other we shall have to leave the immediacy of the
world and become individuals, whether secretly or openly.
But the same
Mediator who makes us individuals is also the founder of a new fellowship.
He stands in the
centre between my neighbour and myself.
He divides, but he
also unites.
Thus find the new
and only real way to him-- the way which passes through the Mediator.'
To don that
sackcloth and ashes and to live a visible life of self-denial is easier because
to live as Christ's with all the temptations of the flesh around us is a much
harder walk, and I imagine few are called to that walk fully as Abraham was. How much easier it is not to have to deal
with the temptation of tremendous wealth.
Even as a person struggles horrifically with their poverty it is an
easier walk than rightly using tremendous wealth. Also, our outward actions are easier than our
internal struggles, true?
If we do fall back
on our OLD ways, we are in a lot of trouble. I brought these verses up
yesterday-
Luk 11:24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man,
he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will
return unto my house whence I came out.
Luk 11:25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and
garnished.
Luk 11:26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other
spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the
last state of that man is worse than the first.
Truth!
We do NOT want our
last state to be worse than our first state!
We cannot deceive ourselves have to recognize what it truly means to be
a disciple of Christ's- THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP-COSTLY GRACE!
We truly do have to
take steps, to take actions, to actively choose our path, not simply sit back
and let come what may. We have a hand in our lives! We have to sacrifice self and if that means
giving up things and people, it has to be done. We cannot be ATTACHED to this
world or anything in it. Our attachment has to be CHRIST and all other things
through HIM. Our love for our husbands,
wives, children, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters all has to be a love
that comes from CHRIST. We cannot put our love of ANYTHING or ANYONE before the
LOVE of CHRIST.
Bonhoeffer's
words- 'Thus find the new and only real
way to him-- the way which passes through the Mediator'
Every relationship
that exists for us MUST Go through CHRIST FIRST!
It might be shocking
to take stock of our lives and ask if we are truly putting Christ before the
things and the people in it.
Truth- ALL things must be viewed in the light of
CHRIST, all things, not just things we pick and choose.
By the GRACE of God
may we live as just before Him, through Him, for Him, in Him as wholly HIS.
In HIS LOVE ALWAYS!