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The Meaning and Cost of Discipleship

The Meaning and Cost of Discipleship

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 Eternal salvation unfolds in three tenses. Phase one is justification—past tense. That’s the moment you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior. You were saved from the penalty of sin (John 3:16; Rom 5:1; 8:1). It’s instantaneous, permanent, and entirely by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9). Eternal life is a free gift from God (Rom 6:23). You didn’t earn it (Rom 4:5), you don’t maintain it (Gal 2:16), and you can’t lose it (John 10:28-29; Eph 1:13-14; 1 John 5:11-13). Phase two is sanctification—present tense. It’s the daily battle: learning doctrine (1 Pet 2:2), renewing the mind (Rom 12:2), being filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18), walking by the Spirit (Gal 5:16), walking by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38), and saying “no” to the flesh (Rom 13:14). It’s not about staying saved—you’re already secure. It’s about growing up spiritually and living like a child of God (1 Pet 2:2; Eph 4:1). Rewards are at stake (1 Cor 3:12-15). Fellowship is on the line (1 John 1:6). Phase three is glorification—future tense. It’s the finish line. No more sin nature. No more death. You get a resurrection body, custom-fit for eternity (1 Cor 15:53; Phil 3:20-21). Face-to-face with Christ. No struggle, no failure—just perfect conformity to His image forever (1 John 3:2, 5). That’s your guaranteed future. All three phases are part of God’s gracious plan, but they must be kept distinct. Confuse them, and you’ll either fall into legalism or question your salvation. Get them clear, and you’ll live with confidence, freedom, and focus. Living the Sanctified Life – Phase Two Eternal salvation is just the beginning. Phase one secures our position in Christ; phase two deals with our condition—how we live. That’s sanctification. It kicks off the moment you’re saved and continues until the Rapture or your last breath. This phase is about spiritual growth, transformation, and learning to think like Christ (Rom 12:2; 1 Cor 2:16; Phil 2:5; 2 Pet 3:18). God gives the assets: the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), the Word of God (2 Tim 3:16; 1 Pet 2:2), a new nature (2 Cor 5:17), and spiritual gifts (1 Pet 4:10). But unlike phase one (where God does all the work), phase two is a team effort. It’s synergistic. God supplies the knowledge and power; we bring the positive volition. We either walk by the Spirit—or we don’t (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16). Discipleship is the practical outworking of phase two. It’s healthy Christian living. But don’t confuse it with salvation. Salvation is free, but discipleship is costly. Faith alone in Christ alone saves (John 3:16; Rom 3:28; 4:5; Gal 2:16). But faithfulness? That’s the road of the disciple. That road is paved with learning (1 Pet 2:2), obedience (Jam 1:22), denial of self (Luke 9:23), and fruit-bearing to the glory of God (John 15:8). It’s not about earning salvation—it’s about living like someone who already has it. It’s about learning “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph 4:1). To follow Christ is to align your mind, values, priorities, and choices with His (Rom 12:1-2; Phil 2:5). It’s a daily grind. It is repeatedly saying “yes” to the Lord and “no” to your flesh. And yes—it’s going to cost you. Relationships may strain, comfort may vanish, opposition will come (Luke 14:26-33). But the payout? Eternal rewards (1 Cor 3:12-15; 2 Cor 4:17). Discipleship is no cakewalk—but it’s worth every step. Spiritual growth depends on spiritual nutrition. Feed the new nature or starve it. It’s that simple. We grow through the Word (1 Pet 2:2), apply it by faith (Jam 1:22), and stay filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:25). Fail to do that, and you’ll stay a spiritual baby—saved but stunted, secure but stuck (Heb 5:11-14). Discipleship is moment-by-moment decisions—choosing divine viewpoint over human viewpoint, maturity over mediocrity, truth over trends. It requires humility, commitment, courage, and discipline to stay the course. Rewards? Those are tied to phase two, not phase one. Salvation is a free gift, but rewards are earned. At the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10; Rom 14:10-12), we won’t be judged for our sins—they were judged at the Cross. We’ll be evaluated for our service to the Lord. Did we build with gold, silver, and precious stones—or wood, hay, and straw? (1 Cor 3:12-15). Every believer stands on the unshakable foundation of Christ. But what you build on it determines reward, honor, and future rulership (Luke 19:17-19; Rev 2:26-27). It’s important to understand that failure in phase two doesn’t cancel phase one. Carnal believers are still believers. Eternal security is a reality of grace. Lot was called righteous (2 Pet 2:7-8), yet his life was a moral disaster. The Corinthians were saints—positional saints—yet they were fleshly and divisive (1 Cor 1:2; 3:1-3). Demas bailed out, but that doesn...

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