Requirements for a True Disciple of Christ | Mark 8:34

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

News of Jesus’s presence in Caesarea Philippi had apparently spread, because a crowd was gathering.  Peter had called Jesus aside (v. 32), so the crowd kept its distance.  Now, Jesus calls everyone over to Himself; the words He’s about to speak are not for Peter’s benefit alone, but for all who have a personal desire to call themselves disciples of Christ.  What are the requirements of discipleship?

A true disciple must deny self.  One cannot unwaveringly follow Christ and his own agenda, so the true disciple ceases to make himself the focus of his own life.  This does not refer to ascetic practices, such as ceasing from bathing or taking on a vow of poverty.  Rather, it means to renounce sin, love for the world, and any self-righteousness. 

A true disciple must die to self.  This doesn’t mean to simply keep the faith in rough times.  To take up a cross in the ancient world meant one thing—death— and Luke emphatically adds “daily.”  Every day, one must be willing to follow Christ, no matter what.  Jesus warns that the world will hate Christians (Jn 15:18–20), and we’re told to expect animosity from the lost world (2 Tm 3:12).  True disciples have counted this as a possible cost of following Christ (cf. Lk 14:27–33).

A true disciple must direct self.  The third requirement of discipleship here describes personal, present effort to follow Christ.  In other words, when Christ’s Word identifies a particular sin, a possible disciple should understand that he will have to follow Him away from it.  Christ must be of all-surpassing worth to the true disciple, meaning that he’ll deny his desire to fulfill himself, die to his former way of life, and choose to follow Christ. 


Thankfully, this is all the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s regenerative and sanctifying work!  Good works cannot save us (Eph 2:8–9; Ti 3:5–7), but Jesus He knows His sheep and promises that they hear His voice and follow Him (Jn 10:27).  Our following gives us assurance that we’ve come to know Christ (1 Jn 2:3–6).

Popular posts from this blog

Controversy about Alistair Begg and Gay Weddings?

Image
Last week, Alistair Begg got himself into hot water.  His ministry, Truth for Life, posted a video which included his advice to a grandmother concerned for a grandchild trapped in the transgender lifestyle.  Moreover, this grandchild is getting married and has hopefully invited the grandmother to the wedding. Begg the grandmother two questions.   He asked her if she had expressed her disapproval of the lifestyle, and he asked if she had expressed disapproval about the wedding.   The grandmother said she had on both accounts.   His advice, therefore, stunned the grandmother: He told her to attend the wedding with a gift in hand! We can all sympathize with the drive to be as loving as possible, but let’s back up and consider a few points.   Christians look at Scripture and see biblical prohibitions against practically every expression on the current LGBTQ+ spectrum.   From both the Old Testament and the New, passages condemn such behaviors as deviations from normal creation.   Moreov
Read more

How Was the Trauma Training Today?

Image
Because we are including so many more foster children and children from broken homes into our fellowship, our church participated in a trauma training session today.  Our main purpose was to gain practical insights into how to handle situations where children who have experienced trouble act out their emotions.  To that end, we can be thankful for our time together.  However, there were many errant teachings included which we must reject.  ERRANT TEACHING ON THE BRAIN The presentation alleged that the brain is physically transformed through traumatic events, creating “holes” in it and in its ability to process information.   This is possible, but there is a lot of debate on this subject.   The subject is relatively new, based on the largely anecdotal research of Dutch psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, published in his book The Body Keeps the Score .   Secular psychologists and even some Christian counselors (who are not always biblical in their approach) have found value in this un
Read more

What should we think about the upcoming solar eclipse?

Image
As celestial phenomena unfold, many individuals rightly turn to Scripture, seeking insights into their significance.  Eclipses, comets, supernovas, and meteor showers spark fascination and questions as to whether these events carry divine messages.  However, discerning between natural occurrences and supernatural signs requires careful consideration among Christians, particularly in the context of hermeneutics (the science of interpreting the Bible) and eschatological (end-times) beliefs. The Balance of Natural Order and Divine Intervention I am a supernaturalist, meaning that I believe God made this world and can intervene in events in miraculous ways to accomplish His purposes.   God made the cosmos, and on the fourth day of creation, the Lord made the sun, moon, and stars, establishing these luminaries to be “for signs and for seasons and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14).   The word “signs” carries a special fascination for us, but we also see that God had a broader intent f
Read more