Work Out Your Salvation

When you work out your salvation, you will have these 15 marks of a true disciple of Jesus.

Not everyone who thinks he or she is a Christian actually is a Christian. Jesus taught that (Matthew 7:21–23). The apostle Paul taught that (1 Corinthians 6:9–11). The apostle John taught that (1 John 2:3–6). The apostle James taught that (James 2:14–26). Therefore it is essential we do what the word of God says in 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”

That implies we can know. We can find the answer to the question.

How do you test yourself? What is the standard you must meet?

In this series of articles I have taught that the standard for a true Christian is that he or she is a true disciple of Jesus Christ. None of us will be a perfect disciple of Jesus Christ; each of us is at a different stage in our maturation as a disciple—some are spiritual newborns and others spiritual elders; but every true Christian is a true disciple of Jesus who has begun a lifelong process of learning from him, as evidenced by his or her works. Like the apostle Peter, we will have our failures, but we will repent and resume following Jesus.

Does every true, mature Christian have in some measure all 15 marks, even if only in a small way in some marks? That is a question only God can answer, for as we have seen in this series Jesus speaks in black-and-white terms, not in shades of gray. We must follow his black-and-white standards of discipleship as he spoke them; he framed them as he did for a reason. Our approach should never be to do the bare minimum to be saved; rather, we should always earnestly give our utmost to walking closely with the Lord and keep growing to the end (2 Peter 1:2–11). When we do that, we can have deep assurance in our faith. Believers who do what they think is the minimum required are certainly in a precarious position and can have little assurance of what the verdict will be for them on Judgment Day. Again, Jesus spoke his parables and stated what he expects from believers for a reason.

In this series I have taught there are 15 marks of a true disciple of Jesus. I could sum up all fifteen marks with one mark: true, living faith in Jesus. We are saved through genuine faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–10), who graciously gives us the gift of righteousness apart from any good works of our own. What then is the point of the other 14 marks? The point is, they specify what true, living faith means.

This is necessary because many so-called believers have a sort of faith that falls short of being a saving faith. They are self-deceived. They may acknowledge intellectually that Jesus is Lord and that he rose from the dead, but by the way they live they deny those confessions. Titus 1:16 says, “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works.” When we are true disciples with all 15 marks on display in our lives, we show that our faith is real. The 15 marks are the fruit of true faith in Jesus.

The criteria for the 15 marks

I did not choose these marks arbitrarily. I selected them based on three criteria.

1. Jesus explicitly names the mark as a characteristic of true disciples. For example, see John 8:31.

2. Jesus teaches that anyone who lacks the mark will be excluded from the kingdom of God or rejected by him. For example, see Matthew 25:1–13.

3. Jesus teaches the mark as a fundamental command. For example, see Luke 22:19–20.

Saved by Grace

It is crucial for me to emphasize that these 15 marks are not 15 ways we must work our way into heaven or earn God’s favor. You cannot earn God’s favor through these 15 marks. Even true faith does not earn God’s favor. True faith is simply the way we receive God’s gift of salvation and righteousness through Jesus Christ. Salvation is always by God’s grace, always because of the atoning work of Jesus on the cross, always because Jesus takes our sins upon himself at the cross and graciously gives us his perfect righteousness. We are righteous because Jesus’ righteousness is imputed or credited to us as a free gift, if we truly believe in Jesus. Faith is not merit in God’s sight; it is simply the way sinners stretch out their hands and receive the gift of salvation.

But God’s grace is not cheap, nor is genuine faith superficial. The gift of God’s saving grace cost him his son, whom he sent to the earth to redeem us by suffering and dying on the cross and taking the penalty we deserved. In turn, true faith will always pivot from the love of the world and of sin to the love of God. That’s because true faith trusts in who God is and what God says. And if we believe what God says we will do what God commands. We will never do it perfectly, but we will do it inevitably.

True faith changes everything. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Faith transforms the soul: desires, disposition, affections, spirit, mind, and will.

15 ways to test yourself

Therefore these 15 marks are the way you test yourself to see if your faith is superficial or genuine. Is your faith like a parachute riddled with holes, useless on the day you need it? Or is your faith alive and robust, sure to bring you entrance into the eternal kingdom of heaven? Here is a summary of the marks. I recommend you click the links and reread the articles daily for the next two weeks.

1. True disciples trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, not in their own goodness.

2. True disciples devote themselves, ultimately and absolutely, to Jesus.

3. True disciples abide in Jesus and his words.

4. True disciples are growing to be more like Jesus. Part 2: True disciples are growing to be more like Jesus.

5. True disciples bear the fruit of love.

6. True disciples are spiritually awake and ready for the return of Christ.

7. True disciples are faithful managers of their kingdom responsibilities.

8. True disciples help suffering, needy Christians, as well as their neighbors.

9. True disciples forgive those who wrong them.

10. True disciples repent of wrongdoing, iniquity, unrighteousness, lawlessness, idolatry, evil.

11. True disciples take up the cross and die daily to this world, renouncing all things for the sake of Christ.

12. True disciples stand publicly for Christ, for his words, for his righteousness, for his gospel, even when it brings persecution.

13. True disciples join Jesus in his mission and work.

14. True disciples humble themselves like children.

15. True disciples participate deeply in a local church and receive the ordinances of baptism and communion.

Blessed are the disciples

Do not be casual or careless about these things. Rather, be earnest, because the welfare and happiness of your soul depends on it both now and forever.

Jesus was always serious about these matters.

He said, “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away” (Luke 8:18).

He said, “Watch out” (Mark 8:15).

He said, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14).

He said, “Be careful lest the light in you be darkness” (Luke 11:35).

He said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46)

He said, “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35).

He said, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:23).

What to do if we are missing the mark

A missing mark reveals a failure of faith, repentance, and love for God. If we see a shortfall in our life, we first need to renew our foundational act of surrender to the Lord and of repentance of known sin. We need to focus on the scriptures related to our area of failure and believe what the Lord says about it. And then we need to trust him to help us believe and obey him wholeheartedly. In other words, we don’t need most of all to try harder in an area of failure but rather to get right with God at the deepest level.

And then we should focus attention on the mark we are missing and see what it is we are failing to believe or obey. We need to repent and ask God to give us grace to grow in this area. We need to earnestly pursue obedience. As the apostle Paul wrote, we need to work out our salvation. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13). The marks of a true disciple of Jesus are the evidence that someone is working out his salvation. If marks are missing, he is failing to work out his salvation sufficiently.

Working out or working for

As we consider the marks of a true disciple of Jesus, it is crucial that we understand the gospel correctly. We cannot work for our salvation; but we must work out our salvation. We cannot work for our salvation, because salvation is a gracious gift from God received by faith. If we think we are working for our salvation, then we do not regard ourselves as already saved; we are trying to be saved in the future as a result of our work. Working for your salvation is an attempt to earn it. Someone could mistakenly see the marks of a true disciple as a way of working for salvation.

But if we regard ourselves as working out our salvation, then we know that we have already been saved by faith in Christ; we have already been justified by faith; we are already God’s son or daughter; we are already forgiven; and now we are working out the repentance, holiness, love, obedience, and righteousness that living faith and spiritual regeneration produces.

We are born again in a moment. We work out our salvation for the rest of our lives. The marks of a true disciple are likewise worked out for the rest of our lives.

Inheriting eternal life

So then, we have come to the end of an important series of articles about testing our lives by the standards given by Jesus to see whether we are genuine Christians who can have a confident assurance that God will joyfully welcome us into his Kingdom on Judgment Day. If you are wise, being ready for that day is your highest priority. There is nothing more important to you than being sure you pass the test of being a true disciple of Jesus. I pray that you do.

July 29, 2024July 30, 2024

The Fifteenth Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

True disciples of Jesus participate in the local church

Is it possible to be a true disciple of Jesus and keep the church at arm’s length, or to be a genuine Christian and be indifferent to the church?

No, the Bible does not present church participation as optional. Jesus regards church involvement to be of primary importance.

Let’s trace this through the Bible.

1. The Bible specifically says it is God’s will that Christians attend church meetings.

Hebrews 10:24–25 says, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Failing to meet with the church of Jesus Christ is spiritual neglect. It is the omission of what is required by the Lord. It is a sin of omission.

2. The first Christians met together as the church constantly.

Acts 2:42–46 says that immediately after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, which brought about the conversion of thousands of souls, the new Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers [this implies they were eating and praying together]. [43] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. [44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes [again, this implies eating together], they received their food with glad and generous hearts.”

If this were the only part of the New Testament you had, you would assume that participating deeply in the life of the church and its meetings was the norm for true Christians—and you would be right.

3. Jesus calls the church his and declares his unstoppable purpose is to build it.

After the apostle Peter confessed his faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus said, “I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

The church matters infinitely to Jesus. This is his project!

What’s more, the unmistakable implication of Jesus’ determination to build his church is that we should participate. Anyone who is truly following him is on his construction team! He said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23).

Therefore whoever is not helping Jesus build his church is hindering the Lord’s building of his church. Whoever is not helping to gather the harvest of souls into the church is scattering the harvest of souls. According to Jesus, you cannot be neutral about the church.

4. Jesus specifically authorizes the church to do his work.

Immediately after the words above where Jesus says to Peter “I will build my church,” he goes on to tell Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

The church is the Lord’s strategy. Since Jesus has given his authority to the church, then he will exercise his authority through the church. We are not given the freedom to strategize human ways of doing Christ’s work. To be outside of the church is to be outside of his authority.

5. The church is the fullness of Jesus on earth.

Ephesians 1:22–23 says, “[God] put all things under [Jesus’] feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

If we love Jesus, we want to be as near to him and his presence as possible. We want to experience his fullness. According to this verse, we experience that fullness in the church.

I say that with one important qualification. The church we are in must be a truly biblical, Holy-Spirit filled church. We are not going to feel the presence of the Lord in a gathering of people who do not believe or follow the Bible as they should, and do not love others as Christ commands, and who walk in the flesh rather than in the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:16–25). In that case we need to find another church where believers humbly follow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also” (John 12:26). Where is Jesus in this era? He is in his church.

6. The church is where God manifests his glory.

Ephesians 3:20–21 says, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

That is a striking statement! According to this verse, there are two places where God especially wants to manifest his glory. One is in Christ Jesus, and he certainly did that. And the other is in the church, and he is in the process of doing that.

To God be the glory in the church! That is why true disciples participate deeply in the life of the church—in order that God may be glorified in it, which is where he states he wants to be glorified.

7. The universal church comprises organized, local churches.

Many people today say they do not want anything to do with the organized church. Instead they want to have individual spirituality.

But an unorganized, disconnected scattering of individual, independent Christians across the globe is not the church described in the New Testament (in particular, see Ephesians 4:11–16; 1 Corinthians 12–14; Romans 12:3–13; 1 Timothy 3:1–15; 4:6–16; 5:1–25; 2 Timothy 4:1–5; Titus 1:5–10).

The word of God calls Christians to become part of a group of believers who have approved, appointed leaders. These leaders must be tested to ensure they believe and teach correct doctrine and live godly lives. These approved leaders are called to teach the word of God and correct doctrine.

The local church not only teaches the Scriptures faithfully but also baptizes new believers in accordance with God’s will and regularly serves Communion in the way commanded and approved by Christ so that no one suffers judgment through it (see 1 Corinthians 11:17–34).

The local church also helps wayward Christians by admonishing them and if necessary eventually disciplining them when they are living in a way that will lead to their own destruction. See 1 Corinthians 5, Matthew 18:15–18.

8. The local organized church is how Jesus—the Good Shepherd—cares for his sheep.

In one of Christ’s appearances to his disciples after his resurrection from the dead, Jesus ate a breakfast of fish with them, and “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’” (John 21:15–17 ESV)

Jesus cares about each one of us, and the way he shepherds our souls is through the shepherds/pastors he has given to his churches and through his churches as communities. Believers who separate themselves from the local church separate themselves also in some measure from the protection of the Good Shepherd.

9. Church is the bride of Christ.

Ephesians 5:31–32 says, “‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”

No one who loves Jesus should disdain his bride, for that would insult the bride he loves.

Summary

I could marshal many other scriptures and reasons for why every believer in Jesus should participate fully in the life of a local church that faithfully follows the word of God and the Holy Spirit. The entire New Testament assumes and teaches the importance of the local church to those who call Jesus Lord. Therefore let us love one another as Jesus commands and do so within the local community of believers organized to bring him glory in the earth. That is how to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

July 15, 2024July 10, 2024

The Fourteenth Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

True disciples humble themselves like children

True disciples enter the kingdom of heaven, while false disciples do not make the cut. As the Son of God, Jesus knows with absolute clarity who will enter. He knows who his true disciples are, and he wants us to know.

Thus he tells us one more mark of a true disciple in Matthew 18:2–4:

“Calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus is not exaggerating here when he says you will never enter the kingdom of heaven without this mark. You really must turn and become like a child. And then he elaborates on the quality of a child he has in mind, and that quality is the willingness to humble oneself. “Whoever humbles himself like this child…”

Turn

Notice also that Jesus says there is something that happens in your soul that precedes becoming like a child. He says you must first “turn.” We must first turn because naturally if we are not children we are adults. And the kind of adulthood that Jesus is speaking of is not a positive maturity that is good but rather a negative sort of adultness that is bad, and what makes it bad is pride. As we get older, if we follow our sinful nature, we become more proud.

Pride runs so deep in the soul of the fallen human that it corrupts and controls everything about us. Pride is a major part of what caused Satan to fall from being a perfect creation of God to being evil. Our pride leads to rebellion against authority. It leads to self-centeredness. It leads to arrogance toward others. It leads to stubbornness, hardening of the heart, and disobedience to God. It leads to an independent spirit and self-righteousness. Pride leads to a spirit of unbelief toward God and his words.

And that is why we can never enter the kingdom of heaven without turning away from our proud unbelief and self-justifying thoughts, to humbly acknowledge our sinfulness and inability to save ourselves. We must become humble enough to acknowledge that we need a Savior, that we can never do enough good works to merit eternal life and acceptance from God. Apart from Christ Jesus, we can never be holy, never be perfect. We can never atone for our sins; we can never be free of our guilt unless we follow God’s way of forgiveness.

Proud people do not think they need Jesus. They think any religion will get them to heaven. They think they can be nice people and earn heaven. Whereas humble people recognize their own brokenness and need for God to save them.

The Pharisee and the tax collector

Jesus brought this crucial point home with an unforgettable parable:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:10–14 ESV)

Humble enough to believe Scripture

We need childlike humility because the “adult” mind does not accept God’s truth.

We must humble our proud mind. Believing in God and Jesus Christ his Son is not irrational or unscientific. Far to the contrary. Nevertheless no one through human reasoning alone can come to faith in Jesus. No one can prove Jesus rose from the dead. No one can prove Jesus even existed. There are mountains of compelling evidence and arguments, but they are not proof.

And God wants it this way. He deliberately planned for a way of salvation that did not depend on human wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:21 says, “Since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

Young children humbly believe what their parents tell them. We must humbly believe what God tells us in his written Word.

The apostle Paul identifies the proud mindset that resists God and the gospel. He says that his evangelistic ministry required that he “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

Why did the Pharisees and the scribes reject Jesus even though they knew the Scriptures better than anyone in Israel? Because they were proud in heart and mind. They were in fact blinded by their pride. They believed they could be accepted by God by their keeping of the Old Testament laws. They believed they could be good enough to earn eternal life. They were proud of how externally religious they were, even though their hearts were filled with darkness.

Childlike to the end

We never outgrow the need for the humility of a child. We cannot humble ourselves, repent, and give our lives to Christ and then start depending on ourselves to save ourselves. While in this series of articles we have identified over a dozen marks of a true disciple, none of them is meritorious in the sight of God. These marks do not make us good enough to have God’s approval on Judgment Day. Till the day we die we always need the grace of God found through childlike faith in Jesus Christ.

July 1, 2024June 28, 2024

The Thirteenth Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

True disciples join Jesus in his mission and work

If you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ, then his mission becomes your mission. Not in the sense that you die on the cross for the sins of others as he was sent to do, but that you join in the work Jesus is now doing in the world.

Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23, ESV here and throughout).

During wartime, countries draft people into the army. Some people can get a deferment, which one dictionary defines as “the temporary postponement of, or permanent exemption from, induction into military service by virtue of one’s health, the number of one’s dependents, one’s work in an essential war industry, or some other reason deemed sufficient by the draft authorities.”

Jesus does not give deferments. Everyone is called to serve his cause in one way or another.

Luke 9:59–62 shows Jesus drafting his disciples and allowing no deferments: “To [one man] he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

At bare minimum everyone can pray for Christ’s cause in the earth, and prayer is vitally important. But most every true disciple of Jesus can do more than pray.

Sent

After his resurrection Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21). He did not limit that commission to his apostles. Just before ascending to his Father in heaven, he said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The mission is not over until the gospel reaches all people, until the very end of the age. Although the original apostles have died, the gospel they preached and the work of the kingdom of God are still with us. Billions of people still need to be saved.

Therefore when you decide to follow Jesus and learn from him, he calls you into three aspects of his work and mission in the world.

1. Jesus is building his church through his people

Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18).

He is building his church through his true disciples, both the leaders and the followers, as the apostle Paul wrote:

“[Jesus] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints [that’s every believer] for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” A few verses later Paul continues saying that the church, like a human body, is “joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:11, 12, 16).

Therefore true disciples participate deeply in the relationships and ministry of a local church in order to advance the cause of Christ.

2. Jesus is spreading the gospel through his people

Lost souls need to hear the gospel message. If they are to be saved, they need to hear about Jesus and his redeeming work.

The apostle Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

Jesus told his disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Therefore true disciples do what they can to help the advance of the message of Christ. They give their testimony and gospel literature to people they know. They pray and donate money for the effective advance of the gospel through their pastor, their church and its missionaries.

3. Jesus is advancing his kingdom and righteousness through his people

In the Lord’s prayer he taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10).

And we are called to do more than pray. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

So in the name of the Lord we are called to do whatever we can to advance God’s will in the earth, from feeding the hungry, to comforting and healing the sick, to supporting righteous laws.

Therefore true disciples do not live solely for their own comfort, entertainment, and well-being. Rather they work unselfishly for the good of others.

June 17, 2024June 5, 2024

The Twelfth Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

True disciples stand publicly for Jesus Christ—his words, his righteousness, and his gospel—even when it brings persecution.

The willingness to stand publicly with and for Jesus Christ is essential if we would be his true disciples. For Jesus said, “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26).

Our public stance regarding Jesus reveals what we value most.

For instance, if a man asks a woman to marry him, and he gives her a $10,000 wedding ring, will his fiancé be ashamed to wear her ring, or will she proudly wear that ring and hope others see it?

Or if a computer science major graduates college and gets a job working for Google, will she hide the identity of her employer? Or will she proudly wear company shirts and hats bearing the company logo?

We gladly go public with what we are proud of.

Supremely proud of God

When we have the privilege of becoming a Christian, with the God of heaven and earth as our Father and the Son of God as our Savior, that is something more worthy of boasting over than a trophy spouse or employer.

True disciples of Christ are more proud of God and his Son and their words, their gospel, and their righteousness than of anything else in the world. Our Savior suffered and died for our sins and has risen to the right hand of God where he rules heaven and earth as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

In contrast, suppose a woman living in a small town has a father who is a notorious rapist or murderer. Would she gladly tell people her last name? Would she gladly talk about her family? No, she would be ashamed, to the point of hiding her identity.

When Christians are ashamed of Jesus, they act as though there is something bad about him.

God does not accept that shame. He does not accept that dishonor, for he is worthy of our being proud of him, not ashamed of him.

Our culture’s growing rejection of Jesus

Again, Jesus said, “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26).

Notice Jesus speaks of two causes of shame: (1) Jesus himself, and (2) the words of Jesus. The words of Jesus include the message of his gospel about how to be saved from the guilt of sin, and his teaching about right and wrong, that is, his teaching about righteousness.

Increasingly the secular cultures of the West reject and scorn Jesus and his words. They describe those who follow Jesus as bigoted, arrogant, intolerant, judgmental, unkind, at odds with science, on the wrong side of history about sexuality, unconcerned about the rights of women, and so on. To stand publicly with Christ can mean being cancelled, losing your job or your opportunities for advancement with your company, being mocked and slandered, being unfriended, hated, and cut off. There is a price to be paid for publicly standing for Jesus and his words.

Yet Jesus calls true disciples to pay that price willingly. He said, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32–33).

Here Jesus says unambiguously that if we deny him publicly, then we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. He will deny us.

He said the same thing positively: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

Those willing to be persecuted for Jesus enter heaven; they are saved. So Jesus states plainly that how we relate to him in public is how he will speak to the Father about us. If you want Jesus to be proud of you when you stand on Judgment Day, then you be proud of him now in public.

True disciples are not cowards

For the first three hundred years after Jesus ascended to heaven, the world persecuted the church. The Book of Revelation was written to Christians suffering persecution. After describing the beauties of the heavenly age to come, the apostle John writes,

“The one who conquers [that is, the one who stays loyal to Christ despite persecution] will have this heritage [life in the new creation], and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:7–8).

What? Does being a coward send people to hell? In the Book of Revelation cowardice refers to the unwillingness to be persecuted for Christ. For example, Jesus says to the church in Smyrna:

“I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:9–11).

Yet God forgives those who repent of cowardice

In cowardice, the apostle Peter denied Christ three times during the Lord’s trial.

“Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus the Galilean.’ But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you mean.’ And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ And again he denied it with an oath: ‘I do not know the man.’ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.’ Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man.’ And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:69–75)

Peter repented of his fear and shame, and God forgave him.

Cowardice and being ashamed of Christ is a sin we need to confess and repent of like any other serious sin. With true repentance we confess, ask forgiveness, and then ask for grace to be bold and courageous in public for him. With God’s help, true disciples change.

June 3, 2024May 24, 2024

The Eleventh Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

True disciples take up the cross and die daily to this world, renouncing all things and people for the sake of Christ.

Jesus said:

“^{26} If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. ^{27}Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple…. ^{33}So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26–27, 33; ESV)

Three times Jesus repeats the words “cannot be my disciple.” He means what he says and repeats it lest anyone think otherwise. True disciples must take up the cross and die daily to this world, renouncing—always in principle and sometimes, if God leads, in reality—all things, all people, and even their own lives for the sake of Christ.

What does Jesus mean by “hate”?

Jesus uses the word hate here in a hyperbolic, figurative way to emphasize a point. This wording was an idiom in his culture that meant “love less.” It meant to love one thing so much less than another that there was no comparison.

We know that Jesus is using the word hate figuratively because he commands elsewhere in Scripture not to hate. He commands elsewhere to love all people including our family members. He tells us to give thanks for the good things he has put in this world including its righteous pleasures. He commands us to seek our own eternal good in ways obedient to God.

For example:

First Timothy 5:8 says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (ESV)

Ephesians 5:28 says, “Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself” (ESV). Here God commands men not only to love a family member, but also to be motivated to do so partially by self-interest.

Titus 2:4 says: “Train the young women to love their husbands and children” (ESV).

First John 2:9, 11 says: “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness…. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (ESV). Similarly, see 1 John 3:15 and 4:20.

First Timothy 4:3–5 says that some false teachers “forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” (ESV)

The world

The New Testament says strong things about the world and how true disciples must relate to it.

Jesus said, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25, ESV)

This verse helps us understand why Jesus taught what he did about being ready for his Second Coming. When he comes again, our reaction to his coming shows what we love most, whether we most love our lives in this world or whether we most love our Savior and his Kingdom.

First John 2:15–17 says: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (ESV). According to this Scripture, love for the Father and love for the world are mutually exclusive.

James 4:4 says: “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (ESV). Scripture does not describe God’s true children as his enemies. James uses language meant to cause the deepest possible alarm in his hearers.

Explaining the Parable of the Soils, Jesus said, “As for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” (Luke 8:14, ESV) The soil with thorns was one of three soils in the parable that describe people who end up with crop failure, who ultimately are not saved.

True disciples and the return of Jesus

Our readiness for the Second Coming of Jesus and our attitude toward this world are joined. Jesus warned:

“Just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” (Luke 17:28–33, ESV)

Lot’s wife

Jesus says that what happened to Lot’s wife is important. It is a picture of what will happen to many at his Second Coming. True disciples of Jesus cannot follow in her steps.

Her story begins with the angels urgently trying to get Lot and family to flee from Sodom and Gomorrah, two wicked cities on the brink of incineration. Genesis 19:15–26 says:

“As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.’ But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. And as they brought them out, one said, ‘Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away….’ The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”

She is exhibit A of a false disciple who loves the world and has not died to life in the world. At the Second Coming of Jesus, a “Lot’s wife” believer in Jesus would gaze at the things of the world she regretted losing instead of joyfully lifting her eyes to Jesus in the air.

The power of the cross of Jesus in renouncing the world

Jesus says that true disciples must renounce any love that competes with their love for him. Luke 14:33: “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

According the Webster’s dictionary, to renounce means to declare one’s abandonment of a claim, right, or possession; to give up, refuse, or resign usually by formal declaration. Christians make that formal declaration by being baptized in water, symbolizing their choice to die to self and this world and to live for God and his will.

Renouncing the world is not easy. We need God’s help, and he gives it in fullest measure. That help comes in our conscious decision to unite with Jesus Christ in his death on the cross.

The apostle Paul wrote: “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14, ESV)

The New Living Translation gives a helpful paraphrase of that verse: “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.”

Because Jesus unselfishly died for me, I have the motivation to die for him. He has given the example. He gave all for me. How could I hold anything back from him? Through his example and by his power living in me, true disciples of Jesus can renounce this world and everything in it so we might have Christ. He is worth infinitely more than anything in this world.

May 20, 2024July 2, 2024

The Tenth Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

True disciples repent of wrongdoing

I recently saw an article that said, “About 70 percent of marriages start with cohabitation.” That is, the man and woman live together and presumably have sexual relations before they get married.

Compare that statistic with a Pew Research Center study in 2022 which said 64 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christian.

That suggests a large percentage of people who call themselves Christian are living together and having sexual relations before marriage. In other words, they are not following biblical teaching about sexual morality. Or to put it bluntly, they are living in sin.

Still, are they Christians? Are they true disciples of Jesus? Are they on their way to heaven?

Chiseled in stone

Second Timothy 2:19 says, “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.’”

In this verse the apostle Paul envisions a large public building with words chiseled into a stone in the foundation. There are two mottos or certainties chiseled into the stones. One is, “The Lord knows those who are his.” We humans cannot identify with certainty who the real Christians are. People can fool us. Someone can attend church services every week and talk about the Bible and pray much, but in the end be shown to have lived a double life. We can even fool ourselves.

But God knows who the true Christians are. All along he sees through the deception and duplicity. He knows the heart.

The second truth chiseled into the foundation stone of God’s building is, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” In other words, true Christians must repent of ongoing iniquity. There may be a struggle, but the true Christian must fight against temptation and eventually prevail over sinful habits.

The implication of these two sayings being chiseled into the same building is that the person who calls himself a Christian but indulges iniquity is someone that God knows is not a true Christian. The Lord knows those who are his, and those who complacently practice iniquity are not among them.

Where else do we see this idea?

Does that interpretation agree with the teaching of the rest of the New Testament? Consider these words of Jesus:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21–23)

Moreover, note these words from the apostle Paul, the champion of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19–21 ESV) Those who do “not inherit the kingdom of God” are not saved; they do not end up in heaven.

In another letter Paul writes: “You may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 5:5–6 ESV)

Self-deception and morality

Let’s turn to another significant New Testament writer, the apostle John. He says:

“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:4–9 ESV)

Elsewhere, in Revelation, John writes: “As for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (21:8, ESV)

What we claim versus what we do

Finally, consider 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, where the apostle Paul writes: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (ESV)

Therefore, no matter what people claim about their belief in Jesus, if they are complacently practicing evil, they are not true disciples of Jesus, and as far as we can know they are not a true Christian. Of course, God is the final judge on the human soul, but according to what the Bible says we can assume they are not true Christians.

No one is perfect

Still, we must recognize that all true disciples are in the process of sanctification. None of us is yet perfect. No one will display all the marks of a true disciple at all times and in every situation. True disciples do fail. We have our ups and downs. This is especially true of new believers and young believers.

However, this is crucial: when true disciples do fail and become aware of it, they confess it to God, and they repent sincerely, as King David did when confronted by the prophet Nathan regarding his sins with Bathsheba (See 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25 and Psalm 51). They do not live contentedly as a false Christian—lacking the marks of a true disciple.

That is the difference between a true disciple and a false Christian. False Christians are not troubled by their sins, they have no intention of becoming a true disciple, they do not confess their sins or sincerely repent of them before God, and they do not pray earnestly for God to help them be true disciples in the areas where they are lacking. They take God’s forgiveness for granted and contentedly sin and live in a spiritually lukewarm condition.

Therefore, I conclude with this exhortation from Jesus:

“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” (Luke 13:24 ESV)

May 6, 2024April 29, 2024

The Ninth Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

True disciples forgive those who wrong them

Jesus tells the price of bitterness.

Matthew 18:21–35 (ESV) says,

²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

²⁶ So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’

²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’

²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’

³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.

³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.

³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.’”

Big money

In Bible times a talent was a unit of money equal to 20 years of wages for a laborer. I calculated what the wages of a carpenter would be over a period of 20 years, and the amount was roughly $1,200,000. In Bible times a talent was worth $1,200,000! Multiply that times 10,000 and you have 12 billion dollars in today’s money.

On the other hand, a denarius was worth one day’s wages. So if a laborer earns $20 an hour working say 10 hours, that is $200. Or on the low side, compute at a minimum wage of $16 an hour working for just 8 hours a day, which comes to $128 total. So, in today’s value, this fellow bond servant owed his colleague somewhere between $130–200. Compared to $12 billion.

This is God’s perspective on a person who claims to be a Christian and claims to be forgiven of their sins and yet holds a grudge against someone else.

You may have good reason to be angry

Now, this is not saying you have not suffered a great wrong from someone. Someone may have sexually molested you. Someone may have stolen from you a lot of money or possessions. Your parents might have mistreated or neglected you or been partial to one of your siblings. You might have lost your job because someone lied about you.

Knowing what Jesus said, some still refuse to forgive the person who wronged them. They know what they are doing. They choose to hold on to their bitterness and hatred. In this parable, Jesus calls that wickedness. “You wicked servant” (Matt. 18:32). If you have been forgiven by God, it is a wicked thing to withhold forgiveness from others.

James 2:13 says, “Judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Forgive without delay

A bitter person on the road to being condemned is not a true disciple of Jesus, but rather a false disciple.

So, what do you choose?

If you are married or divorced, you have hundreds and thousands of things large and small to forgive.

For those of you who have held on to a grudge against someone for a long time—maybe your entire adult life—I call on you now to forgive. I call on you to release that grudge and desire for vengeance. Pray for his or her good.

If you are holding grudges against family members, parents, siblings, children, I call on you to forgive them. You may have a sibling rivalry like Jacob and Esau—somehow your sibling always got the good end of things. I call on you to forgive that sibling.

If you who have been sexually molested, I call on you to forgive.

If someone stole your money or property, I call on you to forgive.

If you are divorced or separated, if a spouse has taken everything from you—your past, present, future, children, house, car, money—I call on you to forgive. Forgive them for your own sake so that you may be forgiven and enter heaven.

If a supervisor, company, colleague, or subordinate cost you your job, career, and security, I call on you to forgive so you can be a true disciple of Jesus.

The person you hate cost you dearly. Do not let them also rob you of Jesus. Do not let them take from you the kingdom of God and eternal paradise.

Pray

One of the best ways to forgive an enemy is to pray for her. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27–28, ESV).

Moreover, you should pray for yourself: “Lord, I confess I have sinned against you by holding a grudge. I confess that my bitterness has been wicked. Lord Jesus, as you have forgiven me, I choose to forgive all who have sinned against me in the past, who sin against me in the present, and who sin against me in the future. Amen”

April 16, 2024April 27, 2024

The Eighth Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

A true disciple helps suffering, needy Christians

A true disciple helps suffering and needy Christians. Jesus teaches this plainly in Matthew 25:31–46:

“^{31} When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ^{32} Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ^{33} And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

^{34} Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ^{35} For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ^{36} I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

^{37} Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ^{38} And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ^{39} And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

^{40} And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

^{41} “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ^{42} For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ^{43} I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

^{44} Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’

^{45} Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ^{46} And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (ESV)

Notice three things in this parable.

1. Jesus identifies with his believing brothers and sisters to such a degree that what we do to them we do to him.

This harmonizes with what Jesus said to the apostle Paul when he confronted him on the road to Damascus and said, “Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) not why are you persecuting my disciples. Thus, what we do to other Christians displays are true stance toward Jesus Christ.

2. This sounds like an argument for works-righteousness and self-righteousness, if it were taken out of context from the rest of what Jesus says and what the rest of the New Testament says.

This parable agrees with what James 2 says about true, living faith always resulting in good works:

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14–17 (ESV)

The gospel teaches that regeneration leads to good works, not vice versa:

“By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV)

3. Jesus specifies in this parable that we perform these good works for our fellow Christians.

In this parable Jesus does not teach about what we do for non-believers; he speaks only of what we do for fellow believers. (This is not to say we should not help all who suffer, whether they are a Christian or non-Christian. See Galatians 6:10 and Luke 10:27–37.)

Verse 40 says the King will answer the merciful, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

In Matthew, “brothers” always means spiritual kin.

Note, he is referring to Christians. “brothers” and “least of these”

Moreover, the phrase “least of these,” is the superlative of “little ones,” which in Matthew always refers to disciples. For example, “Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42

Similarly, Matthew 18:6, 10, 14, says: “^{6}Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea…. ^{10} See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven…. ^{14} It is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

The worst imaginable surprise

In each parable of Matthew 25, people regarded themselves as acceptable to God, but on Judgment Day God rejects them. None are true disciples of Jesus, for true disciples will be received into heaven.

This interpretation of the third parable of Matthew 25 agrees with the teaching of 1 John 3:16–19:

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him.” (ESV)

Conclusion

So, Matthew 25 and 1 John 3 state unequivocally that a true Christian will have compassion on his brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need, and if he continuously closes his heart to needy Christians he simply is not truly born again, and thus not a true disciple of Jesus. Showing compassion to needy Christians is a necessary mark showing that Jesus lives in you and that you love Jesus in your brothers and sisters.

So, what should you do if you do not have compassion on needy Christians and suffering Christians?

The first thing you need to do is not to go out and work harder. Rather, the first thing you need to do is get your heart right with God. You need to become a good tree rather than a bad tree. You need to truly surrender your life to God and determine to obey him in all things.

You need to fully embrace Jesus Christ as your only hope, great love, and ultimate treasure. You will love needy humans when you deeply love Jesus. You need to repent of your love of the world and of money, and replace those loves with the love of Jesus. You need to stop believing merely with intellectual ascent in certain truths about Jesus, and make him the center of your life. You need to die to yourself and the world.

When you do that, compassion will flow naturally, because Jesus will be there giving you a heart of love in place of selfishness.

April 1, 2024March 30, 2024

The Seventh Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

True disciples are faithful managers of their kingdom responsibilities

The parable of the talents

The parable of the talents, which we read in Matthew 25:14–30, is shocking. Our challenge is to do it full justice and not explain it away.

It only makes sense when we understand what Jesus teaches overall about his true disciples: the result of true, living faith is ongoing growth as a true disciple.

The following parable of Jesus reveals another facet of the kind of ongoing growth that Jesus says is the necessary and inevitable result of being a true disciple of his: true disciples are faithful managers of their kingdom responsibilities.

The parable

In the previous verses, Jesus has been teaching about his Second Coming. Then Matthew 25:14–30 says, “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. [15] To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

[16] He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. [17] So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. [18] But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

[19] Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. [20] And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’

[21] His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

[22] And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’

[23] His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

[24] He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, [25] so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’

[26] But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? [27] Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

[28] So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. [29] For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

[30] And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

That severe ending

First, do not let that ending be lost on you. Do true Christians end up in a place described as “outer darkness”? Is heaven a place where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth”? Of course not. So, this can only be hell. And the person called “the worthless servant” can only be someone who falsely believed he was a follower of Jesus, only to discover on Judgment Day he is rejected.

Why the rejection?

He is rejected because his faith was not a living and true faith. True faith in Jesus results in growing obedience to him, and this parable shows that one area of growing obedience will always include the faithful managing of one’s responsibilities received from Jesus.

Those responsibilities are symbolized by the “talents.” In this parable, talents are not human abilities like playing music or excelling in sports, but rather a talent “was a monetary unit worth about 20 years’ wages for a laborer,” according to the notes in my ESV Bible.

Therefore, the three servants in the parable were given huge responsibilities. The worthless servant who did nothing profitable with his single talent squandered what could have been gained by investing $1.2 million (based on an average annual salary of $60,000).

Six responsibilities

What kind of kingdom responsibilities does Jesus give his followers?

In general, the New Testament presents six areas of responsibility.

1. Spiritual gifts and abilities. See Romans 12:5-8.

2. Time. See Ephesians 5:15–17 and Exodus 20:9–10.

3. Money. See Luke 16:10–13.

4. People, such as family, fellow church members, neighbors. See 1 Timothy 5:8, 1 Corinthians 12:25.

5. The work of the Lord through his church. See 1 Corinthians 15:58; Colossians 3:23–24; Ephesians 4:11–16.

6. The gospel. See Philippians 4:3 and Mark 13:10.

Wicked? Really?

Another element of this parable that can shock us is the adjectives the master uses to describe the servant who failed: “You wicked and slothful servant!” (ESV) “You wicked, lazy servant” (NIV). My guess is that many Christians would not be ready to describe someone who seriously drops the ball as wicked.

But many verses elsewhere in the Bible agree with this assessment. When asked what the most important commandment is, Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” This is a commandment, and it tops the list. Ignoring God’s commandments is wicked.

Here are a number of other Scriptures that teach the seriousness of the sin of laziness, negligence, omission, and irresponsibility.

In Luke 16:10, Jesus said, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

In Luke 12:48, Jesus said, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

In Luke 9:62 Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” That is strong language that raises high the standard of a Christian worker. He does not say that they are unfit to do kingdom work; he says they are unfit for the kingdom—period.

In Matthew 12:30 (ESV) Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” In other words, if you are not picking the corn and throwing it in the cart, it is as though you are taking handfuls of corn that has already been harvested and scattering it on the ground.

The harmfulness of a slack hand

How can this be? If someone does not pitch in and help, how is it that they are hindering the work of Jesus? Proverbs 18:9 says, “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys” (ESV)

For example, on a soccer team, if a defenseman is lazy, their opponent will notice that and attack that defenseman at every opportunity, and as a result get quality shots on the goal again and again. The team with one lazy defenseman will lose.

In a car manufacturing company, if one worker on the assembly line is careless, the cars produced could be unsafe, cause accidents and deaths, and require a recall that would cost the company tens of millions of dollars. The company could become uncompetitive as a result and eventually go out of business, resulting in all the employees losing their jobs.

Indeed, “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” (Proverbs 18:9 ESV)

Good stewards

The apostle Paul clearly understood the seriousness of being a steward and manager in God’s sight. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:1–5: “{1} This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. {2} Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. {3} But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. {4} For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.”

1 Peter 4:10 commands true believers, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

And finally, probably the most shocking verse of all is Jeremiah 48:10: “Cursed is the one who does the LORD’S work negligently” (NASB20). That is exactly what happened in the parable told by Jesus in Matthew 25.

The error of trusting in our works

How does this harmonize with the gospel of justification by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone? It would be a grave error for people to read this article and conclude they need to work hard to earn their salvation, piling up good works and religious activity to merit heaven. No one can earn God’s acceptance by faithful stewardship and management of God’s gifts.

Ephesians 2:8–10 shows us the relationship between the free gift of salvation and our responsibility to be faithful stewards. It says, “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

So, God created us for good works, but they result from justification rather than being the grounds of justification. Our only righteousness and merit before God is that which comes to us from Christ. But when God regenerates us, he recreates us for the purpose of good works and faithful management of the many resources he bestows on us.

Paul writes in his letter to his protégé Titus: Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works…. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people…. And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.” (Titus 2:14; 3:8, 14)

What should a negligent believer do?

If you have been failing at your responsibilities before God, what should you do?

It is possible that you have never truly been converted. A true conversion to God includes repentance, surrender, and the full embrace of Jesus as your Lord, so that you abide in his words and follow them.

Then you need to repent of the wickedness of unfaithfulness just as you would repent of any other kind of sin. Do not simply try to do more; rather, confess your sin and trust that Jesus died on the cross for your failure. Then turn away from the sin of laziness and negligence. Commit yourself to be a devoted follower of Jesus. Become a true disciple in every respect. Learn from him daily and weekly by devoted reading of Scripture. Let your faith come alive by doing what Jesus commands. Start loving God with all your might.

This will be a life of greater joy and significance than you have ever known.