October 15

What It Means To Be A Christian

In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple. — Luke 14:33 BSB

Three times in this chapter, our Lord says these solemn words: “he cannot be My disciple.” There are three conditions for discipleship. First, we must be willing to put first things first. Second, we must be ready to bear a daily cross. Third, we must be detached from all things because we are attached to Christ. These conditions seem severe, but they must be met if we are to enter Christ’s School.

A disciple is a learner. Our Lord is ready to teach us the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but it is pointless to join His class unless we are determined to do as He commands. Put first things first. When Jesus says we must “hate” our family, He means that our love for Him must be so much greater that our natural affections seem small by comparison. No one could have loved His mother more than Jesus did. Even in His dying agony, He cared for her. Yet, on three occasions, He had to set her aside. Sometimes, we too must set aside even our dearest loved ones if their demands conflict with Christ’s call.

The daily cross. There is a principle of self at work within each of us, and we face a constant need to deny that self. Some people speak casually about “bearing their cross,” but the true meaning of the cross is shame, suffering, and sorrow, known only to God, and its weight may press deeper as we grow older. In your life, in relation to some person or situation, there is an opportunity to experience a deepening union with Christ in His death. This requires you to surrender your will and follow Him daily.

Renunciation. You may need to surrender everything for Christ, or He may ask you to hold all you have as a steward for Him and others. Each person’s calling is unique. The essential question is: “Am I willing to do whatever Christ asks of me? To let Him shape my will and use my life as He sees fit?” If the answer is yes, everything else will fall into place.

Prayer

O Lord, save me from myself. May I be wholly Yours, at any cost—Yours in humiliation, in poverty, in self-denial. Yours in the way You know best, so that You may be now and always mine. Amen.