12.2 The Cost of Discipleship
© 2018 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
Blood removes the waste material. And white blood cells give their lives to protect the body from hostile invasion.
The idea that I must “die” because there is something inherently wrong with me in my makeup, in the intentions and drives of my heart, was a horror I could never bear. I could not bear that horror because, though preached alongside the fear of God, yet it was unreal. “Carry your cross, brother,” was always just the way the one “above me” got me to submit to their way. For the first few years I taught union with Christ, the “cost” reality of the gospel would often seem to war against my trust in Christ. My desire to know God further would imperil my rest.
For Father’s Sake. From the summer of 2013 on, from the time I had turned completely around upon the Mercy Seat inside my Covenant with God, the cost of discipleship and my rest in Christ have been in perfect harmony, the one never diminishing the other. In like manner, the fear of God and the love of God are also all and all, always together in full and perfect harmony. The practice of throwing out the fear of God “because of” the love of God comes from genuine ignorance of either one.
In Nicene theology, the reason we were to “die” was for our own sakes, for our own salvation – what a contradiction. I cannot lay down my life for you, neither, even, for Christ. Only one motive is sufficient – for Father’s sake. For Father’s sake, and for His heart and desire alone, I give all.
A Firm Foundation. I find it very interesting that the topic “sheltering roof” has required discussion of a firm foundation – the foundation is not in “Patterns of Home,” that is, a foundation is part of the construction, but not delineated in “home.”
My work as a builder included years of attempting to rescue very poorly built structures along with building new buildings. I concluded that I would always exceed code and “waste” money on two areas of the construction, the foundation and the roof. Yet the ones “footing the bill” never agreed. Extra money was to be spent on the interior design, not those “unseen” things.
Money “saved” on the foundation and roof always translated into money lost as the interior design was damaged by cracks or water leaks. Wallpaper can be upgraded, but a foundation cannot. And a roof leak can sometimes be impossible to find.
Built Upon. An effective sheltering roof is always found built upon a firm foundation. In a sense, the foundation is the first part of the roof.
The foundation of all our salvation is “symmorphosed with His death,” a past tense action, already complete. The foundation of the Church, the House of God, is that same reality now made visible through the core members of any local assembly. I can be life laid down for the sake of His body ONLY when there is no pretending in me, no need for any false story, no “falling short of God,” no fake self. And such a way of being cannot come by negation, but only by the story of Christ.
The Cost. In this lesson I want to give some thought to the cost of discipleship, not as something “required” for our own salvation, but rather, that quality that is the foundation of God’s house. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me – does not forsake all that he has – cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:27 & 33).
Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:29). We receive a hundred brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, houses and lands, inside of “members of one another.”
Defining “Disciple.” Jesus was very clear on His definition of a “disciple.” Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be AS his teacher (Luke 6:39-40).
And the best illustration is the feeding of the five thousand. It was a little boy who gave his SUPPLY to Jesus. It was Jesus who sanctified that supply. But it was the disciples who distributed to the multitudes that supply coming from the little boy through Jesus. A disciple, then, is one who stands as Jesus in the role of Jesus towards the brethren. A disciple is not a “vicar,” taking the place of Jesus; “AS” means Jesus Himself in Person through us.
The Blood. We stated earlier that our connection together, our marriage as members of one another is always THROUGH Jesus. Jesus is in my marriage with my wife, but not in-between. In contrast, the marriage that is the Body of Christ must always contain Jesus in-between.
We can see this reality in both the blood and discipleship. The members of the body do not give their supply to other members, per se, but to Jesus. And Jesus carries that supply from one to the other. In the same way, the little boy did not give his lunch to the disciples or to the crowd, but to Jesus. Then, Jesus transformed that supply into provision for all and Jesus through the disciples carried the little boy’s lunch, now transformed, to all.
Full Reciprocity. We are not speaking of a “one-way street,” however, but full reciprocity. The foundation of God’s House is not one person laying down his or her life for another. The foundation is “two or three” laying down their lives for one another as Christ in His Church.
Let’s bring all this into something practical – a series of muddy footprints across the just-cleaned carpet of the community dining room. Who will clean it up? You see, we are talking about “enforcing the rules.” Governance in community will very quickly set guidelines for the treatment of the community dining room. How will those guidelines be enforced?
Making It Practical. Someone has made a mess (taken in a trespass); that mess cannot be left for the next meal together, otherwise it will be tracked all over and the carpet will soon be ruined. Who will clean it up? There are three options. 1. The person whose task is to keep the dining room clean – but who had already cleaned it just before the muddy tracks. 2. The person who made the mess. 3. Christ Jesus as me.
Let’s get this situation clear. Let’s say I am one of the ministry in the community, and the sister who just cleaned the carpet comes to my door and says, “Brother/Sister ___ (put your own name in the blank, dear reader, for you are the one who did it) just tracked mud all across my clean carpet.” The mess has to be cleaned up, a job requiring the use of a carpet shampooer that would take at least an hour.
My Failure. Now here is where I failed completely at being an elder in the move of God communities of which I was a member. My strong and chosen inclination would be to ignore it – which is a de facto requirement upon the sister who just cleaned the carpet to go back and clean it again. To be an “elder” in that setting meant that I would have to go to you, as the guilty party, and require you to go and clean up your mess. That’s not something I am able to do (except inside the construction job or the classroom, that is, in my own “place”). And most who “enforced the rules” did so in a way that worked in opposition to Christ and to respect.
Restore Such a One. Now there are times when there is no other option but talking with you about your fault. Here is the rule of such an occasion. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:1-2).
When I worked as a cabinet installer, I tracked mud, once, into the office of another business that worked with ours. My boss had an extraordinary attitude towards making mistakes in construction. All he said was, “Okay, just do it again.” But my trespass that time was different. In sober quietness, he required me to go and apologize. I did, and in humility.
A Third Option. Yet this situation is different. You are the one who tracked mud across the dining room, knowing full well (apparently) that someone will have to clean it up.
You see, Paul’s words give me a third option, God’s option, the Lord Jesus Christ. God is our example. God set forth a bunch of rules, along with the consequence of breaking those rules. We broke the rules. Then God took all that fault upon Himself and Himself cleaned up our mess.
Enforcing the rules never changes anyone. If I force you to go clean up your muddy footprints, it WILL plant disdain in me and shame in you, that is, Nicene Christianity.
What If? But what if? What if I were a disciple of Christ? What if I put on my shoes and jacket, went down to the Tabernacle, got out the carpet shampooer, and spent an hour of my evening cleaning up your mess?
Now, don’t get me wrong. That is not something I would be interested in doing.
Yet here is where FOUNDATION is the most critical. Friendship cannot be the foundation of the Church. If I were actually to do such a thing, it could not be “for your sake.” If it were, it would be sour in you and in me, and the fruit would not work in the long run. My action would only increase the offense. Something much deeper is the Foundation.
Not for You. I would definitely NOT clean up your mess for you. Even if I were to do it “for Jesus’ sake,” still, it would eventually become a tearing inside of me.
I could lay down my life for you for One only. For Father’s sake. Father and I together, sharing Hheart with God.
Laying down my life for you for Father’s sake is the foundation of the Church; it is me as Christ; it is being a disciple. Inside that scenario alone would be the fruit of Christ. You see, you would come to me when you found out that I had cleaned up your mess. My reply would be, (hypothetically) “Father and I were glad Wwe could do that for you.” I have not placed my loss upon friendship for it would break friendship, but upon Father.
For One Another. Yet that is not yet the foundation of the Church as a whole. The foundation of the Church is reciprocity – “for one another” taking place inside of “for Father’s sake.”
If I am the one who has cleaned up your mess for you, that’s not adequate. Regardless of how we might try, such a situation would give place to disdain and shame. But if I know that you also clean up my mess for me in the same “for Father’s sake,” then we walk together as Christ in His Church. Knowing that I lay down my life for you even while you lay down your life for me is the reciprocity of Father, the foundation upon which God builds His house. The fruit is friendship; the foundation is Father.
Church by Father. I have just presented a practical scenario for 1 Corinthians 13, Father as the only reason and cause. Any other foundation will, in the end, produce in us just one more dance of faces, one more arena of hiding and pretending, one more abyss of shame and contempt.
It is the Foundation that builds the sheltering roof, the place of safety and protection, of belonging together where we live. Even reciprocity by itself cannot be the foundation. I clean up your mess because you clean up mine, and vice versa. What a travesty! – Father! Church by Father. Church built upon and coming forth every moment from Father’s Heart.
Out from Father. Here is a description of Church by Father. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. … “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:2-3).
The phrase “out of heaven” is symbolic. It means, out from Father every moment, Father Himself in Person as the only foundation, cause, and source. John is seeing our union together, Christ with Christ, as each local Church. Union with Christ is marriage.
A Costly Fruit. And what John is seeing is the costliest fruit inside of God.
What is my laying down my life for you for Father’s sake in full reciprocity with your laying down your life for me for Father’s sake? The answer is God dwelling among us, Father made visible. This is what it means to be gathered together “in Jesus’ name,” that is, as His disciples, that is, us as Christ in Person. And this is what Paul is referring to, this most costly of all treasures, when he says that creation is set free into our “glorious liberty.”
And here’s the thing. At no point in this discussion have I left Revelation 12:10-11.
Now Is Come Salvation. Now is come salvation, and power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. The governance of the entire universe flows out from the reciprocity I have laid out in this lesson. We will not see any kingdom of God in the affairs of men on this earth except it come first out of this reciprocity, members of one another.
The gospel of the serpent, of the arrogant Christ, sets forth mistakes as “something to stop doing” with penance of some sort inflicted upon the offender. “Get your act together, brother.” That is, contempt and shame.
Father revealed is something entirely different.
When Father Belongs. Church by Father is bearing with one another in all of our ongoing and foolish mistakes, all of our thoughtless bumbling, laying down our lives for one another for Father’s sake. Church by Father is Father together with us-together turning all the weakness of being human towards the result of goodness.
Being like Jesus, that is, as Jesus Himself towards one another, is the COST. Father revealed is the reward. And when Father Himself has a place where He belongs, we also belong.
Union with Christ turns everything completely around. Salvation through us is not for us, but for Father.