{"id":249,"date":"2009-12-08T13:52:03","date_gmt":"2009-12-08T20:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/?page_id=249"},"modified":"2010-01-02T19:06:53","modified_gmt":"2010-01-03T02:06:53","slug":"discipleship-everyone","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/?page_id=249","title":{"rendered":"Discipleship, Everyone?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Printable PDF<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

We are called to discipleship, to follow Jesus, it is said — to a kind of discipline, to walk \t\t\t\tin his steps, to deny ourselves, take up our cross. What can this mean in concrete terms?<\/p>\n

Sometimes references are made to various Bible verses \u2013 to turn the other cheek, to sell \t\t\t\tall you have and give it to the poor, to visit those in prison, to feed the hungry, and many more.<\/p>\n

In a certain sense we depend on our churches to develop programs so that we can get with the program \t\t\t\tand live the Christian life both at home and at work. Does it really work? Do we really do it? Do \t\t\t\twe do it with joy?<\/p>\n

It turns out to be a struggle and one more thing we have to do in addition to the dishes, the laundry, \t\t\t\tand getting to work on time. Do we get a \u201cpower surge\u201d?1<\/sup> Purpose \t\t\t\tin 40 days?2<\/sup> A \u201ccentered life\u201d?3<\/sup><\/p>\n

There has to be a better way.<\/strong> And there is. It starts with distinguishing between \t\t\t\tlaw and gospel, which is basic to our Lutheran heritage. The law shows us our need of a savior, and \t\t\t\tthe gospel shows us the Savior we need. \u00a0And the Savior we need is the one who finished salvation \t\t\t\ton the cross.<\/p>\n

Therefore we are free.\u00a0 Through baptism we have entered into \u201cthe glorious freedom of \t\t\t\tthe children of God\u201d (Rom 8:21).\u00a0 \u201cIf the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed\u201d (John \t\t\t\t8:36).<\/p>\n

How does this shape the Christian life? It is neither a discipline, nor discipleship, nor a system \t\t\t\tof do\u2019s and don\u2019t\u2019s for Christians who are \u201creal\u201d Christians. \u201cThe \t\t\t\tlaw says \u2018do this,\u2019 and it is never done.\u00a0 Grace says, \u2018believe in this,\u2019 and \t\t\t\teverything is already done\u201d (Heidelberg<\/em> Thesis #26; <\/em>LW 31:56).<\/p>\n

Each one of us is called<\/strong> by law and gospel and therefore given a calling.<\/strong> We \t\t\t\tare put where we are in this world of space and time to point to Him and to oppose the evil around \t\t\t\tus in our particular situations. As Luther famously said, \u201cWe are perfectly free Lords of all, \t\t\t\tsubject to none, and perfectly dutiful servants of all, subject to all\u201d (LW<\/em> 31:344).<\/p>\n

On the one hand, the Lord\u2019s will is done even locally without our prayer. We are free from \t\t\t\tthe burden of having to build the kingdom. On the other hand, because we are free from sin and death \t\t\t\tand from the worry about past, present, or future (simultaneously and totally justified and sinful), \t\t\t\twe are free to take care of our neighbor<\/strong>, to fight the powers of evil. As homemakers, \t\t\t\tfactory workers, judges, and engineers, we use our common reason (Rom 13:10).<\/p>\n

In the conflicts and ambiguities of life we will at times do the wrong thing, but we are forgiven \t\t\t\tthrough the cross.\u00a0 1) The real temptations are spiritual pride and spiritual despair<\/strong>, \t\t\t\tthinking that we are building the kingdom (good people doing good), or that everything we do is useless.\u00a0 2) \t\t\t\tBecause we live by faith alone in the cross alone, the result of what we do is hidden<\/strong> both \t\t\t\tto others and to us, for we live by faith alone and forgiveness. Luther often cited Isa 64:6: \u201cAll \t\t\t\tour righteous deeds are filthy rags,\u201d as a way of helping us remember that the Lord alone is \t\t\t\tbuilding his kingdom his way and not our way.<\/p>\n

Therefore not the purpose-driven life, but the forgiveness-given life.4<\/sup><\/p>\n

\n

1<\/sup> Michael Foss, Power Surge<\/em>.<\/p>\n

2<\/sup> Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life<\/em>. \t\t\t3<\/sup> Mark Fortin, The Centered Life: Awakened, Called, Set Free, Nurtured.<\/em> Fortin is the Executive Director
\nof Luther Seminary\u2019s Center for Life Long Learning. \t\t\t4<\/sup> Todd Wilken, \u201cPurpose-Driven or Forgiveness-Given?<\/a>\u201d (External Link)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Printable PDF We are called to discipleship, to follow Jesus, it is said — to a kind of discipline, to walk in his steps, to deny ourselves, take up our cross. What can this mean in concrete terms? Sometimes references are made to various Bible verses \u2013 to turn the other cheek, to sell all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":5,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-249","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=249"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":379,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249\/revisions\/379"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}