Bearing Suffering
Stephen Whitney
Mark 8:34-35
In his book The Empty Church (1996), historian Thomas Reeves wrote, ''Christianity in modern America . . . tends to be easy, upbeat, convenient, and compatible. It does not require self-sacrifice, discipline, humility, an otherworldly outlook, a zeal for souls, a fear as well as a love of God. There is little guilt and no punishment, and the payoff in heaven is virtually certain. What we now have might best be labeled 'Consumer Christianity.' The cost is low and customer satisfaction seems guaranteed.''
What a contrast with what Dietrich Bonhoeffer a German pastor whose license to teach was revoked by the Nazi party in 1936. The next year he published his first book titled: The Cost of Discipleship. In this study of the Sermon on the Mount he harshly criticized ''cheap grace'' which churches had been preaching and called for ''costly discipleship'' to Christ.
What he called ''cheap grace'' today we would say is a profession of faith without personal commitment. A person claims to be a believer, but there is no real evidence of personal commitment. What he called ''costly discipleship'' today we would say is a life that demonstrates their commitment with a willingness to stand for the truth of God no matter what the consequences.
Bonhoeffer wrote, ''The cross is laid on every Christian . . . as we embark upon discipleship, we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death - we give over our lives to death. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die . . . only the man who is dead to his own will can follow Christ.''
SELF-DENIAL :34 Decision - to come Jesus invited anyone to come and follow him and left the decision up to them. They were free to choose to follow him or not. Some would make the commitment while others would not.
By the time Jesus died and went back to heaven on the day of Pentecost there were 120 believers gathered together (Acts 1:15).
Denial - of self Deny - Gk. to ...
Stephen Whitney
Mark 8:34-35
In his book The Empty Church (1996), historian Thomas Reeves wrote, ''Christianity in modern America . . . tends to be easy, upbeat, convenient, and compatible. It does not require self-sacrifice, discipline, humility, an otherworldly outlook, a zeal for souls, a fear as well as a love of God. There is little guilt and no punishment, and the payoff in heaven is virtually certain. What we now have might best be labeled 'Consumer Christianity.' The cost is low and customer satisfaction seems guaranteed.''
What a contrast with what Dietrich Bonhoeffer a German pastor whose license to teach was revoked by the Nazi party in 1936. The next year he published his first book titled: The Cost of Discipleship. In this study of the Sermon on the Mount he harshly criticized ''cheap grace'' which churches had been preaching and called for ''costly discipleship'' to Christ.
What he called ''cheap grace'' today we would say is a profession of faith without personal commitment. A person claims to be a believer, but there is no real evidence of personal commitment. What he called ''costly discipleship'' today we would say is a life that demonstrates their commitment with a willingness to stand for the truth of God no matter what the consequences.
Bonhoeffer wrote, ''The cross is laid on every Christian . . . as we embark upon discipleship, we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death - we give over our lives to death. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die . . . only the man who is dead to his own will can follow Christ.''
SELF-DENIAL :34 Decision - to come Jesus invited anyone to come and follow him and left the decision up to them. They were free to choose to follow him or not. Some would make the commitment while others would not.
By the time Jesus died and went back to heaven on the day of Pentecost there were 120 believers gathered together (Acts 1:15).
Denial - of self Deny - Gk. to ...
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