The Two Roads

What is the difference between a Believer and Disciple? Are they not one and the same. The answer is a clear no. A believer is anyone who "confesses with their mouth and believes in their heart that Jesus Christ is Lord." (Romans 10:9). This designation is held by every Christian who has prayed The Sinner's Prayer and attends Sunday meeting. A Disciple in contrast is one who is wholeheartedly devoted to Jesus Christ. The goal of believer is to get into heaven and know God within their schedule. A disciple however gives their whole schedule to the Lord and seeks to bring Heaven to Earth by becoming One with Christ every second of daily life.

The believer is content to be "in the world.." and serve the Lord when it is convenient. This kind of Christian tends to have fewer hardships because they collaborate and have stock in the world system. Their enemies are fewer because the believer practices their faith in a more private setting, with the exception of the occasional Bible Study and going to Sunday service once a week. The believer fits time for Jesus in a contain period of time, and feels comfortable with only occasionally denying themselves and picking up their cross. But they don not want to suffer often, they think "God forbid suffering interrupt my Starbuck's morning."

The disciple is never content to be in the world, and instead emphasizes and feels that they are "not of this world.." The disciple serves God when it is most inconvenient. This kind of Christians tends to have many hardships because they refuse to compromise their convictions in Christ, nor do they put any stock in the world system. Their enemies are numerous because the disciple practices their faith in a more public setting, subjecting themselves to persecution. The Bible study and Sunday service are empty and pretentious, a disciple wants to sit at "the feet of the Lord Jesus," (Luke 10:39) which Jesus says, "is the greater position." (Luke 10:42). The disciple tries to fit all their time in for Jesus, and feels compelled to "deny yourself, pick up yours cross, and follow Jesus." (Matthew ). The disciple wants to suffer often, they think as Peter and Paul did, "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,." (Philippians 1:29)

Now for the question, is being believer and a disciple a calling or a choice? Well the answer seems to be both, to be disciple is a calling and choice. Jesus said to rich young ruler, "if you would become perfect, sell all you have, give it to the poor, and come follow me (become disciple)." (Matthew 19:21). In response the Rich Young Ruler walked away grieved because he had many possessions. What is astounding about this rich young man is that he focuses on what he will lose, his stuff, and does not hear Christ's second half of the command, "and come follow Me." The Rich young Ruler robs himself of a close relationship and calling in Christ, but he does not necessarily fall away from the faith. Jesus says to Him, "go with my love." In case of the man who had Legion of demons and who wanted to go with Jesus and be disciple, Jesus responds, ""Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him." (Luke 8:38-39). The man who had a Legion of demons wanted to be disciple, but he was told to stay behind to encourage others to believe.

Becoming a disciple is not simple. Becoming believer is. A believer need only "confess and believe Jesus Christ is Lord (Yahweh, God. Lord is the name Yahweh in English)." (Romans 10:9). A disciple on the other hand must do the following, "If anyone would be my disciple, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24). To be disciple is to go through deep suffering, affliction, want, loneliness, pain, and enmity with the world; for James said, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4), and "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." (1 John 2:15). To be disciple is to be pilgrim, a sojourner, and foreigner to this world and this life. The more a disciple becomes like the Master Jesus, the more they feel as this "is not their home,": "For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come," (Hebrews 13:14), "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," (Phillippians 3:20), and "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Peter 2:11-12). A believer is content with following Christ in a slow stride, as if miles and miles behind the Master and Messiah, but a disciple which in Hebrew means, "Talmid, one who follows the Rabbi so closely that the dust of the rabbi's sandals covers the Talmid and so makes him more like Rabbi." (RB, VE).

So what will it be? Will you believe, and be content to be at distance? Or will you become a disciple? Be forewarned, being disciple has a cost.  Jesus says, "And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?" (Luke 14:27-28). To be disciple is a hard road and one that comes with great suffering, loss, and pain. A disciple will experience, "the enemies shall be of your own household," (Matthew 10:36), ""Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me," (Matthew 24:9), and "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--a man's enemies will be the members of his own household." (Matthew 10:35-36). As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said in his own book on discipleship, "Now that you are disciple of Christ, you shall never experience a closeness with people, because Christ won't let you. The reason is that you are suppose to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, this is greatest commandment, and so Jesus will not let you get too close to any person lest you fall into idolatry and your love from Lord be torn." (The Cost of Discipleship).

A disciple is one hundred percent committed to Christ Jesus. It is a no "half way deal" where you can say, "well its by Grace I am saved, so I just don't want to suffer like this, so please I want to lay my cross aside." A disciple is "all in." A disciple may not feel close to people on this planet, but they will be intimately close to the Prince of Peace, and find the only relationship that matters and will last. Seek to be enemy of this world, and friend of God! (John 15:19,  1 John 2:15, James 4:4).