30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 14 25-33 The cost of discipleship 07 Let him glory in the Lord
📖 Luke 14:25-33
29Dec19 - *Let him glory in the Lord* - _Luke 14:25-33_ - Bible reading: _I Corinthians 1:29-31_
_Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple._
We need to be constantly reminded that we cannot be Christ’ disciples by our own strength. We will fail miserably. Discipleship is a walk in the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit alone, who enables us to be disciples of Jesus.
For the past couple of days, we have been considering, what it means to hate our loved ones. We saw two aspects, one being to have no other gods and the other about being priests in the home instead of complaining and grumbling.
We now look at the second criteria for discipleship, which is to *hate his own life*. How do we understand this criterion for discipleship?
_Philippians 3:7-8 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. (8) Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ._
Paul was a highly qualified person in terms of educational and theological qualifications and experience. He counted all of these as rubbish, that he may gain Christ. Does this mean that educational training and experience is bad? Not at all. All the training that we can gather from the world is good but fullness of life cannot be achieved by human and worldly wisdom.
_I Corinthians 1:21-24 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe._ The world through wisdom can never know God, which is what the world wishes to do. To know God, it is by faith in Him.
_(22) For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; (23) but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,_ What Jesus has done for us on the cross must be believed and received by faith. This is where the world stumbles but the wisdom of God is revealed to those who believe. _(24) but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God._
Why did God prepare salvation for man in this manner?
_I Corinthians 1:29-31 that no flesh should glory in His presence. (30) But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— (31) that, as it is written, "HE WHO GLORIES, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD."_
The criteria for being a disciple of Christ is to count all things as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ and to glory only in the Lord.
*Thought to ponder*
Are you prepared to glory in the Lord and not in your accomplishments?