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1. Christians cannot be a disciple (learner) of Jesus unless they meet the three conditions of Luke 14:26, 27 and literally verse 33. Virtually all pastors embrace and teach Satan's lie that all Christians are disciples of Jesus, contrary to the what Jesus said. This is the case with virtually all Bible teachers, seminary professors, and others who preach, teach or write about becoming a disciple of Jesus. They say one of the following: 1) All Christians are disciples of Jesus by virtue of being born again, or 2) in Luke 14:33 Jesus did not literally mean that Christians should give up everything to become His disciple, or 3) we just need to be willing to give up everything without having to actually do it. The truth is that Jesus never even hinted that we should be willing to give up everything, but rather that we should, in fact, give up everything or else we could not be His learner. It is the same with becoming born again and saved from your sins. One must not merely be willing to repent, one must actually repent or they will perish in the Lake of Fire. When Jesus told Peter and Andrew to follow Him they left their nets and followed Him. When Jesus called James and John they left their boat, their nets, and their father and followed Him. Luke recorded about Peter, James and John, "They left everything and followed Him" (Lk. 5:11). When Jesus told Levi (Matthew), the tax collector, to follow Him, "He left everything behind, and rose and began to follow Him" (Lk. 5:28). When the rich ruler confronted Jesus, He told him to sell everything he had and give the proceeds to the poor and then follow Him. But the ruler was wealthy and refused to give it all up in order to enter the kingdom of God (and become a disciple of Jesus) (Lk. 18:18-23). Afterward Peter said to Jesus, "We [the twelve disciples] have left all we had to follow you" (Lk. 18:28 NIV). When Jesus was speaking to Christians (little flock), He told them, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Lk. 12:32-34). Jesus said unless you meet the conditions as recorded in Luke 14:26, 27 and 33, you "cannot...cannot...cannot" be His disciple. In verse 33 Jesus said, "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple." After Jesus had finished His earthly ministry and had ascended into heaven, Luke recorded in Acts, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need (2:44-45). Later, Luke recorded in Acts, "All who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need" (4:34-35). Luke 14:33 is the requirement that disqualifies the vast majority of Christians, in these last days of apostasy, from becoming a learner of Jesus. The other two requirements in verses 26 and 27, however, also disqualify many Christians. In Luke 14:26 Jesus said, "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." As with formulating all scriptural doctrines, we must compare scripture with scripture to understand this verse. Many other passages of Scripture command us to love others, including even our enemies. Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it. None of the scriptures are contradictory, therefore Jesus is saying in Luke 14:26 that your love for anyone else, including yourself, must look as though it is hate compared to your love for Him. In fact, we are commanded to love Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. Our incomparable love for Jesus is proven by our obedience to His New Testament commandments. Jesus said if you love Him you will keep His commandments (Jn. 14:21). Another condition to become Jesus’ learner set forth in Luke 14:27 is, "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Searching other passages makes it clear that we are called to suffer for Christ’s sake, as mentioned above. The overwhelming majority of Christians in these last days of apostasy are not only disqualified to be a learner of Jesus because of the other two conditions, but this one also. Most Christians think they are on a playground instead of a battleground. And what most Christians think is carrying a cross is actually chastisement by the Lord for their unconfessed sins, their carnality, or for being out of His will. If you are living at the time of the Great Tribulation you are going to lose virtually all that you "own" anyway, because unless you take the Mark you will not be able to buy or sell anything. Even though Christians will suffer the loss of many of their possessions during the Great Tribulation, the loss will be something that will be forced upon them, not a voluntary surrender that is required to become a disciple. Christians who have not previously become a disciple will lose everything and not become a disciple either, therefore they will likely be overcome by the Antichrist. Ironically, most Christians do not realize, in a truly practical way, that all their possessions belong to the Lord, not them. Jesus asks them to voluntarily give them all up and start with a clean slate, and by doing so they prove that they are not covetous and do not love money or anything else more than Him. The test to meet the requirements to become a learner of Jesus is not so that He will know the true condition of your heart and your true motives (He already knows), but so that you will know. Everyone, including Christians, have the ability to rationalize anything, including not obeying the commands of Christ. Jesus will give back everything, in due time, that you need, which may be only food and clothing, with which you are commanded to be content. In any case, the Lord will give back everything that is needed to do His will, including everything needed to minister to others. The time to become a disciple is now, as the Lord leads, so that you can have as much time as possible to learn from Jesus and renounce all the false teaching that you embrace, and increase your power. In being obedient to Christ’s call to become His disciple, with no known unconfessed sin in your life, you will likely be filled with the Holy Spirit, which is an enduement with power from on High. The more truth you embrace, the more discernment you will have to detect the great deceptions of the end time, including all the false doctrines taught by so-called pastors, teachers and Christian writers. |