TOTAL COMMITMENT

TOTAL COMMITMENT
Christ calls us from disobedience to discipleship (follower/learner of Christ).

(This is the same as the previous post, but the previous post disappeared and I re-posted. Though the original returned, I have chosen to leave the duplicate also.)

Discipleship, begins when we…
* Believe (Jesus died for our sins and rose again physically for our justification),
* Repent (turn from sin and turn to God),
* Confess (our sins to Christ and confess Christ is Savior).

This is the entry level of the Christian life.
This is where discipleship begins, but it moves on to perfection of faith and love.
Discipleship is not "easy believism," but requires total commitment.
Total commitment is required of new believers.

JESUS ADDRESSED THE SUBJECT OF TOTAL COMMITMENT FOR BELIEVERS
Luke 6:40 (LITV)
(40) A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who has been perfected will be like his teacher.

Luke 14:26-27 (KJV)
(26) If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
(27) And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
(DLG note… since Jesus and the rest of Scripture calls us to love others, the idea of "hate" in this passage is pointing out that our love for God should be far superior to our love for all others).

Luke 14:33 (KJV)
(33) So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

JESUS SUCCINCTLY AND SPECIFICALLY CALLS US TO TOTAL COMMITMENT
Luke 9:23 (KJV)
(23) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

"If any man will come after me, let him…"
(DLG notes… Total commitment is a personal choice, and an obligatory condition for believers. No one is excluded, no one is forced.)

"deny himself,…"
(DLG notes… Total commitment is the deliberate act of the will, made at a definite moment in time. This is instantaneous sanctification through death to self and to sin.)

"and take up his cross daily,"
(DLG notes… Total commitment is the unceasing intention of the will. This is continuous sanctification.)

"and follow me."
(DLG notes… Total commitment is the repeated decision of the will. This is progressive sanctification that leads into new light.)