By: Matt Mouser
Is it possible that the modern church has an incorrect view of salvation? This is the question that has been pinging around in my mind since the first time I opened the pages of Bill Hull’s, Conversion and Discipleship . Throughout this volume, Hull attempts to both point out the problematic fracture that has occurred between a person coming to a point of belief in Jesus Christ and also point out that “conversion and discipleship, while distinct, are really two sides of the same coin.” [1]
An All Too Common Example
Allow me to paint a picture for you that will accurately reflect the fracture that has taken place. It is the final night of church camp and the message the evangelist has prepared builds on the messages from the previous three nights. The sermon is saturated with the gospel and many young people feel a deep conviction and motivation to live their lives for Jesus. There is a time of response that invites all those in the room to come to the altar and someone will pray with them. Tears are shed and commitments are made which is cause for great rejoicing. These young people return home excited about the decisions that were made during this camp meeting, however, in the weeks and months that follow, it seems as though life is the same for them. None of the adults in their lives seem to follow up in any way and, as a result, the same commitments that were made the year before are repeated with seemingly no progress.
While it is true that the Holy Spirit now dwells in those who made a decision to follow Christ, it is the responsibility of the older and more mature believers around them to walk in life with them through this new decision. This is a trend that stems from the differentiation of terms mentioned above. Hull states this in a convicting way: “Our understanding of salvation has been divorced from a commitment to following Jesus. Discipleship is relegated to the status of optional, an add-on to the normal Christian life.”[2] Just as Paul took Timothy under His wing, so also we must intentionally meet with the new believer regularly, inviting them into their life so that they might follow the example of the more mature disciple as they follow that of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). This is the model that is provided all throughout scripture, but let’s look specifically at the words of Jesus.
Discipleship From Scripture’s Standpoint
The truth is that once a decision has been made to follow Jesus, the individual who has made a confession of faith is now a disciple of Christ. Yet, there seems to be a tiered distinction between those who have been saved and those who are disciples. It is as if the disciple is the expert Christian and the level that those who are newly saved that is to be desired or attained. However, there is no place in the Scriptures that highlights a difference between the converted and the disciple.
To this point, let’s consider the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples…” You’ll notice that this inclusive command from Jesus does not call His followers to go out and get salvations or get as many commitment cards as possible during revival services. The call instead is for life transformation which extends beyond just the moment a person makes a confession of faith. The local church is not a conversion mill; rather, we have been called to put in significant hours of work in building the Kingdom of God. The reality is that the job described in the Great Commission is not finished when a person utters, “I believe” at the altar, in a car outside of the grocery store, or beside their bed with their parents. Instead, the work of discipleship is only just beginning.
How it happens in the local church
Rather than being disheartened by this correction of course, the Christian should be encouraged and motivated by the call to discipleship. After all, the church has been set up for discipleship making. While I don’t just mean the gathering of the saints on Sundays or during midweek services, discipleship certainly takes place during these times. The people of God will be discipled through the preaching of the word, through the fellowship that comes with gathering corporately, and through the simple discipline it takes to regularly attend the worship gathering.
Beyond just the appointed times, a church that gathers in homes together as described in Acts 2 will inevitably disciple one another. This will be a natural rhythm of the people of God in their daily lives. Simple obedience to the Scriptures leads to a healthy,biblical life of discipleship.
Conclusion
What a worthy calling we have to be involved in the Great Commission. It is vital that work be done following a person’s initial conversation and that they are molded into the person God would have for them to be. When this happens, they will be equipped with both the ability as well as the desire to make disciples themselves and the gospel continues to spread from there!
[1] Bill Hull. Conversion and Discipleship: You Can’t Have One Without the Other (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2016), 19.
[2] Ibid., 72.
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