Godliness With Contentment

By Vincent Cheung

Contents: 1. The Meaning of Discipleship, 2. Godliness with Contentment, 3. Biblical Guidance and Decision-Making, and 4. The Death of a Christian.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312708648

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Godliness With Contentment

GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT

Copyright © 2013 by Vincent Cheung

http://www.vincentcheung.com

Previous edition published in 2002.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted without the prior permission of the author or publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

1. THE MEANING OF DISCIPLESHIP

2. GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT

3. BIBLICAL GUIDANCE AND DECISION-MAKING

4. THE DEATH OF A CHRISTIAN

1. THE MEANING OF DISCIPLESHIP

Luke 9:57-62 records the exchanges between Jesus and three prospective disciples. All of them carry defects in their commitment toward following Christ that would make true discipleship impossible.

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus replied, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.

He said to another man, Follow me. But the man replied, Lord, first let me go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.

Still another said, I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family. Jesus replied, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.

The first comes to Jesus and says, I will follow you wherever you go. In those days, people would seek out their own teachers or masters, and some philosophers would attempt to repulse prospective disciples with enormous demands, for the purpose of testing them and acquiring the most worthy.[1] Since the Bible says that Jesus knew all men and that he knew what was in a man, (John 2:24-25), we would expect his answer to address the greatest hurdle that prevents a person from offering genuine devotion.

For example, when a certain ruler approaches Jesus and asks, What must I do to inherit eternal life? (Luke 18:18), the Lord's reply reflects an ability to diagnose the exact condition of one's heart: You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me (v. 22). But the man fails to obey: When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth (v. 23).

So Jesus tells this first man, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head (Luke 9:58). We do not know what this individual has in mind when he offers to follow Jesus, but it seems that he is not prepared to adopt the lifestyle that this entails at the time. Jesus says that he does not have a home of his own in his travels, but he depends on the hospitality and support of others. To become his follower would mean adopting this difficult way of life.

As Jesus says in another place, I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval (John 6:26-27). He realizes that the crowd follows him not for food that endures to eternal life, but because he offered them bread produced by a miracle. However, true discipleship is such that one does not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.

Knowing that many come to him with false expectations, Jesus warns, Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'…In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:28-30, 33). One who does not give up everything cannot be a disciples of Christ.

Jesus made clear his demands for those who would follow him; however, his words are often read with interest but in a manner that fails to challenge us. He means what he says – it is indeed impossible for one to violate his conditions and still be his disciple: If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26-27). The Christian faith demands a commitment to total transformation in both thought and conduct.

This does not mean that discipleship must include certain kinds of suffering. Many Christians enjoy health and wealth according to God's word (Psalm 103:2-3, Matthew 8:16-17, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Philippians 4:19), while others daily risk martyrdom. The real issue is whether you know what you are saying when you pledge, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go. Do you confess his lordship over your life, and dedicate yourself to his teachings? Or do you intend to use him to fulfill your own aspirations? Some people become disciples because they think that Christ will lead them to worldly glory and greatness.

Then, Jesus calls a second