Book Reviews
Title:
Salvation and Discipleship: Is There A Difference?
Author: Lucas Kitchen
Place:
Longview, TX.
Publisher:
289 Design
ISBN:
9781544943718
Date:
2017
Pages:
208
SUMMARY
Lucas Kitchen is a graduate with a
masters from Liberty Baptist Seminary; he is a pastor, speaker, writer, and
produces a weekly radio and video program. In his book Salvation and Discipleship: Is There A Difference, he explores many New Testament passages to
distinguish specific biblical characteristics, requests, and promises given to
believers and disciples of Jesus. As Lucas admits, his findings did not come by
a special revelation or personal biblical discovery. The brain of his book was
passed on through discipleship, one man passing it to another and to another.
The foundations of this book were from a wrinkly piece of paper with what
looked like chicken scratch. As he states, “Bob Bryant produced the backbone
for this book. . .I discovered that the sheet [of paper] was a result of not
only his careful study but also what he had learned from his mentor Zane
Hodges, who had been a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary for many
years.”[1]
Within the pages of the book is a discipleship platform of passing on knowledge
from one individual to the masses that may read it. The goal of Kitchen’s is to
bring the reader into an understanding of the freedom found in saving grace and
the cost associated with the commitment to follow him.
The first chapter of the book is
laying out the principals of salvation is a free gift (Eph. 2:8,9), yet if one
wants to follow Him in discipleship, there is a cost associated with the
commitment (Luke 14:26-33). As the writer points, there is a defined line
between the commitment of a believer and follower of a rabbi. A believer can
understand, trust, and agree with the words that a rabbi teaches, and yet, they
do not have to commit to dedicating their life to modeling themselves after
him. Only the committed student follows their mentor in a committed
relationship such as this. “[T]he premiere experience for the Christian is to
embrace both salvation and discipleship as two critical aspects of a saved and
abundant life.”[2]
This chapter is an anchor into understanding that Jesus offers salvation freely
(Rev. 22:17). Still, when one commits to a deeper relationship, they will need
to turn over all aspects of life (Luke 9:23).
Chapter three dives deeper into the
subject of salvation vs. discipleship by looking at two words that very often
get associated with one another, Lord and Savior. Kitchen points out that
Savior is an eternal aspect and states His overall status and position for all
men (John 4:41, 42). John says Jesus is not just Savior for believers but
unbelievers as well (1 John 2:2). This is the position Jesus assumed when He
came as the lamb of God (John 1:29). Everyone who believes in Jesus is given
the free gift of eternal life and salvation, and those that do not believe have
made a faithful choice (John 3:16-18). But, not everyone who believes makes
Jesus Lord. Lordship is giving Him the domain He deserves in one's life, but He
does not forcefully assume, hence unless one abandons all and follow Me (Matt.
16:24). “Lord is a vital part of a disciple’s life, but it is not what is
required to be saved.”[3] Jesus
stated one should not call Him Lord unless they are prepared to live out His
teaching (Luke 6:46).
These two chapters sit as the
backbone to the rest of the chapters of the book. In the following pages, the
writer explains how works are a requirement for discipleship (John 14:15), and
on the flipside, salvation’s work was accomplished by Jesus so no one can boast
(Eph. 2:8,9). He explains how works are Jesus’ pre-set manifestations to show
the world we are choosing to be His disciples (Eph. 2:10), and this the writer
segues to the eternal dwelling is separate from the reward of heirship. Kitchen
even takes time to explain how salvation is the beginning of the deeper
relationship Jesus wants from us, being born again (John 3:3). He then goes on
to explain growth is a discipleship term (Eph. 4:15).
Kitchen takes the reader into the
next train of thought, which is love and friendship. Jesus loves all who
believe in Him and the Father counts them all as children (John 1:14). But he
points to a relational difference John uses between being granted sonship and
being called a friend. Sonship requires belief, and friendship requires obedience
(John 15:14, 15). “When we understand that all it takes to have salvation is
faith in Jesus, but it takes obedience to be His friend, the Bible begins to
come alive.”[4]
Salvation and being a child is the beginning of a relationship that can become
more fruitful through obedience. Obedience begets friendship.
The writer's narrative of discipleship
vs. salvation continues to the types of salvation one might experience. He
points to Christ saving eternally, and a disciple calling on Him for salvation
from sin can be saved (James 1:21). “James about enduring and overcoming trials
and temptation.”[5]
This is a hot topic of debate and Kitchen dedicates a few chapters to the theme
of sanctification and glorification, and faith for salvation and faith for
daily walk and growth.
Inevitably, the writer is leading the
reader to bring clarity on the end-time judgments. For this, he divides the millennial
reign from the recreation of the new heavens and new earth. In the millennial
reign, the writer is quick to the point that there are a weeping and gnashing
of teeth that takes place at the believer's judgment seat of Christ. To those
that did not stay as a disciple, he suggests it is not a loss of salvation, but
a loss of presence and reward. His argument revolves around Matthew 8:10-12 and
the contrast in Jude 12, 13, calling the
individuals sons and outer darkness, while others have the blackest darkness
reserved for them. He also develops that outer darkness is not being out of the
kingdom or even away from Jesus. He suggests it is carrying the party motif and
the closer to the host and party the brighter the celebration under the light
of the lamps if one was cast from the party they would be in the alleyway or
street. “It’s called outer darkness. It does not say out of the kingdom.
Instead we see that they are cast into what is defined as, ‘outer’. It’s outer
not out.”[6] At
the end of the millennial reign there is a secondary judgment
[1] Kitchen, Lucas. Salvation and Discipleship: Is There A
Difference? (Longview, TX.: 289 Design). 2017, 8.
[2] Ibid., 25.
[3] Ibid., 37.
[4] Ibid., 57.
[5] Ibid., 172.
[6] Ibid., 116.
Author:
Charles C. Bing
Title:
Grace, Salvation & Discipleship
Place:
Woodlands, TX.
Publisher:
Grace Theology Press
ISBN:
9780996561419
Date:
2015
Pages:
282
SUMMARY
Charles ‘Charlie’ Bing is a Dallas
Theological Seminary Ph.D. graduate, pastor, professor of Biblical Studies at LeTourneau University,
is president of GraceLife Ministries, a noted writer and is the former
president of Free Grace Alliance. In his definitive work Grace, Salvation & Discipleship
he explores some important biblical concepts that get commonly
misunderstood and have ties to one another.
To start his work, Bing takes time
to build the case for a clear separation between the terms believe and
disciple. his goal in writing this book which is to differentiate a believer
from a disciple, and rewards from a gift. “A disciple is someone who is saved
and in a learning or growing posture in relationship to Jesus. . . .a Christian
is someone who believes in Jesus Christ as Son of God who died for sins, rose
again, and guarantees salvation.”[1] Using
the Gospels, he shows how Jesus had to repeatedly call certain of His disciples
to follow Him as learners and that the call was not to salvation or belief in
Him as Messiah, but to a life of discipleship.
Matthew 4:18-22.
. . .Jesus’ call to follow Him is a call to become a disciple. John 1:35-42 is
good evidence that Andrew and Peter, at least, had encountered Jesus earlier
since it is Peter’s first introduction to the Lord. . . .they met Jesus beyond
the Jordan where John was baptizing, not at the Sea of Galilee (John 1:28, 43).
. . Luke 5:1-11 is a different story from Matthew and Mark’s account. . .
though the seaside setting is familiar, we find no crowd pressing Jesus; He is
alone. He is walking, not standing as in Matthew and Mark’s account, and the
fisherman are in the boat, not on shore washing their nets, and Luke alone
mentions the miraculous catch of fish. Jesus inviting these men, who had
already met Him and evidently already believed (John 2:11) to become disciples.[2]
Belief
in a rabbi’s teaching would not guarantee the individual would devote themselves
to the
life
of learning from that rabbi. The believers in Jesus fall in line with this same
understanding, one can believe Him and agree with His deciphering of the law,
believe His word to be true, and believe Him for salvation, but that does not
mean they have made the decision to drop all and follow Him in a life of
discipleship. “Salvation is free, but discipleship is costly.”[3] He builds on this idea of the interpretation
of the law and following as exampled by Jesus’ use of ‘yoke’ to describe His
own teaching in Matthew 11 and how Peter challenged those trying to keep law
Acts 15:10-11. The yoke was His instruction to His disciples. When Jesus says
“’follow’ Jesus refers to becoming a disciple.”[4]
This is the echo of Paul’s words as in the “Epistles, the word disciple is not
found. . .instead . . . Paul’s exhortation to ‘imitate’ or ‘follow’ him as he
follows Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 1 Thes. 1:6; 2 Thess. 3:7,
9).”[5]
The case is built further, as
salvation and discipleship are contrasted. Salvation is a gift given to any who
believe (Jn. 3:16-18; 6:47), and discipleship is a special call to follow,
which is costly. One of his prime examples is John 4. It is based on the idea
that spiritual birth is not spiritual growth. When speaking to the woman at the
well who is not a believer Jesus if she had asked Him for living water, He
would have given freely (Jn. 4:10). “No conditions were attached to His offer
of the gift to this woman. But . . .when addressing His saved disciples, Jesus
told them their labor would earn wages (John 4:36-38).”[6]
This idea of work to gain and believe for salvation is built upon in Revelation
22. Jesus says He is coming to give a reward for work that was done (vs. 12)
and later says freely take the life-giving water (vs. 17). Bing also devotes a
large portion of the book to the harsh life of a disciple and terms of devotion
like plucking out your eye (Matt. 5:29, 30), hating your self and family (Luke
14:26) and rejecting all to follow (Luke 9:23). These are not costs associated
with belief; these are costs associated with learning and a comparison of the
great commitment it would take.
Within the chapters of this book, there
is also a contrast painted as to a ‘free gift’ being salvation from belief and
an eternal reward of reigning based on life choices. To explain reward in the
teachings of Jesus, he uses the example of the wedding feast. This well-known
passage speaks on how the original invitees ‘Israel’ do not join, so the
bridegroom ‘Jesus’ offers the wedding party ‘the kingdom’ to any in the streets
‘the gentiles’ (Matt. 22:1-14). The result is a full wedding hall, and yet
there is a baffling moment when someone is removed due to dress. Bing points
out the man is not being kicked out of eternal life and is not a sneaky
unbeliever that snuck himself into eternity. “[T]he man did respond to the invitation,
unlike the others who had rejected it.”[7] He
is a believer that has believed and is now part of the return of Jesus, and the
man is not being cast out from his belief it is noted that the wedding has
taken place. “Second, there was also to be a wedding feast (22:4). . .he was
excluded from only that. Third, the king called him ‘friend’, a term of
endearment.”[8]
This suggests the man is a believer, he has trusted Jesus and has been part of
the wedding, yet as will be seen due to intensional unpreparedness is being
excluded from the feast. As Bing points out, “this man represents believers
who, though saved and in the kingdom, do not participate in the full
celebration with the King and His Son, Jesus Christ.” The garments required is
the reason for the man's exclusion from the festivities. Though he made it
because of the invitation he came ill-prepared. The garments are not “imputed
righteousness, it is better to view it as the garments described in Revelation
19:7-8—the righteous acts of the saints.”[9]
This explanation is important because, at a wedding, the host does not cloth
those invited; one must remember the scene that Jesus is sharing. “[T]his
careless man neglected preparation for this important event. . .this man is
speechless with no defense (22:12). He knew better; he did not prepare, he was
guilty.”[10]
What many times leads people to take an opposite stance is the English term
cast as Bing shows it is also used in other areas as lead and send. The outer
darkness is also a reminder of the banquet scene, a party would be well lit and
to be cast back to the streets in ancient times would be away from the
lamplight and the glorious party. “Hebrew weddings usually extended into the
night, so the central banquet celebration would be well lit. To be in the
darkness outside of that light does not exclude the believer from the wedding,
but from participation in the central festivities.”[11]
The writer continues with the kingdom imagery from the gospels with the wicked
servant parable in Matthew 24 and the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25.
The book separates the Gospels,
Paul’s Epistles, Hebrews, James and Revelation from one another but points to
the similarities and common teachings in each. For the idea of reigning and
reward being for the disciple, he uses 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. “They are clearly
believers because Paul tells them they should judge matters in the church and
rebukes them for taking a ‘brother’ before ‘unbeievers’ in the court system (1
Cor. 6:1-8).”[12]
This is a call not to sin like unbelieving individuals. Charles dives into
Galatians 5:19-21 and Ephesians 5:3-5 to show, “Paul’s message to the Christian
readers is simply this: Do not behave like those who are not going to enter
heaven, the non-Christians.”[13] Paul’s
emphasis is not to want to mirror their actions as they are not believers, and
they do not know Jesus.
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