Many children of God in this generation don’t know that discipleship comes at a cost. They don’t even know that our Master, Jesus Christ, has a yoke that they must share with Him. He Himself said to us in Matthew 11:29:
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Our willingness to share His yoke with Him is what qualifies us as His disciples. Today, the landscape of the Christian faith is dominated by what I term “the social gospel”. This gospel teaches that the end justifies the means. Things that Jesus Christ abhorred are what some so-called believers are courting today. Knowing that this would happen, the Holy Spirit revealed the mind of God on this to us in 2nd Corinthians 6:15-16, saying:
“And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

In Luke 9:23-26 Jesus Christ gives a vivid description of the price we would have to pay to be a true disciples of His. He said in Luke 9:23-24:
“….If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lost it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”
This is the price of discipleship. There are many “disciples” today who are far from being the Lord’s true disciples. Many of such people cannot deny their ungodly friends, not to talk of denying themselves. They hold tenaciously to the world, contrary to the Holy Spirit’s instructions in 1st John 2:15-17. Beloved, are you a true disciple of Jesus or just pretending to be one? Ponder on this and let us stop deceiving ourselves. Remember the words of 2nd Timothy 2:12, which says:
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:”
Further, speaking on discipleship, the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:24
“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.”
The Lord’s principle on discipleship is firmly built on followership, service, humility, obedience and loyalty. If you want to follow Jesus acceptably, you must align your views with His ideals.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.