The Cost of Discipleship – Why It’s Our 2021 Theme
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book The Cost of Discipleship is a classic of Christian thought. A German pastor and an opponent of Adolf Hitler, Bonhoeffer wrote this book in 1937, just before the start of World War II.
In it, Bonhoeffer challenged people to count the cost and make the decision to live as true disciples of Jesus. This stance cost him his life.
Just as Bonhoeffer, we live in a time of great challenge.
Our secular culture is out-discipling the church. More and more of us are at home in the world and alienated from paying the price to truly follow Jesus.
As the pressure grows to accommodate our culture and fit in, we must resist. Jesus calls us to turn from the ways of the world in terms of accepting immorality, embracing self-indulgence, greed, and the like.
Otherwise, we end up with cheap grace, which is an enemy of discipleship. Bonhoeffer described the challenge succinctly:
Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods.
Like Bonhoeffer, we teach that Jesus rightfully requires sacrifices and ethical consistency from those whose lives and thoughts are truly inspired by his Gospel and those who imbue the spirit of Christian service and duty.
So the question is…
Will we pay the cost of discipleship today—in our personal lives, homes, churches, and in the world?
Bonhoeffer put it this way: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
Bonhoeffer later defined “cheap grace” as hearing the gospel preached as follows: “Of course you have sinned, but now everything is forgiven, so you can stay as you are and enjoy the consolations of forgiveness.”
Such a proclamation is defective because it contains no demand for discipleship.
True discipleship is costly because it costs a person their life, and it is gracious because it gives them true life. True discipleship is costly because it condemns sin, and it is gracious because it justifies the sinner.
Put simply, when you count the cost, you plan ahead. You take inventory of everything that needs to happen before you pursue a goal.
Now, you may not know every little detail that needs to be achieved in the process, but you have an attitude that says you will follow Jesus.
Wherever Jesus calls me, I will go. Whatever the price, I am willing to pay it.
The cost of discipleship is making the decision to pay the price to follow Jesus. More specifically, it’s recognizing the need to pay this price in multiple areas of life.
We at Discipleship.org are committed to equipping people to do so at the National Disciple Making Forum:
- Personally – Alisa Childers will help you count the cost and make the decision to pay the price intellectually to be a disciple. Drew Hyun will help you count the cost and make the decision to be emotionally healthy disciples. And just added is Mike Glenn who will moderate this session.
- Family – Jason Houser will talk about counting the cost of discipleship and making family discipleship practical. As a single, working mother, Ariyana Rimson will join the conversation. Also Tim Hawks and moderator Bobby Harrington will join.
- Church – Jim Putman will talk about the “revolutionary disciple” who humbly submits and stops focusing on individual rights, and Dave Clayton will talk about the challenge of raising up authentic, spirit-filled disciples. Bobby Harrington will moderate.
- World – Myron Pierce will talk about hope and how it changed him and can change every inner city. Also, Shodankeh Johnson will talk about how those who count the cost and live as true disciples can change entire nations. Grant Skeldon will join as moderator.
