The Cost of Non-Discipleship

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a well-known German theologian who stood in opposition to Hitler’s regime in Germany. He worked with the resistance against the Nazis. He ultimately was captured, imprisoned, and executed shortly before the end of the war. He is the author of numerous books, including one entitled “The Cost of Discipleship.” In this book, Bonhoeffer speaks against “cheap grace” that we want to extend to ourselves, “grace without discipleship.” Bonhoeffer contrasts this with what he understands to be the costly grace of true discipleship. This is the grace that costs an individual everything, as stated by Bonhoeffer’s famous quote, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him ‘come and die.’” This is the cost of the discipleship Jesus spoke of when He said things like, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” There is a significant cost connected to genuine Christian discipleship.

True discipleship is costly but consider the alternative. Consider for a moment the cost of non-discipleship. In other words, what is the cost involved if we are not true disciples, investing our lives in the making of true disciples? Who will make true disciples? On the surface, it may seem like it will cost us nothing, even though others may pay the price for our non-discipleship.

A closer look reveals that believers lose greatly, along with the world when there is no discipleship.

First, we lose the opportunity to be obedient to God and thus pleasing to Him. The last instructions Jesus gave His followers were all about discipleship. We were told explicitly that making disciples was our primary task. If we do not live as disciples who make disciples, then we incur the cost of disobedience.

We also pay the price of a lesser life. Whatever else we may accomplish in life pales in comparison to being faithful to God. It can’t begin to match the joy, the excitement, the adventure, and the fulfillment of following Jesus as faithful disciples. The greatest adventure one can have in this life is to walk in faithful obedience, following the Lord, Jesus Christ. To settle for fewer means, we pay the price of a lesser life.

Similarly, we pay the high price of never living fully for what we were created without faithful discipleship. As such, we will lose the fullness of life when we live our lives and use our gifts, abilities, personality, and uniqueness to the fullest. It is a high cost.

Finally, we pay the price of generational loss. We have the opportunity to significantly impact the next generation, which will affect the next one, which will impact the one after. Living as faithful disciples will help shape future generations, enabling them to live as faithful disciples who will allow the next generation to do the same. Our discipleship will be a positive force for generations that will be born even after we have died. The cost of non-discipleship is enormous in our lifetime and perhaps even greater in future generations. Is true Christian Discipleship costly? It certainly is. The cost of non-discipleship is far greater. It is a price we simply can’t afford.