Am I Really a Christian?Sample

Salvation vs. Discipleship

It’s not uncommon to feel unsure about the concepts of justification, sanctification, salvation, and discipleship. Ephesians 2:8–9 explains that we’re not saved by good works; we’re saved by grace through faith. If we can’t earn salvation by doing good works, then by implication, we can’t lose our salvation by not doing good works either. Since good works were never the basis of our salvation, a lack of works can’t undo our salvation.

Jesus never says, ‘Believe in Me, then work really hard to stay saved.’ He simply says, ‘Follow Me’ (Matthew 4:19), which means growing closer to Him, becoming more like Him, and continuing to spread His life-changing message. Jesus also challenges us to be willing to give up everything for Him. He tells us whoever doesn’t carry their cross and follow Him can’t be His disciple (Luke 14:27). That’s serious! But thankfully, Jesus doesn’t say, ‘Whoever doesn’t carry their cross and follow Me can’t be saved.’ He’s the same Saviour who says, ‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28 NIV) First, we find rest in Him – that’s salvation. Then, out of that rest, we take up our cross and follow Him – that’s discipleship.

To better understand the difference between salvation and discipleship, think of marriage. Saying ‘I do’ at the altar is like salvation. It happens in a moment. Growing in your marriage relationship and learning how to love and serve your spouse is like discipleship. It’s a process. If someone struggles in marriage, they’re still married. They may not yet be a great spouse, but the marriage is still real.

A pushback when it comes to salvation and discipleship is, ‘What about those who once believed, and later walked away?’ Again, Jesus promised that those He’d saved couldn’t be snatched from His hand (John 10:28). Once He saves someone, they stay saved. Sadly, not every believer follows Jesus well. But if salvation depended on our ability to follow perfectly, no one would make it. Our salvation isn’t based on our faithfulness to Jesus, but on Jesus’ faithfulness to us.

Another pushback might be, ‘If salvation is secure, why bother with discipleship?’ The reason why following Jesus is crucial is because salvation isn’t just about going to heaven, and it isn’t just about us. It’s about knowing and enjoying God now and partnering with Him to reconcile the world to Himself. Jesus didn’t just save us from something (hell); He saved us for something: a life of purpose, joy, and relationship with Him. Following Jesus not only helps us to avoid the consequences of sin but also allows us to experience an abundant life.

If we treat discipleship as the requirement for salvation, we turn the gospel into work rather than a gift. But if we use salvation as an excuse for spiritual laziness, we miss the joy of growing in Christ and the responsibility of following Him. Recognising this truth protects us from spiritual harm and allows us to fully embrace both the security of salvation and the transformative power of discipleship. Jesus offers us both eternal salvation and earthly purpose.