The Disciple and Imputed Righteousness

“Go therefor and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26.

Here we see the commission the apostles received from Jesus. It was not merely to come to “the foot of the cross,” as we are invited to do in many hymns and by many so-called evangelists—there to unload our burden of sin. If people do this, they are reckoned to be born-again Christians. However, Jesus’ invitation to follow Him implied much more; it had a deeper content, which the apostles were to teach to people when they invited them to come to Jesus. They were to make disciples of them.

Jesus spoke in such a way that many had come to faith in Him. “Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free . . . .’” John 8:30-36. We know what happened afterwards. When He tried to make disciples of them, they began to hate Him. It is just the same today. Many of those who call themselves Christians and believe they are born-again would become the evangelist’s enemies if he were to try to make disciples of them. But he is not interested in such a task anyway. He wants a reputation for starting great revivals, but he is not willing to run the risk that the multitudes might become enemies and go their way.

Of course, these so-called evangelists are not disciples themselves, nor are they born-again. Paul said, even in his day, “For we re not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word; but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:17.

“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.” James 1:18. Here we see that we are born-again by the word of truth, and this is what Jesus said: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” His listeners would not acknowledge that they were in bondage, but Jesus explained to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin.”

The one who does not love the truth cannot be truly free, nor can he partake of sanctification by the Spirit and gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle writes, “therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness . . . .” 2 Thessalonians 2:11-14.

It is true what Jesus and the apostles wrote and said, that many deceivers would arise who live in sin; “. . . lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people . . . .” 2 Timothy 3:1-8. It is those who love the truth and who want to be set free from sin who become born-again. They receive power to hate their own life and become Jesus’ disciples.

“For what does the scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due.” Romans 4:3-4. This is a glorious scripture for all those who do not want to be obedient to the gospel, who believe that our works count for nothing, and that only faith in Jesus counts for anything. Then they reckon that Jesus’ righteousness is imputed to us, that God sees us through Jesus as though we were righteous. Millions of people are living in this deception.

When Abraham believed God, he believed the promise God had given, and then Abraham waited for its fulfillment. He received a tried faith which has been praised by both God and man. “He received circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but also follow the example of the faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.” Romans 4:11-12.

Abraham was led by faith in God, and he left behind steps of faith. Thus he entered into the obedience of faith, the same obedience which Paul was to bring about among all the Gentiles, and for which he had received his apostleship. Because Abraham was obedient and walked by faith, he obtained the promise. This means that when we believe in Jesus we also have the promise that he shall complete a work in us. Philippians 1:6. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23.

When an apprentice begins his apprenticeship, he can be regarded as though he were already like his master—provided the apprentice is faithful and does not give up. All the master’s knowledge and skills are imputed to the apprentice from the first day, when the contract of apprenticeship is signed. And what is this apprenticeship contract? It is just what is written: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Romans 6:3-5.

This was also what Jesus was speaking about when He said that we are to make disciples of all the nations, “. . . baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20. After signing their contract of apprenticeship, they can begin to be taught. Many assemblies are eager to get their new converts baptized, because then they can enter their names on the membership rolls. But there are very few who realize that baptism is actually a contract of apprenticeship, and that afterwards they are to be taught to observe everything Jesus has commanded.

It is not possible to baptize into death anyone who does not hate his own life. It would only be putting on a show. “[And you] he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him.” Colossians 1:22. This was that good work which God had begun in the Colossians, which Paul was certain, the Lord would complete. But this was under the provision that we “. . . continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel.” Verse 23. Then the work would be complete.