Calling Jesus ‘Lord’ Requires Following Him
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46) Jesus poses this probing question to emphasize the discrepancy between empty titles and faithful discipleship. Many call Jesus their Savior and give him lip service as Lord. However, simply believing in Jesus does not make someone his disciple. Answering Christ’s call to follow him demands total commitment and obedience.
Belief without discipleship is shallow and incomplete. Those who only believe without responding to Jesus’ summons miss out on the genuinely abundant life he offers. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” Let us examine the crucial differences between mere belief and wholehearted discipleship.
The Gift of Salvation Through Belief
Belief in Jesus as Lord provides the way of salvation. When we acknowledge our sinfulness and need for redemption, we can accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as the payment for our sins (Romans 3:23-24). We find new life by believing that he conquered death in the resurrection, proving he is the Son of God (John 11:25, Romans 10:9). This gift of eternal life is received by grace alone through faith alone. As Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
This saving faith is just the beginning, not the end goal. Those who believe experience a transformed relationship with God, but the Christian life requires ongoing growth. Jesus does not call us to a one-time profession of faith but a lifetime of following him as Lord.
The All-Encompassing Call to Discipleship
While belief grants access to salvation, Jesus bids every believer come and follow him. He says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Becoming a disciple means completely giving over our lives to the lordship of Jesus.
He must become our ultimate teacher and authority. As Jesus prepared to ascend into heaven after his resurrection, he commissioned his disciples, “Go therefore 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” (Matthew 28:19-20). Disciples are students under the instruction of the Supreme Rabbi, Jesus Christ.
This requires complete submission to God’s will. Jesus described this kind of discipleship using the metaphor of a narrow gate: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). The easy, comfortable road of nominal belief devoid of discipleship does not lead to transformation. Disciples choose the hard road of daily surrender, even when it costs everything.
The Fruit of Discipleship
While belief occurs at a moment in time, discipleship is the ongoing walk of faith. True disciples live out what they profess. Just as Jesus exemplified service, sacrifice, generosity, and dedication to the Father’s will, his followers emulate these actions and attitudes in the power of the Spirit. Disciples base their entire identity and purpose on Jesus. As Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
The primary markers of discipleship are Christlikeness and the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The greatest commandments are to love God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39). Disciples also bear good fruit by fulfilling the Great Commission and making new disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Their lives exhibit qualities like peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control by the Spirit’s work (Galatians 5:22-23).
Confronting a Dangerous Deception
Tragically, many who profess faith in Jesus never respond to his radical call to discipleship. They may attend church regularly and call him “Lord,” but show little spiritual fruit. Like the seeds that fell on thorny or rocky ground in Jesus’ parable, their faith remains surface-level and ineffective (Luke 8:4-15). This deception is warned against in many places, including Matthew 7:21-23, where Jesus says that not all who cry “Lord, Lord” will enter his kingdom, but only those who do his will.
For example, non-disciples may rely on cheap grace for salvation without life change. To summarize Bonhoeffer in The Cost of Discipleship, “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship.” With Christ as Savior but not Lord, many compartmentalize their faith, blending in with culture instead of living as pilgrims obedient to Jesus alone.
Those who believe but don’t follow as disciples fail to fulfill their God-given purpose. As James wrote, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Jesus warns that lukewarm faith makes him sick to the point of vomit because it is neither hot nor cold (Revelation 3:16). The path of belief without discipleship ultimately leads to complacency about sin, falling away from God, and wasting our lives. We must carefully examine if we are responding fully to Christ’s call.
Choose the Narrow Way of Discipleship
Believing in Jesus as Savior is the beginning of a new life in Christ. Will you take the next step to become his wholehearted disciple? Jesus invites you into a committed apprenticeship and intimate relationship as you walk with him daily. You may sometimes stumble and fail, but he patiently picks you back up. Discipleship leads to experiencing the true abundant life Jesus promises (John 10:10).
The world needs more disciples authentically living out the gospel collectively on mission. We must be disciples who make disciples. There is no greater purpose than giving our lives to Jesus and playing a part in God’s redemptive plan. Choose today to embrace the high calling of discipleship. Why call Jesus “Lord, Lord” without doing what he says? As Martin Luther stated, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” Let us boldly follow Christ no matter the cost, becoming disciples who bear fruit that will last.
Josh Cehulik 