True Salvation And Discipleship.

Jesus Christ declared:  “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). 

For a person to receive the gift of salvation into their lives, it demands more than just saying ” Lord, Lord”.  Jesus makes it perfectly clear that a verbal profession alone is not enough; obedience and doing His Will are the true mark of discipleship.

It is of vital importance to understand the emphasis that Jesus Christ revealed concerning receiving salvation with all of its blessings into our lives.

Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven”

There is an assurance of salvation in a person’s life that can be established through taking hold of the words of Jesus Christ, who has purchased this free gift of salvation for the entire race of humanity.

It has often been said that action speaks louder than words, and this is certainly true regarding our standing before Almighty God. This is important, entry into and continuing in the Kingdom of God is through a life that must be aligned with the will of the Father in believing in and receiving Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Saviour.

This must become a personal revelation; the obedience of one’s heart must follow the confession of the mouth. Jesus Christ exposed the emptiness of a person, having an outward acknowledgement but without the inward submission when He asked, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

True salvation is inseparable from a transformed walk that takes His words seriously.

Jesus identified Himself not only as Saviour and Lord, but as the Shepherd. He declared, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life” (John 10:27–28). 

Eternal life is given to those who hear His voice and who will continue to follow after Him. The Shepherd is to lead; the sheep are to follow. It is as simple as that.

Knowing Jesus Christ is evident in the lives of believers who are led and governed by His commands. Knowledge of Jesus Christ is witnessed in a life submitted to His words and conformed to His will.

Jesus Himself warned that a verbal profession or confession alone is insufficient: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

Salvation, therefore, is never a one-time confession but a living, continual reality. For this reason, Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).  Following Jesus Christ, therefore, is the unmistakable mark of truly belonging to Him.

What does it really mean to follow Jesus? 

Jesus has revealed through His word what it means to follow Him when He said: “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

There is a revelation that every believer needs to embrace in our lives, we must at all times set Jesus Christ ever before our eyes, our vision and purpose for living must be focused solely upon Him.

Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. John 13: 12-15.

The whole life and ministry of Jesus Christ must be our own personal manual of how we are to live out our lives in this world.

There are demands made upon the believer: It will require a laying down of our will, to take up the will and purposes of the Father. It will require a full and yielded commitment, and a willingness to face the responsibilities and challenges that come with being His disciple.

Jesus fully exemplified this principle of the denial of one’s self-will, to allow the will of the Father be accomplished.

 “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22: 42

Jesus declared: “And whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)

These words show that following Jesus is a lifelong commitment. It is not about comfort or convenience, but about living in obedience, trust, and dedication to Him.

Jesus warned: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23-24)

As I was compiling this word, I had this thought concerning the Cross of Jesus Christ. For so much of the time, when we consider the cross, our thoughts are focused on the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ in purchasing our salvation and redemption. No wonder we call it the wondrous cross.

But the Lord has revealed another aspect that must be fully understood concerning our lives and the cross that we must bear.

This is so important. Did you notice what Jesus declared? We are not called to take up His cross, for He alone was the only one qualified to carry it; His cross has brought us life, at the cost of laying down His life as our sin-bearer.

We are called to take up our own cross. This thought came to me, the cross that we are to carry is not to purchase our salvation, but it is that we can identify it in our lives as a cross of our surrender and our devotion and commitment to follow Jesus Christ. True life in Christ comes through surrender, even when it costs us personal comfort or security.

This truth must be embraced in the lives of all who profess Jesus Christ as Lord: To hear His voice is to heed it; to believe in Him is to walk as He walked.

This is of vital importance: saving faith is active, enduring, and obedient, continually shaped by the words and example of Jesus Christ of Nazareth ( As found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John ).

Those who truly belong to Jesus Christ are brought out of darkness, received by the Father out of this world and embracing a life that should reflect His voice, His way, and His will.

Therefore, Salvation rests in a living faith, one that hears His voice, obeys His words, and walks in His footsteps.