Salvation and Discipleship: Is There A Difference? by Lucas Kitchen

Author:Lucas Kitchen [Kitchen, Lucas]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2017-08-26T16:00:00+00:00

This story focuses on three servants. The servants represent three saved people. Notice that even at the close of the story, the least faithful one is still called “servant” albeit lazy and unprofitable servant. Although they are rewarded differently for their service, none of them ever stops being a servant of their Lord. Even the last reference to the unfaithful one reiterates the master-servant relationship, even though the master is disciplining him.

His master is so upset with him, he ejects him from his house and into the dark. Some have claimed that this could rightly be translated as the darkness outside. The unprofitability of the servant has so enraged his master that he is made to go and sleep outside. His place of comfort inside the house is revoked because he’s been so unfaithful. He’s made to go out and reside where the animals have to sleep. His status is no higher than the beasts who live in the fields around the house. Once the unprofitable servant is out there, he cries in the darkness. He’s full of remorse for his bad behavior. The stories tell us that weeping and gnashing of teeth accompany being shut out into the darkness.

Those that claim the darkness outside is an analogy for Hell might say that only the unsaved will weep and gnash their teeth. However, Jesus wept11, and God gnashed his teeth12, so weeping and gnashing of teeth are not things reserved only for unbelievers, or unsaved. Weeping and gnashing of teeth is an expression of regret and remorse, sometimes even frustration. Why will there be weeping and gnashing of teeth? 1 Corinthians 3:15 tells us that there will be believers who will suffer loss while they are in heaven. The loss they suffer will be missing out on rewards, and fellowship with Christ because of their lack of diligence during their mortal lives. They will experience regret and frustration at themselves but they will be saved.13

What’s more, we know that there will be weeping in the Kingdom of Heaven because it is not until the New Heaven and the New Earth that God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.14 That far-future event is the point at which crying will be done away with. For him to wipe away tears then, there must be crying that exists up until that time in order that tears may be wiped away. So, while the Kingdom of God will be a very joy filled place for its citizens, there will still be those who experience regret and even cry in the millennial kingdom of heaven. Weeping in the Kingdom of Heaven will be centered around regret for a lack of faithfulness to Christ while in their mortal bodies. Those who believed in Jesus and were saved but did not choose a life of discipleship will regret it tremendously when Christ comes in His kingdom. They will be barred from the fullest experience in the Kingdom of Heaven.

There is one more reference to the

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