Only a carnal believer, a mere infant in Christ, would lack a burning desire to become a disciple. A carnal believer has not yet seen that the things he still thinks are gain are seen as "dung" to those who have discovered the true riches in Christ Jesus. Only carnal believers, mere infants, think there is anything to be gained from walking after the flesh rather than the Spirit.
A believer that has grown in understanding realizes that the old man, the one being corrupted by deceitful lusts, must be put to death and put off through becoming united with Christ in the likeness of His death in order to become fully free from slavery to sin. In our home, no one fights to keep the trash in the house; likewise, those who have truly seen the life of Christ will seek to "lose their life" in order to find His life. Infants are always totally absorbed in "self". Their entire orientation is physical appetite, physical touch, etc. The heart of a true disciple is "to be exactly like His teacher."
How ridiculous or pitiful is the thought that a person can "believe" in Christ without having a desire to be fully like Him. I think such persons really have their faith in the idea of "heaven" as a free gift. They believe in Jesus as the means to their own ends. They have turned the grace of God from that which brings Him glory, to their own selfish benefit.
I do think a person can exist in an immature state for a season because there are many who have been so poorly taught that they have never really seen the riches to be gained in losing their life to find the amazing life in Christ Jesus. I pity such people, for they will live a "retarded" "stunted" "pitiful" spiritual life and their ignorance will cause them to be most vulnerable to deception and corruption.
Believers who are fully aware of the glory to which they have been called, will give all diligence to add to their faith in order to make their calling and election sure; their heart will be to fully know Christ and the power of His resurrection.
Being a disciple is not a requirement it is a PRIVILEGE!!!!
Only ignorant babes would see it any other way. Jesus is not interested in forcing others to follow Him out of some sense of obligation. We mistake His statements if we interpret them to be "requirements". He was simply stating the fact that no one will be able to live for himself and become a disciple simultaneously.
It is simply not possible. No one can serve two masters. Those who have seen the true life of God in Christ Jesus, realize that the old man, our former way of life in the flesh, is nothing but death on two feet. Those who have seen the offer of new life Christ has called them to are like the man who discovered the treasure hidden in the field.
IN HIS JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!! he ran and sold all he had in order to be able to purchase the field.
He could not get rid of his old things fast enough, and he did all that freely, believing that losing his old life would bring him into the riches of new life. Anyone who would argue that they really don't need to be a disciple, just a believer, does not fully know Jesus yet - and they certainly will have no passion to become fully like Him. Such infants are still carnal and will not likely receive the things of the Spirit for those things must be spiritually discerned.
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