College has started. Of course, the first thing I did when I got back was to check for my results from last year. Nothing. I keep telling myself that it's not about the grade you get and all that, but still, I want to know.

Well, just this week some results have arrived, but I'm not posting them here. I'll just say that I am happy with them all.

You may know that I am studying at London School of Theology. For some reasons, which I can understand, this school has a reputation of being liberal (whatever that means). Now, whilst some lecturers have their ways, I am happy to report that by and large the school is a solid evangelical school with most lecturers holding fast to the doctrines of grace. This was affirmed this week with some fantastic lecturer from Chris Jack on Discipleship.

Now Chris Jack is the Acting Vice Principal, Lecturer in Applied Theology, Chaplain. He is taking our lectures on Discipleship. These two fantastic lectures started with us looking at Luke 14, in particular the words "cannot be my disciple." These are strong words, so, lets look at what the conditions are.

You cannot be a discipls of Jesus Christ if:

• You do not renounce all that you have.
• You do not hate your own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even your own life.
• You do not bear your own cross and come after Jesus.

I'll not go into an exegesis of this right now, perhaps that's for a sermon some day. But this wishy washy easy Christianity we have today in the West hardly bears resemblence to this.

In Acts 11 we hear that the disciples were first called christians at Antioch. So a disciple is a christian is a disciple. Now look at what happens if we replace the word disciple in the statements above with the word christian.

It costs to be a christian doesn't it? Yes, grace is free. Salvation is free. But it would seem that the package is to be taken as a whole. There is no 8 day trial, no money-back gurantee and no optional extras that bolt on or that can be left behind.

This is something similar, I think, to this bizarre idea that Jesus Christ can be your saviour without beinnng your LORD. I am not sure where this idea came from, but it is rather absurd. You'll not find that in the Bible.

Enough for now.