A Christian, but not a Disciple of Jesus?

Is it possible to be a Christian but not a disciple of Jesus? I’ve actually been working through several different topics over the past couple months, and that’s one that’s come back to mind off and on.

As I look more into Scripture, especially the New Testament and Jesus’ teachings, it becomes increasingly evident that we’ve created a dichotomy between Christians (average Joe Christians) and Disciples (those who totally sell out for Jesus’ sake) that should never have been made. The examples I’ve found are things like…

Revelation 3:16: The lukewarm people seem to be condemned because their “deeds” were neither hot nor cold… they thought themselves rich in the world (sounds like America in 2006), but in fact they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Christ calls them to repent and be rebuked and disciplined.

Matthew 7:20-23: It seems that here are where most “Christians” find themselves. They pay lipservice to God, and hope to find hell-insurance when they die, and often are even involved in “Christianly” things (going to church, tithing, praying before meals, etc.), but Christ has no knowledge of them.

Luke 9:57-62: No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God. Jesus takes two situations which we today would write off with a, “Sure.. go ahead.. hurry back!” and seems to say instead, “Sure, go ahead.. but if you do, you have no business following me.” This seems a rather difficult teaching, unless we truly believe that Jesus is the only way to life, in which case we ought to say, like Peter, “To whom else shall we go?”

Luke 14:25-34: The cost of following Jesus is everything. Anyone who isn’t willing to forfeit his mother and father and wife and children for the sake of following Jesus is not fit to be his disciple.

All of these passages seem to make reference to “being a disciple”, not to “being a Christian”. But that’s all Jesus ever calls people to do — follow Him. In fact, I don’t see how a person who ISN’T a “disciple” can make others into disciples (Mt. 28).

“Look, it’s Jesus! Go follow Him because He’s the only way to find life!”
“Why aren’t you following Him then?”
“Well, because I like my earthly things for now.. but when I die, THEN I’ll be with Him!”
“Oh, ok… then I shall also enjoy my earthly pleasures and follow Him when His way appeals more than mine.”

I think it’s a deadly poison within the Church that we allow for “faith” without obedience. We allow for people to be “saved” but never committed. And if ever we question one’s commitment, we never find repentance and renewed fellowship, but only accusations of judgment, as one might expect from a criminal who’s about to be revealed.