Salvation vs. Discipleship

​Mark 8:34-38 and Luke 14:25-35 are two passages which have been treated as evangelistic by those who do not make a distinction between having everlasting life and being a disciple.  One prominent voice in the reform theology camp said Mark 8:24-38 raised the question if a person could be saved (have everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ) and not be a disciple.  As I have shown Jesus Christ answered yes to that question in John 8:31 & 32.  Another leading figure in the Lordship Salvation movement plainly said the Luke passage was evangelistic.  
 
I’ll start with Mark 8:34-38 “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”  Notice the subject is following after Christ.  He said whoever “desires to come after Me.”  There is no mention of everlasting life or the need to believe in Him.  Instead of believing in Him the requirement is to deny self and take up a cross.  In fact, there seems to be an assumption in v. 38 that they were all going to be present when He comes in the Glory of the Father. 
 
Since the topic is following Jesus Christ, to deny most likely means put the Lord’s wishes first, to be selfless.  Taking up a cross in 1st century Israel meant you’re going to your death which is how the disciples would have understood it.  The context that follows is all about what is worth giving your life’s effort to acquire.  BTW the words life and soul in verses 35-37 all translate the same Greek word psyche.  So, there is no reason to switch from the word life in v. 35 to soul in vs. 36 & 37 other than a translator’s theological bias. 
 
The question “what will a man give in exchange for his life,” describes a business transaction.  Everlasting life is a gift not a trade.   So, what lasting profit is there from gaining everything this world offers when you die? There are a lot of good things in life to go after.  And other than no lasting profit there’s nothing in Christ’s words to suggest it’s wrong to acquire them.  The answer to what is worth the exchange for your life is Jesus Christ’s approval before the Father.  His approval has eternal value.   It pays dividends for all eternity.  This all about a believer going on to becoming a true follower, that is a disciple, of Jesus Christ.   
 
When you compare Mark 8:34-38 to passages where Jesus Christ was engaged in evangelism (John 3:1-21, 4:1-26 and 9:35-41) it easy to see the difference.  The gift of everlasting life is received by believing in Jesus Christ for the gift of eternal life.  Believing He is who gives it and that He gives it freely to those who believe Him.  It was the unbelief of Adam that brought sin and death into the world.   It is belief in Jesus Christ that restores eternal life and your future with God in the New Heaven and Earth.