The world, the flesh and the Devil's goal is to defeat the gospel. And this is how they are attempting to do it. Unlike Solomon we have cut the baby [aka the gospel] in half. Actually in thirds, the gospel could be equated with the entire redemptive drama under the rubric SALVATION. The first third is regeneration, the second is sanctification and the third is glorification.  Or in more street level language, convert, disciple, and entry into heaven. In this way of thinking, the first step into Salvation is becoming a convert, your are reborn, and your entry into heaven is assured. A convert is a new Christian, but not necessarily a disciple. A disciple is a more serious Christian, committed to follow Christ daily, but not necessary for heaven. This line of thought permits discipleship to be optional. It would be like buying a new car, there is the basic car, but there are options such as navigational system, sun roof, leather seats etc. This has been the most common understanding of the gospel for a century, and it has been a disaster. It has created a church that now needs to be evangelized, and a country that has become the world's largest  mission field. It makes reaching people with the transforming message of the gospel much more difficult. It is always more difficult to build on another's foundation, to re-school the church in the gospel. We have a gospel that is built on profession of faith, rather than actual faith, a faith that acts, a faith that embraces following Christ. Why is it that so many wonder, " why bother with discipleship?"  The reason is because they see so little difference in those who profess to be followers of Christ. It seems just like more church, more study, more work. The aim of discipleship is not the church, it is the world. It is about transformation of ordinary life in ordinary places. Discipleship is the natural response of a regenerate person to follow Christ daily. It is a answer to God's gracious act of giving himself to us. It is not more church, it is more life........ I believe in life after death, but I also believe in life before death, the life that Christ has called us to, one of humility, submission, obedience and sacrifice. Start thinking of SALVATION  as one thing, a connected life that begins when we step into a new life of following Christ that will never end. What might of happened on Wall Street if thousands of professing Christians would of been transformed into the image of Christ rather than simply immature professors of Church doctrine?  They wouldn't of agreed with Martin Glecko [Michael Douglass]  in the film Wall Street , "Greed is good, greed works."