A TRUTH THAT WILL COST YOU YOUR LIFE

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A lot of us want to inherit the kingdom of God, but we have no idea about what it is going to cost us.

We haven’t given it much thought because we have been led to believe that it is an easy process that requires responding to an “altar call” and confessing Jesus as our lord and savior.

It actually involves a lot more than that.

Luke 14:25-35
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
26 “IF ANYONE COMES TO ME AND DOES NOT HATE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, HIS WIFE ANDCHILDREN, HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS—YES, EVEN HIS OWN LIFE—HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.
27 AND ANYONE WHO DOES NOT CARRY HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.
28 “SUPPOSE ONE OF YOU WANTS TO BUILD A TOWER. WILL HE NOT FIRST SIT DOWN AND ESTIMATE THE COST TO SEE IF HE HAS ENOUGH MONEY TO COMPLETE IT?
29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
33 IN THE SAME WAY, ANY OF YOU WHO DOES NOT GIVE UP EVERYTHING HE HAS CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.
34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR.”

It’s important that we understand exactly what Jesus is saying here.

He is saying that we need to estimate the cost before we begin the process of salvation, because it is not something that comes cheap.

Salvation will cost you your “life’. It will cost you to give up everything. All your dreams, all your aspirations, everything that you have always desired to do will be given up for the purpose of salvation.

It is not going to be an easy thing to do. That is why Jesus says we must “count the cost”. We must determine whether or not our lives are worth losing.

Luke 9:23-25
23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, HE MUST DENY HIMSELF and TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY and FOLLOW ME.
24 For WHOEVER WANTS TO SAVE HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, BUT WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE FOR ME WILL SAVE IT.
25 WHAT GOOD IS IT FOR A MAN TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND YET LOSE OR FORFEIT HIS VERY SELF?

We must “deny ourselves”.

This translation above somehow paints a less clear picture, so let’s look at another one for emphasis:

Luke 9:23-25
23 Then he said to all, “ANYONE WHO WANTS TO FOLLOW ME MUST PUT ASIDE HIS OWN DESIRES AND CONVENIENCES and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me!
24 Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it, but WHOEVER INSISTS ON KEEPING HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT;
25 and what profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one’s self?

Denying ourselves means that we must put aside our own desires and conveniences.

Needless to say this should have a severe impact on the type of things we pray for; because if we insist on keeping our lives…..we will lose it.

Not everyone is capable of doing this. Not everyone “wants” to do this.

That is why Jesus says:

Matt 7:13-15
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
14 BUT SMALL IS THE GATE AND NARROW IS THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO LIFE, AND ONLY A FEW FIND IT.
15 “WATCH OUT FOR FALSE PROPHETS. THEY COME TO YOU IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, BUT INWARDLY THEY ARE FEROCIOUS WOLVES.

The reason why the gate is small is because not everyone will be prepared to give up their desires. For some of us it is too much to ask. We want to keep our desires and dreams yet somehow still inherit eternal life; but we cannot have it both ways.

We must beware of false prophets who try to tell us that there is a way we can be saved that does not involve us losing our lives.

We must ask ourselves if what Paul says is the path to salvation is actually the truth:

Paul says:

Rom 10:9-10
9 IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR LIPS THAT JESUS IS LORD AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED.
10 FOR MAN BELIEVES WITH HIS HEART AND IS SO JUSTIFIED, AND HE CONFESSES WITH HIS LIPS AND SO IS SAVED.

Alarm bells should be ringing in our heads by now. This method of being saved that Paul presents is far too easy. There are millions of Christians in the world who have supposedly been “saved” by using this counterfeit method.

Does this not sound like the broad road and wide gate, that leads to destruction which many people enter?

Let’s remind ourselves again of the warning that Jesus gave.

Jesus says:

Matt 7:15
15 “WATCH OUT FOR FALSE PROPHETS. THEY COME TO YOU IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, BUT INWARDLY THEY ARE FEROCIOUS WOLVES.

With this kind of warning; if you were a wolf looking to catch some sheep, where would be the closest and most unsuspecting place you could hide in disguise to attack your prey?

………….the Bible.

The very root that latches on to the heart of all those who are trying to find God……..the root that holds the entire Christian church together.

The biggest wolf of all time has not only succeeded in hiding amongst the flock. He has been elevated as a sheep that all others should imitate.

Paul says:

Rom 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.

How can Paul say that salvation is a free gift, when Jesus tells us specifically to count the cost of it?

Is Paul not aware that salvation is going to cost us mothers, brothers, sisters and even our own lives?

There is no way that this can be conceived as a free gift if it is going to cost us that much. If it was free……everyone would be saved.

Paul says:

Eph 2:8-9
8 FOR IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED, THROUGH FAITH—AND THIS NOT FROM YOURSELVES, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD–
9 NOT BY WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST.

According to Paul we should do nothing. If you do something then it means that you will have the ability to boast. His logic makes sense. Except that it is precisely designed to make us miss the true salvation.

Jesus says:

Matt 16:27
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; AND THEN HE SHALL REWARD EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS.

Paul is saying that it is not by works; and Jesus is saying that we are going to be rewarded according to our works.

Who do we believe? The messenger that God sent from heaven? Or the man who appointed himself as an apostle?

The wolf is trying to lead the sheep in another direction by wearing the most eloquent of sheep’s clothing.

We must ensure that we are following the shepherd……..and not getting led away by the wolf.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”