Count the Cost

.. the cost of following Jesus

When thinking of any sort of commitment we step back and realize there are always conditions involved. A commitment obligates you to do something. A condition is something which must happen in order for something else to be possible.

Around the time I was desiring to be a Mother, I was slowly taking baby steps in the Christian faith. During this time and I remember siding with God. I said something along the lines “if you give me this, I’ll give you that”. Anyone else guilty of this ? The first sacrifice I made was when I quit smoking cigarets the week we began trying to get pregnant. I figured if I really wanted God to know how badly I want this, perhaps quitting smoking will prove to Him that I am committed to this prayer request. Quitting smoking was very hard. I did however keep in mind why I was quitting. To be honest, this example of a sacrifice wasn’t necessarily for God, rather for the blessing (Baby).

I’ll admit, I once figured it was unnecessary for me to really sacrifice anything I enjoyed for the sake of faith. That merely believing was good enough for me, and I reserved that level of devotion for people who were “hardcore” and ”extremely devout”. The idea of submission, and that level of obedience never pertained to me, and nor did I want it to. I’d much rather remain comfortable in my beliefs, never to be challenged when it came to faith. Prior to reading scripture I based majority of my faith on assumptions which essentially formed my belief system. If I had roots they'd be shallow, and If I had an anchor it would've been made of sand. Though comfy, what I lacked was knowledge of truth, and a foundation I could securely rest in.

It wasn’t until I started to read the word of God years later. I began to discover that there were in fact conditions in following Christ. Eventually I began to want more of God, less of my ideas of God. God has challenged me many times since surrendering my life to Him. But even prior, I see the ways in which God was giving me opportunities to grow. Opportunities to weight out the cost. When I first read this passage in Luke, there was a word that stood out to me, and it was the word “ If ” little, yet notable, I understood it to reflect a condition.

Before jumping into the costs of following Jesus, I wanted to focus on the definition and meaning of the word Disciple.

A true disciple is not just a student or a learner, but a follower: one who applies what he/she has learned. The Greek word "disciple" translates to "follower."

Now, you may be surprised to learn that disciples means ; follower of Christ. Aka Christian. Jesus’ followers were called “disciples” long before they were ever called “Christians. In fact, the term “disciple” is used 269 times in the New testament, as opposed to the term “Christian” which is used only 3 times.

The Cost of Being a Disciple (Luke Chapter 14:25-35)

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them He said:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 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. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

In Luke Chapter 14 Jesus explains the cost involved. It is very clear that Jesus used exaggerated statements /or claims to make His point. (not always to be taken literal, remember when Jesus said to gouge your eye if it causes you to sin… did that mean to dismember your body?..no)… The point is, it takes radical measures to make His point- that our loyalty, devotion and obedience to Him should far exceed anything or anyone. ( insert conviction )

Whoa! At first glance reading Luke 14:25-27- seems like Jesus is asking for a lot! Is He telling me to hate my family? why would I have to hate anyone for His name sake?

Doesn’t the Bible say that we are to love our families? Some may think, wait.. Is Jesus contradicting the Bible? Of course not! But He certainly puts it in these terms for shock value. He wants His followers to stop, and really think about these conditions.Normally, there is no conflict between loving Christ and our family members, but sometimes disagreements and challenges may develop, where a family member puts pressure on you to ease up, or even compromise your love for Christ and His word. (which the world is opposed to)

I did this with my Husband when he was saved so I can attest as someone once on the opposing end. I challenged his beliefs regularly. I was appalled at the thought of my husband suddenly committing himself to this extent for Christ. (Even as someone who claimed to be a believer!!)

There will come a time when your growth in the faith will have others question your commitment to Christ, and certainly to the word of God when they disagree. In fact I can say it is bound to happen, if it hasn’t already.

“If anyone”

He concluded this passage by saying "'therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple'" (Luke 14:33; see Luke 14:25–33). This passage does not mean that we cannot love or care for our families or the things we have been given, rather it makes the point that everything we may possess, needs to be held with an open hand so that we may release it to Christ at any moment. It means we have to value Him more than we value anything or anyone else.

"Yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple”

Again Jesus isn’t saying to hate our lives. But In comparison our consideration for ourselves should be below our consideration for Jesus, and His will and purpose for our lives. I’d say it’s pretty natural for us to live a self-centred life, where our needs come first. I have 2 young children ages 2 and 5, and I can honestly admit 9x/10 they come first! …yet within these very verses Jesus wants our lives to be centred on Him. I really wish I could say that my life is completely centred on Christ. Here, even as I sit pouring hours into writing this very blog entry in regards to the topic of discipleship.

I'd consider myself to be a passionately devoted follower of Christ. I have deep reverence for the Lord. I have such a strong desire to pursue Him every day. I know my children are only here because the Lord has blessed me with them. I know it is only because of God that I get to experience the roles of Mother and wife, and yet, I can’t truthfully say He comes first at all times. If the requirements to love Jesus more than anyone seems overwhelming to you, it should. It seems at times overwhelming for me too..

A life lived following Jesus is filled with sacrifice. The only way possible to respond to a passage like this, is to humbly admit my dependancy on the Lord, and The Holy Spirit as my guide. My human effort will fail, my flesh will be opposed at many times to deny myself, and yet recognizing it is only through the power of the Holy spirit that l will have the ability to live this life. If I depend on myself, I’ll never achieve these expectations. This is a daily, moment by moment dependency..

We must carry our own cross (14:27).

Basically, the true cost of commitment to Christ is one’s total self-denial, cross-bearing, and the continual commitment to following Him. This is hard work! You think carrying a cross would be easy? It’s not. Neither is self denial. To follow Jesus means we will follow in suffering because the world rejects true followers of Christ. Discipleship is not an invitation to ease and comfort. Those who are following Jesus simply for what they can get won’t stick around when the going gets tough.

The process of discipleship is stressed here, not the decision to enter into it.

Jesus does not diminish the cost of following him, in boldness and truth He explains the cost. Unlike many churches today that try to eliminate the cost so that it is easy to follow. This is not being a disciple of Jesus but a disciple of self. In this contrast, the message that: "Jesus loves you just as you are", removes the need, purpose, and the freedom found in Christ. I once subscribed to this "gospel" and I remained lost. It is impossible to place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior without first changing our mind about our sin and about who Jesus is and what He has done! Repentance is something that God gives, and it is only possible because of His Grace (Acts 5:31; 11:18).

God loves us as we are, but He won’t leave us as we are. It's not based on our conditions, rather it's based on His.

Assessing the Cost

Jesus gives two illustrations concerning the need to assess the cost of following Him.

Both refer to careful, detailed, rational thinking in which you consider all aspects of what you’re getting into before you make the commitment. The first example is of building a tower. In failing to count the cost this results in an incomplete project. Jesus states that one must assess whether they are ready to take on the personal commitment and sacrifice required to follow Him. The Christian life will cost us, therefore we need to be mindful and decide whether we can pay that price. Jesus concludes "If salt is no longer salt, what is it good for"? Salt that has lost its saltiness has no valuable purpose. It cannot be used for anything. Carefully read the words: “It is thrown away.” That salt is cast out. In contrast, we must consider the cost of not following Jesus.

it's far more costly.(Matthew 16:25-26)

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it". Matthew 7:13-14

I distinctly remember when I surrendered my life to Christ. Similarly to this passage, the cost was presented clearly to me. I was in the entry way of my house, and there I was siding once again. “Can you come back with this offering? Perhaps when I’m older".. my mind had a hard time comprehending it all. Here I was weighing the cost. . Naturally I didn’t want to deny myself nor my desires. But God revealed to me the of state of my life if I chose not to follow. In a glimpse I realized how separated I would remain, and this brought me to tears. Suddenly I was concerned for the state of my soul. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. In that moment, with all that was revealed to me, I chose Him.

To truly follow Jesus Christ, means that every area of our lives is submitted to Him.

We all want blessings, happiness, and fulfillment. We expect happy conditions with little-to-no sacrifice. Many people have been surprised that the way of Christ is not as easy as they had accepted it would be, but He does promise time and again in scripture that He will be with you. Abide in Him, and He will abide in you . Discipleship involves more than just making a little room in your life for Jesus. Have you counted the cost?