DISCIPLESHIP… COUNTING THE COST

“A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, ‘If you want to be My disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else -- your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple. But don’t begin until you count the cost.’”  (Luke 14:25-28a NLT)

In the corporate world, the phrase “the cost of doing business” is self-explanatory. There is an expected cost associated with leading or owning a business. It may be purchasing a building, paying employees, or buying a new vehicle, but I don’t know many people who jump into a life of discipleship and ask about the cost…

Living as if following Christ has no cost is like charging a credit card to its limit and then asking the bank to change the balance back to zero. Just as Paul wrote, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1–2)  Don’t get me wrong, discipleship is not a works-based system, but it does require our obedience and devotion.

Christians are fond of celebrating the lavish grace and unfailing compassion of Jesus, but we are sometimes hesitant to discuss the expectations of following Christ. But what a disservice to the Lord, especially as we remember that pain that He willingly endured so we could receive that grace. Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that “salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life.” What is discipleship costing you right now? 

-- Excerpted from “Altar’d: The Transforming Power of Surrender” by Susan O. Kent 

#6237

GOD REVEALED IN JESUS CHRIST

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.”  (John 1:18 NIV)

Paul Tournier, the great Christian doctor, declares that life, in order to be life, must necessarily be dialogue. No one can find life in any real sense of the term in isolation. He must find it in contact, in dialogue, with others. The supreme dialogue of life is the dialogue with God. Paul Tournier writes, “Jesus Christ is the dialogue re-established. He is God coming to us because we cannot go to Him.” Jesus came with the good news that God is not a God who hides Himself, that God is not a God whom only the philosophers may know, that God is the God who at all costs desires to be known, and who in the most costly way has revealed Himself to all. 

-- William Barclay in “The Mind of Jesus”

#5787

FREEDOM IN CHRIST

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”  (Romans 8:1-2 NIV)

Grace, the gift that cannot be earned, has set us free from being slaves to the law. Because we have felt God's love -- that amazing grace -- we are free from the world's silly games. We can step outside the ways of the world that say our worth is measured in power and possessions and prestige. We are free because we know who we are – children of God. Freedom for us is not about creating yourself in your own image, but about finding the Creator's love for you in your own soul.

We are set free from the anxiety of the world to love one another as Christ loves us, which means that the love that sets us free binds us to our brothers and sisters. Therefore, the sign of our freedom is finally the sign of the cross. Because Jesus was free, He was not afraid of what the world could do to Him. He would not bow down to Pilate or play the political game. He would not cut a deal so that someone else would suffer and He would keep His resume intact. He was free to love without fear and to live and die for us.

Once we know Christ's love for us, everything changes. That love changes how we see and act toward other people …

We are to serve one another not because we have to, not because we are trying to win God's affection by doing the right thing, but because the nature of love is to love. 

-- Excerpted from “From Anger to Zion: An Alphabet of Faith” by Porter Taylor

THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  (1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV)

We need not wonder about the cost of discipleship. We need only look upon Jesus on the cross. There we see the awful cost of the ministry that is offered in the life, nature, and spirit of Jesus.

The cost is awful indeed. But if our work introduces men and women to Jesus and to God’s love, this cost must be accepted. In our own self-emptying, those who gaze upon us may see Jesus. In our conviction, people may be convinced to look upon the cross of Jesus and say, “Truly this is the Son of God.”

We have heard it said, “We can never wear the crown until we bear the cross,” but for those who willingly enter into the sufferings of Jesus, the cross is their crown, and they wear it with dignity and submission. 

-- Norman Shawchuck in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#5552

 

UNDYING GRATITUDE

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13 NRSV)

Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices. 

-- U.S. President Harry S. Truman 

#5473

COUNTING THE COST

“Then Jesus said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.’”  (Luke 9:23 NLT)

Let’s face it: commitment is costly. It calls us away from self-interest into sharing our lives and ourselves with others. It calls us to make difficult choices, and to live with the consequences. It means we cannot spend our lives keeping all our options open.

To live as committed individuals is, in fact, to live life as costly ointment, poured out in love to others, poured out in worship to God.

Is it worth it?

To find out, we will have to relearn the meaning of words like “sacrifice.” And still harder: “self-sacrifice.” We will have to relearn the special pleasure of deference as compared to instant gratification. We will have to give up our quick-fix, magic-wand approaches to Christianity, and pay the price of entering into relationship with a God who created and redeemed us for fellowship with Himself. We will have to learn how to sometimes say a final and ultimate “No” as well as a meaningful, and even eternal, “Yes.” 

-- Maxine Hancock in “Re-Evaluating Your Commitments: How to Strengthen the Permanent and Reassess the Temporary”

#5432

AS I HAVE LOVED YOU

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  (John 1:14 NIV)

“Love one another” is philosophy -- good philosophy -- something every major religion advocates. But Jesus did not stop there. He added, “as I have loved you.” “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 NIV)

Word became flesh. A concept became concrete -- truth illustrated. Jesus’ example was both the source and confirmation of the message. The pattern is still the same -- the word must still become flesh in order to be understood.

-- Adapted from Steve Harper, reflecting on John 13:31-35 in “The Holy Gospel” April 28, 2013


#4778

COSTLY LOVE

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,…” (John 3:16a NIV)

Love is costly. To forgive in love costs us our sense of justice. To serve in love costs us time. To share in love costs us money. Every act of love costs us in some way, just as it cost God to love us. But we are to live a life of love just as Christ loves us and gave Himself for us at great cost to Himself.

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV)

-- Jerry Bridges


#4710