Leaving All for Christ

What will it cost you to become a Christian? The answer is nothing at all. "Salvation is free to all who trust in Christ as Lord and Savior." Jesus extends an invitation saying, "Come for everything is ready, now." (Luke 14:17). In Isaiah 55 we read, "Ho! Every one who thirsts, COME to the waters; And you who have no money COME, buy and eat. COME, buy wine and milk WITHOUT MONEY AND WITHOUT COST. . . . {6} Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. {7} Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." Salvation has been paid for by Christ with His blood and life. Therefore salvation is free to believing sinners.

"What will it cost you to become a Christian?" The answer is nothing. It is however, a different question that concerns us this day. "What does it cost to be a disciple of Christ?" "What does it cost to follow the Savior in accord with the scriptures?" The answer to this question is the focus of our study today. We begin in Luke 9:57-62 NASB.

I will follow you says one! Jesus replies, "The foxes have holes, the birds have nests, but I have no home, no place to sleep at night. No place to protect me from the sun, rain, cold or heat. I want you to understand this before you commit to follow Me. The life of a Christian can be very, very hard. Are you ready for this," asks our Lord?

Jesus says to another, "Follow Me". The man replies, "I will BUT first I must go and bury my Father." "Let the dead bury the dead," says Jesus, "You go and preach the Kingdom of God!" The man said, "I will, BUT." But what? But there are things more important in my life right now than doing what Jesus asks me to do. Christ’s answer, "Let the dead bury the dead," is very instructive. He is saying, "Let the spiritually dead tend to the things of this life, you go and do the work of the Kingdom. Go and preach the truth about Me. Begin to occupy yourself with eternal things, not temporal ones. There are plenty of people to take care of the physical things on this earth, you come with Me, now."

It appears that Jesus was actually calling this man to a preaching ministry away from his home. It required that he leave NOW while trusting God to take care of his family. Was he willing to pay what it cost to follow Jesus? The context leaves us with the impression that he was not. He had not considered what it might cost to be a disciple of Christ before he said, "I will," and when tested he failed.

Most Christians are not called away from their homes and families. However, every professor of faith in Christ must answer the question, "Am I willing to follow Jesus whatever the cost?" "Am I willing to do whatever He asks?" "Am I ready to bear my cross whatever that may be?" Understand, our Lord is not counseling us to dishonor our parents. He is simply saying that those He saves must be devoted to His service without reservation. Jesus is, and must be, the first priority in the Christian’s life.

The next person declares, "I will follow you Lord, BUT FIRST, permit me to say good-bye to those at home." To this Christ answers, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." This seems like a harsh response to a simple request. However, we must understand that Jesus is able to see what we cannot. As God, He sees a divided heart, a divided loyalty, a man torn between one love and another. This person is looking forward to serving Christ but he is looking backward at his old life as well. He wants to save that old life and have his new one also, but it cannot be done.

To become a Christian is to become a disciple of Christ. The two cannot be separated. A Christian is a person who, having believed in Christ for salvation, follows Him for life. This is what it means to be a disciple. To say you will follow Him is to include no ifs, ands, buts, or wait-a-minutes. It is to set your face, NOW AND FOREVER, toward Him who is the light. It is to open the Bible and read it as the very word of God. It is to respond to that word in obedience whether the world likes it or not. It is to walk with Him day to day even if it means walking alone. Even if it means you leave the people you love behind. Lord willing, they will come with you or at least they wont get in your way. But regardless of the response of the people in your acquaintance and in your family you must march on! You must follow Jesus! For no man, no woman, no child who has made profession of faith in Christ and turns again to the things of the world is fit for the kingdom of God. Why? The answer is simple, such a person is not saved. For all those born again by the power of the Holy Spirit follow Jesus for life regardless of the price they must pay. Yes, salvation is free but following Jesus may cost you everything you once held dear.

The modern evangelist tells his listeners that if they believe in Jesus their troubles will be over. They are told they need not expect a change to occur in their lives. He says that people can actually be saved without submitting to Christ as Lord and commander of their lives. How differently Jesus speaks when dealing with men about their souls. He was not concerned with notches on His evangelistic gun but with truth, integrity and with producing genuine disciples. This is why He says to people who offer excuses, as to why they cannot follow Him, "Forget it, you cannot be my disciple." "You cannot be a Christian with one eye on the world and one eye on Me, it just doesn’t work that way." Jesus will have first place in your life or He will not be your Savior at all.

We find our Lord teaching this same truth again in Luke 14:25-35 NASB which is our next stop in Luke’s gospel.

"Now great multitudes were going along with Him; (Many of them, no doubt, were saying they would like to become His Disciples.), and He turned and said to them, {26} "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate, (does not prefer Me over), his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. (In other words, Jesus says, "I’ll take second place to no one, not even your nearest and dearest relatives.") {27} "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

Jesus offers yet another illustration to help make His point.) {30}. . . Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? {32} "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace."

The main point here is the same. A wise man considers all the facts carefully before making a decision on his course of action. Let’s imagine that the unbeliever is the king with ten thousand men. Now let’s also imagine that the other king, with twenty thousand men, is the Devil and his demons. Immediately we understand that, "Unless a miracle takes place, the sinner has no hope." What a great army this is that comes against the unbeliever. The devil and his demons are evil, tyrannical, powerful and invisible. How will a man defend himself against this evil prince and his wicked army? The answer is, he cannot defend himself successfully. He cannot fight the enemy of his soul and win. He can only submit to the evil kings terms of peace. What are this kings terms of peace? Why it is total surrender. But what has he accomplished when he surrenders to the devil? He has accomplished nothing good. The evil king will still carry the man’s souls off to hell. Such a person’s only hope, ladies and gentlemen, is to surrender completely to another king, King Jesus. His only hope is to believe that Jesus is the only Savior of sinners from the evils of the Prince of the Power of the air. Having trusted in King Jesus this person will walk by faith clothed in the armor of God safe from all harm. Only this will protect him from the fiery darts of the devil. By faith in Christ, clothed with God’s armor, the believing sinner walks in paths of righteousness for the glory of God and of His Christ. The Christian must surrender to and obey King Jesus for life whatever the cost might be. This is the only safe course of action. Consider the cost and pay the price of total surrender.

Let’s change the characters in the parable just a bit. The king with ten thousand men remains the sinner but now consider that the opposing king might be God. Again the odds are impossible. If God is against you who or what will deliver you? Fight all you will. Plan and take counsel with the rest of God’s enemies and see how far you get. In the end the great King will cast your eternal soul into an everlasting hell. Would you not be wise to ask this great King what His terms of peace might be? Would you not be wise to do so now before His wrath comes upon you? His terms of peace, dear friend, are total surrender. You must raise the white flag of faith and repentance. You must bow before God and His Christ ready and willing to give up everything you are and own and love. Jesus, of course, says it better than I can. {33} "SO THEREFORE, NO ONE OF YOU CAN BE MY DISCIPLE WHO DOES NOT GIVE UP ALL HIS OWN POSSESSIONS." What will you have gained by giving up all for God and His Christ? Eternal life, peace of mind, and heaven forever, just to mention a few of the benefits that come with total surrender to God and His Christ. Yes, salvation is free, beloved, but following Christ will cost you a great deal. Consider our Lord’s words in another place.

(Matthew 10:34-39 NASB) {34} "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (division) {35} "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; {36} and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. (When a person is saved and begins living for the Lord those close to him may very well become his enemies. They may oppose him with such intensity that he will have to choose between his family and God. Jesus issues this warning.) {37} "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. {38} "And he who does not take his cross (He speaks of the pain and heartache that would be experienced in making such a decision.) and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. {39} "He who has found his life (the person who decides that he must keep his life just like it is) shall lose it, and he who has lost his life (given up everything) for My sake shall find it." Such a person is a true believer in Jesus and will, by grace through faith in Him, have eternal life.

Returning to Luke chapter fourteen and verse thirty four we read our Lord’s concluding words. {34} "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? (You can’t fix salt that is not salty.) {35} "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Have you ever come across salt that has lost its saltiness? Think about it, REAL SALT DOESN’T LOSE ITS SALTINESS, but if it did it would be of no use to anyone for anything. It would simply be tossed out. The Christian is described by God as the salt of the earth. In other words he seasons or flavors the world around him with truth and light. By the Holy Spirit within him he is an anti-corruption agent, a preservative in the world. As the Christian lives a godly life, works in a godly manner, and makes choices based on truth, he seasons and preserves society so that it is not as bad as it could be. The Christian does not get less salty with time but more so. He does not get less Christlike with time but more so. The real Christian follows Christ faithfully to his death. He has calculated the cost of discipleship and, by grace, will pay the price whatever that may be. The Christian has laid the foundation which is Christ the Lord. He has built on that foundation with the material of faith, dependance, obedience and perseverance in holiness. This person is and remains the salt of the earth.

The hypocrite, however, loses his saltiness because his profession was imitation in the first place. The Christlikeness that appeared to be there sprang from human effort, not the grace of God. It is always like this. Self imposed religion, imitation saltiness, soon loses its flavor. Why? Because it wasn’t real in the first place. REAL SALT NEVER LOSES ITS SALTINESS. Real Christians never quit following Jesus. They may and will have their days and months of weakness and stumbling but they will never quit following Jesus. They have considered the cost and by grace are willing to pay the price.

Let’s take the parable of the Sower for our last text.

Now let’s hear the explanation of the parable. (Matthew 13:18-23 NASB) "Hear then the parable of the sower. {19} "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, (the Gospel) and does not understand it, the evil one (the devil) comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. {20} "And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy; (He may say, "Yes I believe in Jesus and I want to be His disciple.) {21} yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, (here is the cross Christ speaks of) immediately he falls away. (He could not pay the price necessary to follow our Lord. The cross was too heavy for him to carry.) {22} "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (Jesus was not the first priority in this man’s life. Therefore he could not be Christ’s disciple.) {23} "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." The fruit of salvation is obedience to the word of God. It is faithfulness. It is discipleship that never ends. Such discipleship is proof that one has been born again. However, the cost of such discipleship may be very high. Do you love Jesus enough to leave all things and all persons behind if necessary? If not, you cannot be His disciple and you will not enter His heaven.