The Cost of a Christian Life

What is the cost of a Christian life? What does it look like to follow the Lord Jesus? Even within the Christian church today, there are different views of what a Christian life should consist of. What God demands from His followers, according to "Christians" today, could simply mean trying to live a good life. According to others, it could cost everything. Jesus shares the cost in passages like Luke 14:25-33, where He explains that being a disciple of His demands denying oneself, and being willing to give up anything for the sake of the Kingdom.

   

        This question is vital, and the way you answer could be the difference between eternal life and eternal separation from God. There are far too many people around who claim to be Christ's but never spend time in God's Word, pray to the Lord, preach, teach, exhort, or believe in the mission of Christ. Despite all of that, the person still believes they are saved, and they can simultaneously live an unrepentant lifestyle. People who fit that description seem to understand that the title of Christian is simply an insurance plan for the afterlife. This type of "salvation" is not found anywhere in scripture and is no salvation at all. If this is you, I pray you examine yourself and connect with the Lord, His Church, and most of all, repent and believe the true gospel.

        Christ taught that persecution was present and emphasized the possibility of death for His followers. Luke 14:27, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.". Here, Jesus Christ warns that you must take up your cross, which is a torture device, in order to be his disciple. Remember, in that verse Christ had not yet been crucified, so this statement to his followers at that time may have been puzzling. Nonetheless, I'm certain they understood that they must deny themselves in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. As previously mentioned, not only was that a warning to the disciples, but Jesus Himself was crucified. John 15:18,19 emphasizes the hatred that Christians will receive from the lost world, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." Christ was never hesitant to remind those around Him of the cost of being His disciple.

        Acts 6-7 tells of a young Christian man named Stephen. Stephen, who had previously been doing great wonders and signs, was falsely accused of blaspheming God and Moses by the people of the synagogue. The Jews then set up false witnesses against Stephen and questioned him before the high priest. When challenged, Stephen delivers a discourse on the history of the Jews and their standing before the Lord. Highlighting their covetous, stubborn, and idolatrous hearts. Then Stephen reminds them that they are a stiff-necked people who always resist the Holy Spirit. The Jews who are full of pride can't bear to hear anymore, pick up stones, and martyr Stephen. Before he died, instead of being full of hate, he prayed to the Lord and asked God to not hold the sin of the Jews against them. The martyrdom of Stephen highlights the importance of not compromising the truth of the Gospel and never sugarcoating the truth for the sake of self-preservation, as well as the cost of being a true disciple, as Jesus warned prior.

        Charlie Kirk paid the price recently, and due to the Internet and social media, it was seen by millions within seconds. Charlie didn't shy away from proclaiming the truth; instead, he acted as those that have gone before him had. In the present day, we still see warriors of the faith being slaughtered for their belief in Christ. Charlie was brutally murdered on a college campus in Utah. He left behind a beautiful family and likely a future presidency. Instead, a selfish, hateful, close-minded, and apathetic coward, Tyler Robinson, robbed Charlie of his future endeavors. However, we know this truth in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep." We do not grieve as the world grieves, as if we don't have hope. However, we can rest assured that we will see our brother in Christ once again, and that Charlie Kirk is more alive today with our Father in heaven than he ever was here. He is where tears and sorrows have no existence, but where only perfect peace and joy are present. The Lord is there to comfort our brother as well as martyrs before him.

        The demonic behavior on display by unbelievers has shown its ugly head this week as people lack the ability to sympathize with one of the most tragic events that can happen, that being the loss of human life. We must remember Ephesians 6:12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." We contend against demonic powers that have been against the Kingdom of the Lord since Genesis. It's not the people, but the powers that control the people. The Lord reminds us in scripture that this Christian life will be full of hardships, denial of self, and suffering. We must remember that it is worth it and Jesus will always be worth it.

        There's a war waging. The difference is that until now, those of us who reside in the United States have been somewhat sheltered from the reality of persecution of the Christian Church. Realistically, since the beginning of time, to the time of Christ, and even today, the spiritual war goes on, and will continue until our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ comes back to put an end to this turbulent, violent, and evil world. As cited in the previous paragraphs, the Kingdom of God doesn't always advance through praying for your neighbor and performing acts of kindness. Sometimes the Lord demands it all from us. The advancement of the gospel has been increased by the blood of martyrs who will not compromise the truth and will forfeit their lives for the glory of the Lord our God. Tertullian once said, "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church", which we know that Christ's blood is what the church is built upon; nonetheless, I believe Tertullian emphasizes the necessity of those who are willing to lay down their lives for the sake of the gospel.

        The question remains: are you willing to pay the cost? The price may seem steep to us in our earthly understanding. Denying our fleshly desires and following Christ unto the point of death definitely isn't easy. However, being rooted in the truth and having the Lord with you through every trial we encounter is invaluable. Eternal life with the Lord God is the prize. Now, not everyone will give up their selfish ambition and bow before the Lord here on earth, but if you are one of the people the Lord has called, and your eyes have been opened to the Kingdom, then you will see the cost is well worth the prize, and will subsequently inherit the most precious reward that has ever been revealed to man.