The Cost of Being Disciple and Follower of Jesus Christ!

‘The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”’ – Mark 10:24-31 NIV

Most of us would feel they need to go to church and pray, especially when something is wrong or situation does not go right, and we immediately turn back from God and go in our own way. This is because we think God is our magical genie. However, God does not work like this and He is not a magical genie. The main reason why He wants us to come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28-30) is that He wants to save us—not only physically but spiritually as well—due to the fact that all of us have sinned by turning away from God. This is exact reason why Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross (Romans 3:21-26), so that we may have eternal life in Him (Hebrews 2:14-15). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) The main reason why God wants to save us is that all of us have been created by God to be His image and He wants to restore of everything back to normal, such as bringing us back to Garden of Eden, the eternal kingdom of heaven (Genesis 1:26-31).

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)

Therefore, all of us do not have to live successful life physically, in order to please God or earn salvation from Him. To live our eternal lives in Jesus Christ is exact opposite way, and by believing in Him, we have to good work for the sake of His kingdom (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:3-8). In fact, Jesus Christ wants us to lose everything for the sake of Him and His Gospel and Matthew 5:3 states, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The main reason for this is that if we lose everything, then we might become more dependent on Him like little children (Matthew 19:14). For this reason, Mark 10:29-30 and Luke 14:26-27 explain to us that we have to love everything less than Jesus Christ and His Gospel if we want eternal life in Him. This is the reason why Jesus declares, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38) Overall, if we feel that the Holy Spirit is leading us to do things for Jesus’ sake, we have to do those things to glorify Him, regardless of any situations and circumstances even though it is difficult and hard (Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:24-27). “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17) This is why Jesus urges, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

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. (Luke 14:28-33)