Luke 9:23-25_Cost of Discipleship

 Praise the LORD!!!

    The cost to follow JESUS is seldom thought about by many people. It sure isn't something that is taught in most churches, especially before a person gets saved! Why is this? Have any of you wondered about these two facts before?

    Luke 9: 23-25

      23 "Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"" 

   How many of you remember the person that introduced you to JESUS telling you about the above verses? Now even though I was brought to CHRIST through reading a book, it surely didn't mention these! Plus I've been in attendance in years worth of church sermons and plenty of other Christian activities and I've seldom ever heard these verses preached on. Especially in the context of witnessing to people's need of JESUS within their lives. Sure we'll hear that a person has to deny themselves and pickup their cross and follow JESUS after conversion, but never to my knowledge have I heard it before!

   Most likely for a good reason too. How many people do you think would want to pay the price required for something that they can't feel or touch. Something that they have to take totally by faith in the WORDS of the Bible or of another person and their experiences. Most of what we hear is, when it comes to the cost, is the great price that JESUS paid for each of us and that our cost is nothing. It's a free gift of grace, which it is, but it also comes at a great price in the long run. For we must be totally willing to surrender our lives, wills and aspirations, in order to follow JESUS fully and in the manor that HE truly requires. Now I call that a pretty sizable cost in the end.

    The fact of it is though, that this cost is far outweighed by two factors. The cost that JESUS paid for us and the fact that our salvation and an eternity in heaven both make the price of forsaking all look like pocket change. Even if someone had heralded me into following JESUS by telling me the true cost of it all, I'd of still followed HIM as I am these days. Now it may of taken a little more work on HIS part to of brought me to this point, but I truly believe I'd of given HIM my life just like I did. When I think about it, there really wasn't much more HE'd of needed to of done to me. For at the time of my conversion all I could see of what my life had been and was looking like for the future wasn't very good at all. If you don't know my story, I was one of those that was totally broken. I had a crushed and contrite heart and I could see nothing of a future worth living.

   I'm sure there are Christians out there that didn't come to know JESUS in this kind of conditions and if they'd of been preached our verses for today before hand, I doubt if they'd of made the choice to become a Christian. I truly do. This could have a large part to do with the fact that there are so many Christians that are weak and back slid-den these days. Part of the reason why so many are falling away when life gets a little rougher then they think it should be. This kind of brings me to a dellemia. Then again no it doesn't, because there is no falsehood found in JESUS and anyone that truly preaches the GOSPEL should preach it in truth and nothing but the truth. It may put a big dent in my conversion numbers, but one thing I will know, is that I didn't misrepresent my LORD and SAVIOR in the least. I didn't lie or sugar coat the truth, I give people the unadulterated truth and nothing but. To me it isn't about numbers anyway, its about bringing another person into a personal relationship with the LORD. A LORD that has turned my life around for the better. Has turned me into a totally different person then I was or ever could of became in the manor I was going. This is the GOSPEL that I preach and the only one that I will ever!!!    


Other writings by Rev. Barth, "Blogs from the Vine"
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GOD bless and good day,

Rev. Marshall Barth

Vine of CHRIST Ministries

Vine Ministerial Network International