The Cost!

The Cost!

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. Luke 9:23‭-‬24 KJV

Jesus speaks here to his disciples, men who had made a choice to follow Him. He didn't force any of them to follow Him, but for all who did, there were terms and conditions attached to the decision. As it was in the days of the first disciples of Jesus, so is it in our own days. As long as it is the same Master and Leader, and as long as I desire the same impact and end as the first disciples, I must align with the terms and conditions attached to the call of God upon my life. I cannot choose how to live; the process, practices, principles and procedures are all laid out by the Lord and Master who calls us. God is like a benevolent dictator; He gives us the power to choose to submit to His authority. He lays out very clearly the rules of engagement and asks me to learn, know and follow them.

I can choose to submit, or decide not to, but because He is Lord, one day, either by free choice or compulsion, I will bow the knee before Him. I must do so now freely, and enjoy the earthly and eternal benefits of His kingdom. This truth is laid out very clearly in today's extract. First, the power of choice: IF ANY MAN. It is all about the power of freewill. It is given to all men, and all men will account for how the power was exercised. The decision is to COME AFTER ME, DENY HIMSELF, TAKE UP THE CROSS and FOLLOW ME. Did you notice that the word OR is not included at all in the passage above? You can't pick and choose the parts you are comfortable with or the bits that suit the direction you want to travel in. Every bit of the instructions above give the complete picture of what God desires for all who will follow Him. 

Time and space may not permit a breakdown of each part, but what is obvious is that to follow Jesus, it really must take you out of your comfort zone. All that made you tick in the past must now be brought under the control and influence of your new master. Denying myself means that whatever it is I want to do is subject to the will of the master, not what I want. I must take up my cross; not that of any other person. It is an individual walk with God; others too will have their cross, and as we walk together, in line with God's will, we will impact the world we have been placed in. It is not what I do only on Sundays, but daily. It cannot be a yearly affair, done at Christmas, but daily. I cannot do all the above and then miss the final piece, which is to Follow Jesus. All the above is the complete package.

The final bit is a sober reflection on what is really important. Don't go looking for schemes that can guarantee you safety and a long life. How can mortal man give you immortality? How can that which can be killed be used to secure your own life? If I will truly live, and enjoy all that God intends, I must spend my life for the One who is able to secure it, both down here and for all of eternity. Schemes won't work and mere labour is not sufficient. I have to depend on the One who calls, and is able to sustain that which he has ordained. I must just focus on spending my life for the One who can make it worthwhile. If I do, I am assured of eternal life. It has to be for His sake, not mine. It has to be spent for his purpose, not mine. God's time of favour is here.