The Cost of Following Jesus
Hi Everyone,
I want to share a vision that the Lord gave me a few days ago. It has to do with being a follower of Christ, and what it might cost us. We know that the Lord’s disciples gave up their lives to follow him. They were martyred for their testimony of Jesus and for the sake of the gospel. And throughout history, and around the world people die for their faith. Persecution is not uncommon; it is very serious and everyone who is committed to following the Lord will experience trouble and hardship. Here in America, we have it to a much lesser degree than those who suffer for their faith in other parts of the world. But everyone will experience persecution to some degree simply by not conforming to the traditions and values of the existing culture. Jesus warned his disciples saying:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
The Vision
The Entrance/Exit
In this vision, I was on a two lane road, lined with trees on both sides. The road was familiar to me, for it looked like a road in New Jersey that was in a forested area but did not have much of a shoulder. The road and the surrounding ground was level. But in the vision, there was a drive way on the right, fairly wide with a single tree in the center of the drive’s entrance. The tree acted as a median to separate the drive, creating an entrance and an exit. However, there was a huge drop-off only about 15-20 feet from the road. The drop-off amounted to a 6 foot drop. If one thought of turning off the road, for some reason, and did not see the immediate drop-off, the car would most certainly take a nose dive and potentially kill the driver and his passengers.
In the vision, there were no fences, and no posted signs, no concrete barriers posts, or sand filled drums that might stop a vehicle from crashing. This was a road that just suddenly stopped.
Years ago, about 50 miles north of the Chicago area, there was a road that went nowhere. It started in one direction, went a mile or two and suddenly ended. It was never finished. They must have run out of money, or perhaps the motive to construct the road had changed. I never knew why.
This vision reminds me of a teaching of Jesus to count the cost of following him. His opening statement may seem shocking, but the truth is the truth:
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’
Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.
In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:25-33
In the vision, the entrance had been constructed, but was not finished. By leaving the work unfinished, the road, it became a hazard.
When we begin our walk with the Lord, it can seem all beautiful and wonderful, for we are happy that the Lord has given us new life in him. He has forgiven our sins and all we want to do is pray and spend time in his presence. Because of our joy, we begin to share our new found love for Jesus with others. But it is not long before we find that there are those who have no interest in God whatsoever, and are actually offended by us speaking about him. We suddenly have nothing in common. We are ridiculed, ostracized, and slandered.
In some places around the world, they suffer much greater hardship: losing their jobs, and their homes. Some are incarcerated, and some are murdered. We need to keep our brothers and sisters in prayer, for they are paying a heavy price for their faith.
We also must to count the cost to be the Lord’s disciple. Jesus spoke to said He said in the passage I previously quoted:
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:25-27
Persecution comes to all believers. Even my son who was only about 5 or 6 years old at the time, knew God’s word, and his holiness. When my husband and my older son were watching something on TV that was very questionable, my little guy told them flat out that Jesus wouldn’t approve of them watching that show. Both my husband and my older son rebuked him for correcting them. My son was taken aback, and felt dishonored for doing what he thought was right. The word tells us:
“Fathers do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4
The Holy Spirit was operating in my young son, but my husband and older son were not in the Lord, and so could not take correction. It is not easy to raise your children to take a stand for the Lord, and then when they do, they are not supported by their own families. It should not be surprising that Jesus said that our own families would become our enemies:
Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:51-53
What I have also found is that even among believers, there is division. Not just because of jealousy in ministry, but also because of doctrine.
There are many different churches and each holds certain distinguishing beliefs that separate them from other denominations. Beliefs in baptism and how it relates to salvation can be a point of contention. Beliefs in sovereign election and freewill can cause people to divide. Differences in eschatological views can cause some to be labeled as heretics and asked to leave their churches. There are differences that seem minor to some, but great causes of division for others.
People want to be free to share their faith, but it is not easy when you get nothing but push-back. Persecution, genuine persecution to the point of death, has caught the attention of the church with Charlie Kirk’s death for his faith.
The American church has been for the most part, rather complacent. People go to church out of duty, or for social connections, and their love of God has been lukewarm. But I believe that we are awakening from complacency. I hope that Charlie Kirk’s death will be the seed that dies in the ground and produces a revival that will bring in a great harvest.
Jesus spoke of himself as a seed that falls to the ground and dies and produces bountifully:
But Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:23-25
Charlie Kirk was truly a follower of Christ:
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Revelation 12:11
So we pray as Jesus asked his disciples to pray:
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:36-38
If we live for God, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and “love not our lives even unto death,” then we will live as true disciples of Jesus. For he said:
“And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:27
On another occasion, Jesus was met with those who asked to follow him. But Jesus knew their hearts and where they would become discouraged and turn back.
And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Matthew 8:19-20
This scribe was probably used to creature comforts like a bed and meals prepared on time. The Lord knew that it would not take much before the inconveniences of a homeless life would cause him to turn back and no longer follow him.
Another of His disciples requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:19-22
I believe that this man was waiting for a convenient time. Perhaps he wanted to guarantee his inheritance upon his father’s death, before setting out to follow Jesus. Jesus’ reply to him was truly a revelation, that those who are spiritually dead, are dead already. Jesus was offering him life–eternal life by following him.
We don’t know what was the outcome of these two men. Did they change their minds and follow God? Or did they see that Jesus read them like a book, and they turned to leave.
There is another example of weighing the cost of following Jesus. In this short exchange, we see the rich young ruler and what he valued most.
Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
So He said to him,“Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He said to Him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:16-22
He valued his possessions more than following Jesus. He was aware of the teachings of Moses and the Pharisees who taught the law, and believed that by keeping the law he would have salvation. the young man wanted Jesus to merely confirm what he believed already. But Jesus does not want someone that keeps score, he wants his heart to be surrendered to him, not trying to keep the law, because no one can keep the law. It is impossible to do.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Galatians 3:10-12
This passage reveals the mindset and the heart of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day:
You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.
I do not accept glory from men, but I know you, that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you have not received Me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” John 5:39-47
And those who had been with Jesus a long time were shaken by what Jesus said about being “the bread of life.” It was too hard for them to believe. They could not understand the spiritual concepts that he taught, so they left and no longer followed him.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) John 6:35-71
There are many teachings in the New Testament that are hard to understand. And many teachings that have come to us as traditions that are not supported by scripture. It is our obligation to study for ourselves and cling to what is true. Truth is found in scripture as it was originally intended to mean. Truth is not necessarily in the pulpits. Often men teach what they learned from others, or learned from the teachings agreeable to their denomination. When the Bible is in conflict with the teachings of man, we need to study for ourselves. It is the Holy Spirit that gives discernment and confirms and establishes truth as it was originally intended.
It is good to have several different translations and keep a ”literal translation” to compare. The literal translations like Young’s Literal Translation maintains the sentence structure, word order, tense and as close as possible to the actual meaning of each word. Some translations, like the NIV, are not word for word but are phrase for phrase translations. They have on occasion put their “spin” on it, by word choice, and adding words that are not there in the original manuscripts. What bothers me most about the NIV is the corruption of the English language by using “inclusive language” where there is no longer subject and verb agreement. In their attempt to take away male gender pronouns they substitute gender neutral pronouns in the plural which no longer agree with the verb. It is noticeably wrong and we see the motive of the underlying distortion of the word. The ESV is a better English translation, for it is a word for word translation and is more readable than Young’s Literal Translation.
Please begin a serious study of the word of God for yourselves. We certainly do not want to be misled by every wind of doctrine.
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1
“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8
“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.” 2 John 1:10
Can you hear the voice of warning in these passages? The truth is important. People have died at the stake for God’s truth. Please don’t take this lightly. Know what you believe and know him who died for you!
God bless you, and please share this important post.
