Recently I was writing a paper for Spanish class about Lottie Moon. While researching I came across a quote by her that said, “How many there are who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God.”
The quote was so good that I read it 3 or 30 more times, letting it linger in my mind and permeate the depths of my understanding. This isn’t just some vacuous statement, a cute little Christian catch phrase, but this is real. Yes, salvation is a gift, a gift that we could never repay, but discipleship costs. It costs us our lives.
How many there are who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing…
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple...So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” ~Luke 14:26,33
Do I think Jesus literally means “hate”?
No, I don’t, because He also says that we are supposed to love one another as He has loved us. I think that by hate He means that He must be the center of everything in our lives. We must desire Him and love Him so much that it looks like we hate our families and our lives in comparison. We must value obedience to God above everything else.
Much easier said than done.
“For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.” ~1 Corinthians 7:21
We are no longer a slave to our sin, but we are a slave to righteousness. We are forever in debt to Him who paid the debt. A slave, a bondservant of Christ. Slave. That’s a heavy word. But, the price Jesus paid was heavy too. Jesus paid it ALL. He didn’t pay part of the check and tell us we have to figure out how to pay the rest. No. He paid it ALL. So, He deserves way more than just pieces of us and our lives. He paid the check in FULL, so He deserves the BLANK CHECK of our lives.
“Oh hey Jesus, I know you died for me and everything, but I’m going to keep all of my money, because I really need it, you can have the rest of my life though.”
“Hey Jesus, I know you said “everything”, but I have friends and I don’t want them to hate me, so can I just give you ten dollars in the offering and call it even?”
“Oh hey Jesus, I kind of forgot you were there. I know you said bear my cross and follow, but that sounds scary. So, I’m just going to go to church and worship in songs, but not with my life.”
This brings me to ask the question, “Is Jesus truly enough for you?” If He was all you had left...would He be enough?
Believe me, I know that’s a lot. It’s something that even to this very moment I’m learning. He is pulling things out of me that I don’t want to give. At one point, I had even convinced myself that I was “surrendering”, so that I wouldn’t have to give up that which would hurt. But, each step I take closer to Him, traversing the trail before me, I am realizing that He is proving to be all that He says He is.
Forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God.
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.” ~1 Peter 2:21
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation…” ~1 Corinthians 5:18
He has GIVEN us the ministry of the Gospel to spread to ALL.
“For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting . For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am STILL ENTRUSTED WITH A STEWARDSHIP.”
When Jesus left we were entrusted with the stewardship of the Gospel. It is our duty as bondservants of Jesus. Whether we accept the ministry or not, it has been given to us.
~~Oh, and before your selfishness gets in the way saying, “Well, I don’t owe Him anything. This is my life, I can do what I want.” Remember that you deserve to be damned to hell, but He saved you. You signed your life over to Him when you repented of your sins and accepted Him in faith. The life you live is no longer to yourself but to Christ Jesus. ~~
P.S. This is not a post to say, everybody sell everything and move to China and start making disciples! I do believe that some people are called to stay at home, but this is more a post get you to shake off the facade of the perfect American Christian life, and truly ask yourself if you are following Him. If He told you to give up the life you had now, would you give it up?
The quote was so good that I read it 3 or 30 more times, letting it linger in my mind and permeate the depths of my understanding. This isn’t just some vacuous statement, a cute little Christian catch phrase, but this is real. Yes, salvation is a gift, a gift that we could never repay, but discipleship costs. It costs us our lives.
How many there are who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing…
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple...So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” ~Luke 14:26,33
Do I think Jesus literally means “hate”?
No, I don’t, because He also says that we are supposed to love one another as He has loved us. I think that by hate He means that He must be the center of everything in our lives. We must desire Him and love Him so much that it looks like we hate our families and our lives in comparison. We must value obedience to God above everything else.
Much easier said than done.
“For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.” ~1 Corinthians 7:21
We are no longer a slave to our sin, but we are a slave to righteousness. We are forever in debt to Him who paid the debt. A slave, a bondservant of Christ. Slave. That’s a heavy word. But, the price Jesus paid was heavy too. Jesus paid it ALL. He didn’t pay part of the check and tell us we have to figure out how to pay the rest. No. He paid it ALL. So, He deserves way more than just pieces of us and our lives. He paid the check in FULL, so He deserves the BLANK CHECK of our lives.
“Oh hey Jesus, I know you died for me and everything, but I’m going to keep all of my money, because I really need it, you can have the rest of my life though.”
“Hey Jesus, I know you said “everything”, but I have friends and I don’t want them to hate me, so can I just give you ten dollars in the offering and call it even?”
“Oh hey Jesus, I kind of forgot you were there. I know you said bear my cross and follow, but that sounds scary. So, I’m just going to go to church and worship in songs, but not with my life.”
This brings me to ask the question, “Is Jesus truly enough for you?” If He was all you had left...would He be enough?
Believe me, I know that’s a lot. It’s something that even to this very moment I’m learning. He is pulling things out of me that I don’t want to give. At one point, I had even convinced myself that I was “surrendering”, so that I wouldn’t have to give up that which would hurt. But, each step I take closer to Him, traversing the trail before me, I am realizing that He is proving to be all that He says He is.
Forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God.
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.” ~1 Peter 2:21
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation…” ~1 Corinthians 5:18
He has GIVEN us the ministry of the Gospel to spread to ALL.
“For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting . For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am STILL ENTRUSTED WITH A STEWARDSHIP.”
When Jesus left we were entrusted with the stewardship of the Gospel. It is our duty as bondservants of Jesus. Whether we accept the ministry or not, it has been given to us.
~~Oh, and before your selfishness gets in the way saying, “Well, I don’t owe Him anything. This is my life, I can do what I want.” Remember that you deserve to be damned to hell, but He saved you. You signed your life over to Him when you repented of your sins and accepted Him in faith. The life you live is no longer to yourself but to Christ Jesus. ~~
P.S. This is not a post to say, everybody sell everything and move to China and start making disciples! I do believe that some people are called to stay at home, but this is more a post get you to shake off the facade of the perfect American Christian life, and truly ask yourself if you are following Him. If He told you to give up the life you had now, would you give it up?