A Costly Decision

Committing to Christ is costly.

It’s a truth we don’t like talking about. We don’t want to discourage people from coming to Jesus. We don’t want to discourage each other from persevering.

And to be honest, the concept of costly discipleship often confuses people. After all, aren’t we saved by grace—God’s unearned favor?

Absolutely. Salvation is free. It’s a gift. We can’t and don’t earn it.

But to take that gift and hold onto it costs us something.

Think of it this way: In Jesus’s day, marriage engagements were sealed by a cup of wine shared by the couple. The man’s father poured the wine and passed the cup to his son, who drank from it and then offered it to the woman. In accepting the cup from him, the woman accepted the man’s offer of his life—his gift to her. But in the same act, she also committed her life to him.

Jesus offers us His life. When we accept that, we commit ours to Him.

He Himself didn’t shy away from declaring the cost of committing to Him. He called people to follow Him. But when people volunteered to do so, He warned them of the cost.

So what exactly does following Jesus cost? What does that translate to in everyday life? And why, in the end, is it worth it?

Here are some thoughts.

It costs us our ego.

Our pride is one of the first costs of following Jesus—and an ongoing one.

We turn to Christ in the first place because we realize our way of doing things isn’t working. That in itself is a significant blow to any conceit we possess. And to get help for our mess, we must throw ourselves on the mercy of Someone better and greater than we.

In repenting from sin, we admit we’ve done wrong. In seeking forgiveness, we confess we’re not as good as we’d like to believe. In asking Jesus to save us, we admit we can’t save ourselves. In letting Him change us, we acknowledge we can’t fix ourselves. In claiming Him as Lord of our lives, we concede that His way is better than ours.

Pride dies hard, often painfully, and often in stages. We end up having to lay it down again and again with each new challenge to trust and obey God.

But it’s a small price to pay. Because in exchange we gain a clearer perspective of who we are and who God is—and a greater closeness with the selfless, unpretentious God who humbled Himself for us.

It costs us our autonomy.

For the modern American, this is probably the hardest expense to swallow. We like controlling our own lives, keeping our connections loose and terminable, and depending on others as little as possible.

In Christ, we lose all those abilities.

First, when we commit to Jesus, we join ourselves with Him. His righteousness becomes our righteousness. His heavenly home becomes our heavenly home. His status as Son of God makes us children of God. His resurrection guarantees our resurrection. His character becomes the model into which ours is being molded.

Second, through Him we unite with each other. He brings everyone who’s joined with Him together into one unbreakable community, the Church. We become parts of a body of which He’s the head; stones in a building of which He’s the cornerstone. We’re called on to nourish each other spiritually, build up each other’s faith, meet each other’s needs, worship God together, and work together for God’s kingdom.

Finally, in choosing to follow Jesus, we cede our decision-making to Him. We overhaul our own moral and ethical code to align with His. We ask for and trust God’s wisdom over ours. We seek and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We acknowledge that our story is really part of God’s story, and we let Him write it while we play our part.

When we commit to Jesus, we commit to live with Him and by Him. Because that’s where redemption is.

It costs us our priorities.

We all have many commitments: family, friends, work, and more. And in many cases, the Bible calls us to honor them—to care for our families, honor our parents, show fidelity and sacrificial love to our spouse, support our friends, and strive for excellence in our work.

But in a priority conflict, Christ must come first.

If someone pressures us to do wrong, we must respectfully refuse. If an activity hinders us from God-sanctioned commitments, we must surrender it. If a relationship violates biblical standards, we must either bring it into line—if that’s possible—or let it go.

No matter how much it hurts us. No matter how much we love or want those things.

We must love and want Christ more.

Because at some point He will lead us through places we don’t want to go. And our only alternative to going with Him will be to stop following.

It costs us our possessions.

Our possessions include anything over which we have discretionary power: our money, assets, status, body, mind, time, energy, abilities.

When we think of giving God our possessions, we tend to imagine selling assets or giving to charity. And sometimes He does ask us to do that. Moreover, Christians in some places lose everything they own to persecution.

But giving God our possessions doesn’t always mean parting with them. At its core, it means putting everything we have under God’s control. We let Him guide how we use it. We follow the principles in His Word in how we manage it. We look to His values instead of ours. We accept what He gives—and what He takes.

He owns everything and knows what He’s doing with it. And He’s more valuable, sustaining, and enriching than all created things combined.

So, why is it worth it?

In sum, following Christ costs us everything.

Why should we give it?

Because life with Jesus is worth everything. Every last bit. Even when it hurts.

He’s our Creator—our Source of life, meaning, and purpose. To be near Him is to be where we belong. Life with Him, in all its hardness, is the most fulfilling life we could live. And when it’s over, we spend all eternity with Him and our Christian brothers and sisters in a renewed world free of sin, suffering, and death.

And at the heart of all this abundance is Someone worth committing to. Someone worth deferring to. Someone worth pursuing.

He is gentle and lowly in heart, dealing light burdens and easy yokes. (Matthew 11:28-30) He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth. (Psalm 86:15) He is good; His faithful love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1) He is holy, righteous, and just. He is sovereign and majestic, yet close to the humble. He knows everything, can do the impossible, transcends time and space, and possesses wisdom that’s beyond us. Yet He cares about and wants a personal relationship with each of us.

God the Father sent God the Son into the world to save sinners. Jesus suffered on the cross to atone for our sins, was buried, and rose to life on the third day afterward to conquer death. Forty days later, He ascended to heaven, where He intercedes and advocates for everyone who puts their hope in Him. One day He’ll return for us, His bride, and usher in God’s kingdom.

He’s the reason we can accept the cup of salvation. He paid for it—for us—with His life. And now He lives to offer life to us.

If you haven’t already accepted His gift, do so now! Believe what Jesus did for you through His death and resurrection. Confess your sins to God and repent of them. Ask His forgiveness. Ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life and Savior of your soul.

When life gets hard and the commitment gets costly, remember Whom you’re committed to. Remember His commitment to you.

Praise God for His faithful, sacrificial love. Lean into it—and keep going.

Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.’

Luke 9:23 CSB

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Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.