Part 1 of 3: The Costs of Following Jesus
This is part one of a three part series. This series will focus on the costs of following Jesus, the benefits of faith in Jesus, and the costs of not placing your faith in Jesus.
There's a popular misconception about Christianity, both in some cultural Christian circles and secular viewpoints, that incorrectly assume that the Christian life is comfortable or easy. This view states or assumes that accepting Christ leads to health, wealth, prosperity, or a comfortable life. However, the call to follow Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Following Jesus is like swimming upstream when the rest of the world is happy to go with the current. Though going with the current may seem easy in the moment, its end leads to destruction. It takes courage, faith, humility, selflessness, discipline, commitment, boldness, strength, and endurance to live a life committed to Jesus.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a pastor in Nazi Germany who directly opposed Hitler and the Nazis because of his Christian convictions. He was arrested, imprisoned, sent to multiple concentration camps, and the Nazis ultimately hanged him just months before the war ended. Bonhoeffer wrote the book The Cost of Discipleship in the mid-1930s as Nazi Germany gained power and influence. In this book, he wrote, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." In Bonhoeffer's case, he did just that; he gave his life as he courageously and faithfully took a stand against the greatest evils and atrocities the world has known as Nazis mercilessly massacred Jews by the millions.
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
What does it cost to follow Jesus? How serious is that call? And if it is so costly, why would anyone want to follow Jesus? In this article, the focus will be on the costs of following Jesus. First, let's look at what Jesus has to say on the matter.
Count the Cost
"Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish." Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.'" -Luke 14:25-33
Reprioritized Loves
People
“We have to put Christ first; we have to love Him more than the others.”
Jesus begins this passage with a bang. He starts shockingly by saying that His followers must hate his family and even himself, otherwise he can't be a follower of Jesus. Is Jesus here telling Christians to hate their families and themselves? No, instead, he is describing how great a Christian's love for Jesus must be. The Christian's love for Jesus must be so great that in comparison to the love of his family, his familial love would look like hate. John Ritenbaugh summarizes it like this: "The word 'hate' is not an absolute term but a relative one. He is establishing a comparison: 'You have to love Me more than mother, father, wife, children, brother, sister.' We have to put Christ first; we have to love Him more than the others." What Jesus is telling us is that we have to reprioritize our loves. Our love for anyone else can't compete with what Jesus did for us. This is clear when we see our souls' depravity and sickness, the seriousness of our wicked sinfulness against a holy, perfect God, and the price Jesus paid to ransom us from sin and death into everlasting life with God. Whoever we loved before we trusted in Jesus has nothing on Jesus. Is there anyone that has your affections or your heart more than they ought to? Are you making an idol out of your desire for a significant other? Are you in an unhealthy, sinful relationship that is separating you from God? If there is, take it to God and repent of it.
Possessions
“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
Materialism is a problem that consumes the western world. People say they need to have the latest gadgets and gizmos, rather than internally defining that desire as merely a want. The problem of "keeping up with the Joneses" and the proverbial rat race is a real pressure and temptation in our society. In Luke 14:33, Jesus says, "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." If you want to follow Jesus, possessions can not be something that you value more than Christ's call. Jesus is clear about this same topic in his conversation with the rich young ruler. This rich young man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. "And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Mark 10:21-22.
Materialism was a problem in Jesus' time and culture too. People's love of stuff can keep them from eternal life with God, forgiveness of sins, and all of the benefits of a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. But, to follow Jesus means we must love Him more than stuff. Jesus is clear in Matthew 6 as well about our love of God and our love of money: "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." Matthew 6:24. There is nothing wrong with a nice home, a good car, fun hobbies, and various things that we find joy in. But Christians must not let material goods get between them and God. Materialism was a past struggle for me. If this is a struggle for you, confess your sinful love of stuff to God, repent, ask for His forgiveness. Pray for God to change your desires. Read and memorize scripture that helps you to love what God loves. Use your finances to glorify God and love your fellow man. True treasure is found in heaven. Invest in that. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44.
Death to Self
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Jesus said that His followers must hate their own lives. Again, Jesus is not talking about self-loathing or self-deprecation; this is another comparison mechanism. Jesus says in Luke in chapter 9, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" Luke 9:23-25. Isn't this costly? Absolutely, following Jesus is costly. What does the world have to say on matters of the self? People who do not know God say things like "love yourself first and everything else falls into line" and "to fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness" and "follow your heart, it can't be wrong." This is in direct opposition to the message of the gospel.
Jesus tells us that we have to pick up or bear our cross daily and come after him. This means that not just once must we die to self and follow him, but every day we have to pick up our means of execution (cross) and die to ourselves. I think we have become far too comfortable with the cross in our time. The cross was the most brutal form of punishment man has schemed, and that is the thing with which Jesus is telling us to pick up and run after Him. Just think of how you might react if someone said, "pick up your electric chair daily and follow me." To follow Jesus, we must think, speak, and act as He would have us. We must be living sacrifices: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1-2. The wisdom of God is counter to the wisdom of man. Whoever saves himself will lose himself, and whoever loses himself to Jesus will be saved. Paul tells us to be a living sacrifice; by nature, something sacrificed must die. We must die to ourselves to follow Jesus. Only then can we be born again and live to God.
Hate and Persecution from the World
“If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”
The world hated Jesus. And the world will hate you for following Jesus. Jesus is clear about this in John 15. "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." John 15:18-20. Refusing to go along with what the world values and what the world thinks will make Jesus followers stick out like a sore thumb. Casting off sin and putting on righteousness and holiness will be met with hate and hostility.
However, God calls us not to be people pleasers. Jesus followers can be tempted and pressured and squeezed to give in to the demands of the world. Some people do not follow Jesus because they are more concerned about what others think of them. Scripture tells us this. "For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." John 12:43. However, scripture helps us also to remedy this cost. Just as Peter and the apostles answered the council that sought to silence them from proclaiming the gospel, "...We must obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29. Jesus tells us that if we acknowledge Him, He will acknowledge us. Rather than caring what the world will think of us, we ought to be more concerned with what God will think of us. "So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:32-33. If Jesus followers truly love God and love others, they will share the good news of the gospel with others to bring God glory and save men's souls.
Suffering
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus tells us not only that suffering does happen, but we can expect it. As He is addressing the disciples and telling them that He will be leaving to be with the Father, He told the disciples this: "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." John 16:33. We strive so much to avoid discomfort and suffering, but Jesus tells us that it's unavoidable. We will have tribulation. But, Jesus also tells us to take heart, to be of good cheer, because He has overcome this world, and He will be with us through our suffering, and ultimately we will be victorious with Him.
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4 to expect suffering too. "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you." 1 Peter 4:12. Life is hard. We all have trials and tribulations regardless of our age, race, sex, financial status, or any other way to identify ourselves. But the Bible doesn't pretend like it isn't or shouldn't be that way. Scripture is real about the sinfulness of mankind and the fallen nature of humanity. But there is an upside for Jesus followers. Peter goes on, "But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed...If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you...Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." 1 Peter 4:13,14,16. Just as Christ suffered, we will suffer, but for followers of Jesus that have placed their faith in Him, we can also rejoice because Jesus has overcome the world, and we will be with Him glory when He returns. When we are insulted for our faith in Jesus, it's a sign of God's presence in us and with us. We need to be sure we live in truth and love and that we are not being insulted due to our pride or arrogance.
Paul tells us about all of the sufferings he bore for the sake of the church and the gospel. Paul endured "...far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches." 2 Corinthians 11:23-28.
At one point, Paul even wished he were dead! "For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death." 2 Corinthians 1:8-9a. Paul quickly explains the purpose or value of that experience. For Christ-followers, we serve a sovereign God who works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Paul goes on to say, "But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again." 2 Corinthians 1:9b-10. When we face trials and suffering, we are much more dependent on God. We draw nearer to him in times of suffering than at other times. Paul talks about how he was despairing of life and thought he had been sentenced to death, but he knows the God who holds the keys to life and death. And that same God delivered him from total despair and will do so in the future. In one sentence, Paul despaired of life, and in the next, he hoped in God who delivered him from death. When you follow and trust in Jesus, it will be costly, you will face suffering, but there will be purpose in it. You will face suffering with God the Holy Spirit in you, with God the Son, Jesus, advocating for you, and God the Father sovereign over all of it, working everything for your good.
Loss of Life
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Heberews 11 is known by many as the Hall of Faith, or the Faith Hall of Fame. Hebrews 11 references Abel, Enoch, Noah and the ark, Abraham leaving his home to go to the promised land, Sarah conceiving in her old age, Abraham offering up his son only son Isaac, Moses leading God's people into exile out of Egypt, among others. It mentions the triumphs of the Old Testament faithful. But it also tells of the seriousness of what it means to be faithful to God. "...Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy— wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." Hebrews 11:35-38. Across all time and space, except primarily for the short history of the United States, Christians have regularly been marginalized, persecuted, imprisoned, and killed for their faith in Jesus and obedience to God. In some areas, trusting in Jesus is as good as a death sentence. Parents, siblings, spouses, and children disown family members for swearing allegiance to Christ.
It is possible that some people will lose their life for placing their faith in Christ. Jesus speaks to this however, in Luke 9, referenced earlier: "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Luke 9:24. Jim Elliot, a missionary who lost his life in Ecuador while evangelizing native people there, famously wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Though it's possible that Christians may lose their life for their faith, it is better to trust in Christ and lose your life on earth in order to live forever with God by trusting in Jesus. Dying for your faith in Christ is a better alternative than living a long, prosperous, comfortable life on earth and dying in sin, eternally separated from God. Jesus gives us a great, eternal, proper perspective on this matter: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28. Dying for following Christ may cost you your life, but it will ensure your eternity is forever sealed in glory with God.
Count it all joy
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
With costs like that, why would anyone ever want to follow Jesus? James gives reasoning and a new lens through which followers of Jesus can view trials and difficulties in life. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4. Trials can be joyful because they perfect us. They make us dependent on God instead of ourselves. When we are unsure how or why something may be happening, difficult situations force us to dive into God's word and God's wisdom to understand what we are experiencing. Trials help us keep our minds on things above and not below (Colossians 3:2) and lean not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). Hardships remind us how God works and that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Hard times force us to trust God (Jeremiah 17:7-8). They show us our weaknesses, and the power of Christ is made perfect in our weaknesses, and when we are weak, we are strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Ultimately, costly trials and difficulties remind us that God is sovereign and in control of all things (Romans 8:28). Paul tells us about the costs, but also the purpose and resilience of followers of Christ. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." 2 Corinthians 4:7-11. Although there are serious costs of following Jesus, there are even more significant benefits. Jesus is worth the costs. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” 2 Corinthians 4:17.
The great reformer Martin Luther sums up greatly the costs of following Jesus in his hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s Truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever!
Pray for persecuted men, women, and children around the world. To learn more about the persecuted church and to know the true cost of following Jesus for Christians in hostile countries, check out Open Doors USA and Voice of the Martyrs.
Over 100 million Christians around the world suffer persecution, violence, discrimination, abuse, imprisonment, or even death because of their faith in Jesus. But they've counted up the cost and believe that Jesus is worth it all!