The high cost of discipleship

There are way too many people that live today religiously correct, but spiritually wrong, they possess great head knowledge of the scriptures, knowing right from wrong, but do not have God in them, they are spiritually empty, loving knowledge and power but not God, yes well trained, well versed, but venomous, vile and perverse.

John Wesley said, “Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergyman or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon the earth.”

I believe we can see the heart of God in those who serve Him, they understand the high call of God on their lives and are satisfied in Him alone, they serve Him where they are, they do not seek fame or fortune but only to make the name of Christ Jesus known in all they do.

Others who are religious are never satisfied they seek what they feel they deserve, power, wealth, admiration, and contentment in things, not God, saying to God look what I bring to you, they prey on the unsuspecting and weak and mock God with their lives.

Woe to those who lead others astray, by deceitful words or by tickling their ears with false doctrine telling them they can live as they choose regardless of what God’s word says.

Self-check ourselves by asking, who do we love more, ourselves or Christ Jesus?

Have you personally met Christ Jesus?

If not, why?

If you have, what are you doing to make His name known in your area of influence?

We should live humbly as Christ has called us, we should have the same attitude as Christ does, one of serving God and others, and not waiting on God and others to serve us.

Every person who comes to Christ can only come through a personal encounter, none of us are saved corporately, or through our families bloodline, or because we are part of a church, we are personally saved through Christ alone, this alone should compel us to speak of His grace, love, forgiveness, redemption, and salvation, we need to understand the high call and cost of discipleship, Jesus Christ said we must deny our flesh and take up our cross and follow Him, we serve Him by loving others by speaking truth out of love, by loving those who hate us, no matter the personal cost.

God’s word says this:

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”Matthew‬ ‭16:24-28‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. But if anyone loves God, he is known by him. About eating food sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth — as there are many “gods” and many “lords” — yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from him, and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him.”1 Corinthians‬ ‭8:1-6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.” 2 Peter‬ ‭1:2-12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people. For among them are those who worm their way into households and deceive gullible women overwhelmed by sins and led astray by a variety of passions, always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth. They are men who are corrupt in mind and worthless in regard to the faith.”2 Timothy‬ ‭3:1-8‬ ‭CSB‬‬