THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

For some people, being a Christian might be the ‘easiest’ thing they can conceive – finding meaning in
this life, the joy of salvation, the peace that transcends all understanding, dwelling in the favour of God,
enjoying his love, having security for the here and the hereafter and an eternity with God... all for just
repenting and having faith in him or in his grace to save you! Could it really be that easy? For some
other people, the most difficult decision they can think of is being a Christian, committing their lives to
God. For these people, the price is just too high to pay, at least for now; it would deny them of all
freedom, it is a boring way of life with no pressure, and it is too demanding. Lifeless? Impossible?
Without pleasure? Demeaning? Perhaps there are more descriptions of the sacrifices they think it would
demand of them. I have met some people who claim, we know their is a God but we are not ready for
him now; we will enjoy our lives, have all the fun we can and when we have satisfied ourselves we will
come to him. I met someone who said something like this: ‘I am just being sincere. If I come to God
now, I won’t be faithful to him so I rather come when I am ready – when I have had my share of fun in
this life - in that way I won’t be serving him and looking back or with a feeling that I am missing out on
something or missing a lot.’

Are both groups right? Could it be that easy or could it be that difficult? Of course there are other views
and expressions of what it means to be a Christian. God does not delight in ignorance! He wants us to
make informed decisions and understand the implications of our actions even if the actions are prompted
by his commands or desire. As much as God wants us to trust and obey him, it is not in his character to
make zombies or robots out of us. He made us thinking beings with a free will and a life that always
gives us options – the choice to be what he wants us to be or whatever we prefer to be. We are free to do
whatever we want now but someday, we will have to give account of our actions to God and be
rewarded accordingly (Romans 14:12).

There are a lot of things that can be said in favour of being a Christian –at least from my personal
experience but today, we will look at the other side of the coin – the cost of being a Christian or a
disciple. Let us look at two passages that could be repelling:

" Now great multitudes accompanied Jesus; 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."
- Luke 14:26
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me.”
-Matthew 16:24 (Mark 8:34-35; Luke 9:23-24)

These are powerful statements that most people do not give thought to before becoming Christians. But
what exactly is Christ talking about? This issue of discipleship is so important that it is similarly started
in Matthew 10:37-38. I would, however, love to look at Luke’s account. (Luke 14:25-33).

COUNT THE COST, DENY YOURSELF

Living Bible translation (LB) paraphrases Versus 27 and 28 of Luke 14 this way: ‘and no one can be my
disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me. But don’t begin until you count the cost.’
Good News bible (GN) puts the last part like this: he sits down first and figures what it will cost…
To be a disciple may look easy at first thought but Jesus tells us, Friend, don’t rush at it. Be sure you
want to. Look deeply into it – what’s in it for me? Is it worth doing? Is He worth following? Is it
necessary for me to get involved? How long will it last? What price is there to pay? And the question is,
can you pay the price?

Counting the cost is yours to count;

Paying the price is yours to pay, if you would.

LB gives an idea of the cost in this way (Luke 14: 33), ‘…he first sits down and counts his blessings –
then Renounces them all for me.’ And that is what Paul did. He, in his letter to the Philippians said,’ all
those things I might count as profit, I now reckon as loss for Christ sake.’ King James Version (KJV)
says, ‘…what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.’ RENOUNCING YOUR
BLESSINGS FOR CHRIST! Moses would have been a prince (Hebrews 11:24), he had the riches of
Egypt to enjoy but all this blessings he left for the wilderness and for to suffer with God’s people.
Whether we accept it or not, there is a price to pay. The value of which is determined by us more than
God. You see, we could not pay the price for our sins nor could we in ourselves satisfy any criteria to be
God’s children. It was just too high –a price beyond us so God had to pay it for us through Jesus’ death.
What God requires of us in return is simple: accept his gift (the price he paid) through faith. But after we
are saved, we are supposed to work out our salvation – this is the big deal! How do you work it out?
What does it require? That is why we need to count the cost. In my opinion, this cost is dependent on
some factors that make each individual disciple and the cost they have to pay unique. These factors
include
• The ‘where’ factor – where we were in terms of how far we have deviated from the person God
wants us to be; how well into the world the individual had gone; our state when we were found.
 The ‘when’ factor - this may be age dependent if we want to consider that our physiology,
psychology and all the other ‘gys’ are age dependent. This may also be relevant if we assume that
the degree of deviation from God’s path is proportional to our years on earth.
 There is also the ‘how’ factor – the means by which or how we got converted; ‘compelled’
conversion, dramatic, cool, calculated etc.
 We can also consider the ‘what’ – which is the content of the message or experience that brought
about the change.
 But besides all these is one big factor which is the ‘why?’ factor.
There are different reasons that bring people to God. Jesus Christ would say, ‘one thing is needful’.
Unfortunately, not everyone recognizes this one thing that is needful and their motivations to come to
God could be for the wrong reasons. There is not a defined or rather a fixed cost for everyone. These
factors are not totally within our control but we do have a strong influence on the outcome of our lives in
response to God. You can enjoy this life in everlasting beauty or lose it in eternal loss of misery and
pain. But even for the former, there are rewards according to labour (the price you paid on earth or were
willing to pay). I have been trying to say the price value is more defined by you. There are, however, in
my opinion four (4) factors that influence the calculation of the cost. These are
1. The ‘God demands on you’
2. The ‘You demands on you’
3. The ‘Society demands on you’ (Society’s reaction towards you which also springs a demand on
you)
4. The Spiritual warfare
These factors will be discussed the next time but for, what does it mean to deny yourself?
I will take the dictionary definition (oxford) which says a refusal to acknowledge something – in this
case, you. Let’s break down the word ‘acknowledge’. To acknowledge somebody or something means
to accept or recognize that somebody or something. From WordWeb, to acknowledge means to admit
the presence, the existence, the reality or the truth of; to accept (someone) to be what is claimed as
accept his power or authority.
You see, when we come to Christ, when we ask him to be the Lord and savoir of our lives, what we are
actually saying is we are willing to let go of us and live for him. Romans 6:4 says, ‘by our baptism, then,
we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the death by
the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life.’ In this new life, we do not
acknowledge our old self anymore! So we do away with the old self which is a selfish lot. This means
we no longer are self dependent. Self pursuit or self interest becomes foreign to us. Paul would say in
Philippians 2:3 that ‘don’t be selfish…think of others as better than yourself.’ Simply put, recognize
others and not you! And again, in Act 20:24, Paul says, ‘I reckon my life to be worth nothing to me….’
To deny yourself is to let go those passions and desires that people craze after. Galatians 5:19 talks
about what that self which is now dead would have loved to do. But you don’t recognize those things
anymore; you don’t even recognize that self – it is dead! This is a stage where you do good because you
know it is the right thing to do. You are not watching out to see who recognizes you or who shows
gratitude for the things you have done [for them]. Jesus would say, ‘... you should not consider
yourselves worthy of praise. For you have simply done your duty!’ (LB Luke 17:10) or as in GN, ‘...
when you have done all you have been told to do [the good deeds], say, ‘we are ordinary servants; we
have only done our duty.’’ This does not make you inferior; this does not mean Christianity debases
you. It only means you know who you are and do not need human acceptance, praise or validation to be
who you are; you are not tossed about by human perceptions of you.

What am I saying? I am saying denying yourself is sacrificing or serving others and expecting nothing in
return; it is flowing out to others even when none would flow to you; it is forgetting you, refusing to
seek glory for yourself. It is doing good at all times and in all humility in the face of arrogance,
rejection, and ingratitude because you know that your actions will help a neighbour and bring pleasure
to God.
Our quote from Romans, talks about a new life lived in a new person. This is important if the denial of
self must be successful. But what is this new person? It is definitely not you! This new person must be
accepted if the old must cease to have authority over you; if the old must be forgotten or done with. 2
Corinthians 5:15 says, ‘He [Jesus] died for all so that all who live might live no longer for themselves, to
please themselves, but to spend their lives pleasing Christ who died and rose again for them.’ The same
chapter (verse 17) says if anyone is joined to Christ, he becomes a new being; the old is gone, the new
has come. Paul said (Galatians 2:19-20. (GN)), ‘I am dead… in order that I might live for God… so that
it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.’ In Colossians 3:4, he points out that our real
life is Christ. There are many more passages to this effect. I would, however, like us to see it this way:
there is a little (bit of) Christ in you which must be nurtured and allowed to grow to fullness so that
ultimately you are Christ i.e. when people see you, it is Christ they would see. There should be nothing
about you that will bring you to their minds, they should not see or even recognize the you that used to
be – and that is back to our point; this can only be if you refuse to recognize you.
John talks about letting God’s word live in you and about not loving the world. He says in 1 John 2:15-
17, our sinful self (which is the ‘you’ you must deny) desires everything that belongs to the world
(materialism) and what people are proud of. Our main texts all have very interesting ‘follow up’ verses
(Matthew 10:39; Mark 8:35; Luke 14:46, 17:33; John 12:25). They all talk about wanting to cling to
your life or giving it up for Christ, about the vanity of gaining the whole world and losing your soul
(your true life, the you that should be, the you in Christ, the you like Christ).
So in counting the cost, first you have to deny yourself (a God demand on you); so you ask yourself, am
I ready to let go all the pleasures and things the world is offering me? Am I ready to renounce all my
blessings for Christ so as to delight in his blessings?
KJV puts our main text from Luke’s point of view as ‘ if any man come to me and hate not his father,
and mother,….yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.’ Luke 14:26
You see how serious it can be; you really should not matter to you! Christ is exalted above your very
life. He is your Lord and you submit absolutely to him. Romans 6: 16 – 23 says, ‘you are SLAVES to
righteousness’ Can a slave choose not to obey the master? In the same way, your obligation is to do
right. It may sound unfair since it sounds like you have no choice but to be righteous but you do have a
choice - to be a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. Just as a slave can revolt in disobedience to his
master, you can also chose not to rebel and not cling to righteousness. The fact is being a slave to
righteousness liberates you from sin and gives you the freedom to do right – one thing you have
always long to do but found it difficult to do. This freedom comes when you put to death your old self
but you have the power to bring to life that old self again by neglecting the ‘WORD’ that sanctifies you.
Paul says in Galatians 5: 17, that the flesh (your old self) is always in conflict with the spirit (God) and
so you cannot do what you want to do; how then can you follow God if you want to?

Let us look at a few examples of people who renounce their blessings for God. Moses had all the
pleasures of royalty in Egypt but he left them all for a wilderness or better still to seek God who he
eventually found. The Bible says, he chose rather to suffer affliction with God’s people instead of
enjoying the short-lived pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:24-26). How about Abraham? He left his country,
the things he was familiar with, the things he identified with, friends, the known, for an undefined place
and had to wander around and live in tents even though he was very rich (Genesis 12:1-9, 13:2; Hebrews
11:8-10) . Elisha, when he was called by God through Elijah, killed all his team of oxen, used the yoke
for fuel and gave the meat to people for food; he did not even store up some for himself (1 Kings 19: 19
-21). But what was he doing? The oxen and yoke were his work tool – he was giving up his livelihood
to follow God. The people of Old were very sacrificing but renouncing blessings was not unique to only
those in the Old Testament.
When Jesus called his disciples, the twelve, they left all what they were doing to follow him. For
instance, Peter, John and James left their fishing profession (Matthew 4:18 – 22); Matthew used to be a
tax collected but he quitted (Matthew 9: 9), etc. Not everyone was capable of such sacrifice or such
‘risk’. When Jesus told a rich young man to sell all he had, give the money to the poor and then come
follow him, he could not! The disciples thought, if the rich are hardly saved who would; to this Jesus
pointed out that salvation of souls whether rich or poor is very possible with God. Peter then said, you
see, we may not be that rich but what we have – our homes and profession - we have left to follow you.
Jesus then assured him there was (and of course there still is) riches in following him - in fact much
more blessings than was renounced for his sake (Luke 18:29, 30).
There is another thrilling example – Zaccheaus (Luke 19:1-9). I have been wondering if Zaccheaus
would have anything left for himself after the commitment he made. He was going to give half his
wealth to the poor; and he was not keeping the other half all for himself, it was going to be used for
restitution – that is to pay back those he cheated as a tax collector. Now, look at how he intends to go
about the restitution: he would give back four (4) times as much what he has cheated anyone of! I
wonder the number of persons he must have cheated. Anyway, what he was doing was denying himself,
renouncing his blessings or call it gains for the better privilege of following Christ. We can also talk
about life in the early church, Acts 2: 43 – 47, where instead of gathering for themselves possessions or
seeking their individual pleasures, those who had more were sharing with those who had none to the
extent of selling their possessions to help the needy. What do we see happening now? Most Christians
do not only want to possess much, they accumulate so much more than they need or accumulate a lot of
things they will never need.
Paul gives a picture of the apostles’ new life offered them ( a true reflection of denial) ‘… we are fools
for Christ’s sake…we are weak,…we are despised,…we go hungry and thirsty,… we are cloth in rags,
we are beaten, we wander from place to place without homes of our own. We wear ourselves out with
hard work. We are cursed…we are persecuted…we are insulted…we are treated like the world’s
garbage, like the scum of the earth (like dirt under foot) to this very moment!’ 1 Corinthians 4: 10 – 13.
This was all for Christ’s sake. Would you follow Christ if you knew that all these awaited you? I have
intentionally focused on the supposed ills so that you do not underestimate the demands on you. If you
are willing to accept the ills, then the goodies can be accepted too - hopefully. Paul’s account of
suffering (2 Corinthians 11:21-33) showed he was often times near death. When he was told not to go to
Jerusalem because of what awaited him there, he was not just willing to go face suffering but death as
well, if that was what it demanded (Acts 21:10-14). The guy did not love himself! He was not even
moved when his physical being was gradually decaying or wearing out (2 Corinthians 4:16). Now all
these things Paul described could not have been if he paid attention to himself or his physical being as
worth more than his desire to please God. He gave up the pressures of this world and his personal
desires so that he could do God’s desire and so bring God pleasure.

Denying yourself is placing God as No. 1 – the only person who really matters. Denying yourself is
recognizing the purpose for which you were created – to give God pleasure. God created all things and
for his pleasure, they are and were created (Revelation 4:11 KJV). Denying yourself is discovering your
true identity or real self – who you are, that image of God. Denying yourself is discovering the power to
do right and to love your neighbour and God. Denying yourself is not seeking any glory for yourself,
allowing Christ to live in you and through you so that he is the one who is seen and acknowledged in
your life.

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

From my studies, I have come to see that the first part (i.e. denying yourself) of our main text, Matthew
16:24, is necessary if the second part must hold (i.e. taking up your cross to follow Christ). What does it
mean to take up your cross? Now again, I would make reference to the preceding verses of our main text
and those following. In Matthew 16, what sprung the gist was Jesus’ prediction of his death, to which
Peter responded and after which he commented on the consequences of wanting to keep or lose one’s
life. In Matthew 10, verse 38 does not talk about the denying aspect though but Jesus had been talking
about not fearing those who can kill the body alone, about confessing him in public, then to enmity that
would be created among family members because of him. The picture he was painting doesn’t look that
beautiful but he goes to the point: you must be willing to go through all these – not caring about your
life here (i.e. take up your cross if you want to follow me.) He does, however, assures them that, that
was a better choice because if you are concerned this world and the pleasures it offer, you cannot be
prepared for the heavenly one and if you exalt your physical well being above your spiritual existence
then you would miss that real life. Paul tells us that our physical bodies are just housings for our real
self; so we live in these bodies but someday it will be torn down for the heavenly body to be put over us
(2 Corinthians 5:1-10).
Take up your cross…In those days, those to be crucified had to carry the [their] cross all the way or at
least part of the way to the place of execution. This suggests to me that the first thing that may come to
mind when someone is seen carrying ‘his’ cross is death; and most likely for the person carrying the
cross. I believe this is what was also in Jesus’ mind. First, I think this death refers to the willingness to
do away with our sinful self (Romans 6; Colossians 3:5-8). But the cross does not just point to death, it
holds in it a lot of sufferings too! Sufferings you cannot avoid if you want to follow Christ. Paul says,
‘Everyone who wants to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus will suffer persecution’ (2 Timothy
3: 12). Note here that it does not exclude anyone who wants to please or follow God. This is a suffering
we must endure and in addition to this are other sufferings necessary to make us what we ought to be.
Paul says that the privilege we have is not only in serving God by believing in him but also by suffering
for him (Philippians 1:29). The bible does not deny the fact that there could be ‘pleasure’ in sin. The
thing is, the human nature loves to be pampered and has all kinds of passions, some of which can be
unhealthy. The human nature is self first; that is naturally our interest overshadow the interest of others.
And that is why the flesh and its passions must be first dealt with before one can please God but when
you let go what the flesh craves for, you let go something valuable to that self and it is not pleasant at
all.

Now for some Christians, most of these sufferings may not be seen as such because of the greater joy, of
knowing Christ, which floods their soul. But you see, the humility demanded of us, the sacrifices of
love, the giving of our time, the separation of ourselves, etc. are not an easy thing to do. Sometimes, we
are constantly working and wearing ourselves out for the course of God and sometimes the wear is
caused by the external troubles we face but Paul says they are nothing after all in the light of what awaits
us (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
The dictionary defines suffer as to feel pain, discomfort, sorrow or to experience something unpleasant
or to be badly affected. One way or the other (especially from the human point of view) most of the
demands our new life [the Christian life] places on us can be term suffering. In fact for a canal man to
lose control to someone else can be the most unpleasant situation; we all want to be lords, to be in
control, to be recognised, to be appreciated, etc. but to follow Christ, you must give up the Lordship to
him; you must deny yourself (refuse to recognise yourself); you do your duty not minding whether
people are grateful or not. Jesus says in Luke 17:10 that when you have done all you have been told to
do, say ‘we are ordinary servants; we have only done our duty.’ The Living Bible (LB) translation
paraphrases it this way, ‘…your service to man is part of God’s demands on you, a command to obey
and whether or not they appreciate your sacrifice is not your business. You only have done your duty.’ It
is not easy to keep giving out especially when no gratitude is shown but you have to: this is unpleasant!

The very nature of our new being can be the greatest contribution to suffering if we have to be in the
world but not be of it. The bible says of Lot, ‘that good man lived among them and day after day, he
suffered agony as he saw and heard their evil actions.’ (2 Peter 2:8 (GN)). LB puts it this way, ‘He…was
sick of the terrible wickedness he saw everywhere around him day after day.’
We all must have faced such irritations, such pains, such sorrows, such discomfort as we see evil
prevailing around us. If you embrace the new life God gives through Christ, you cannot be comfortable
in a world of sin! That is why the book of Hebrews says in its account (chapter 11:38) that the world
was not good enough for those men of faith; that was why they were eager to leave this life and did not
love their lives unto death.

On the other hand, your presence in the world can also make the people of the world uncomfortable and
this could lead to some of them scheming up plans to make you fall from faith or to make your life
miserable or persecute you. Persecutions can take different forms and can be very unpleasant but this is
not like the discomfort of having to behold evil. In fact the disciples of old counted it joy to be
persecuted for Christ’s sake. Persecution can sometimes be very enriching and motivating and beyond
the pain is that joy, which erases pain. Part of this joy springs from the peace that God gives you, which
assures you, you are in tune with God; that you are pleasing to him. This is different from the stupid or
wrong actions we sometimes take that results in unpleasant consequences (Proverb 19:3, 20:30; 1
Peter4:15).

Beyond the putting to death our sinful self and the suffering that comes with it or from it, is the
willingness to let go our physical being. What I mean is that carrying your cross also implies literally
willing to lay down your life for the sake of Christ. This was what kept the men of Old. Revelation
12:11 says, ‘…they were willing to give up their lives and die.’ KJV/LB says, ‘they did not love their
lives… unto death but laid them down for him.’ Jesus passed on this secret after he disclosed what was
required of us to follow him; ‘if you love or want to save your [earthly or physical?] life, you will lose it
[your real life -heavenly or spiritual life?]…’ The idea is that to save your physical being from the
afflictions you suffer by reason of being a Christian, you must denounce Christ and denouncing him
means letting go of eternal life. Losing your life could also be physical because sin not only makes you
foolish, it wears you out and can make you age. Note also that in earlier passage, Jesus admonishes us
not to fear him who can kill just the body – ARE YOU WILLING TO DIE FOR CHRIST? Hebrews
11:35 says, of those men of faith, ‘others refusing to accept freedom died under torture in order to be
raised to a better life.’ Of course, often times, you will have the choice and chance to ‘save your life’ but
that could mean trading off Christ or denouncing him. What have you suffered for Christ? What are you
willing to bear for him? Are you in love with him or you are in love with you?

I would have loved to talk about Paul’s suffering but I guess I can trust that to your reading: 2
Corinthians 11:16-33. The other apostles also suffered much and were all martyrs except for John who
could not be killed and so died in the isle of Pathos, where he was banished to. Please read 2 Corinthians
4:7-18, verses 10 & 11: ‘we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Christ…throughout our lives we are
always in danger of death for Jesus sake.’ What does it mean to carry in our mortal body, the death of
Christ?

In my opinion, the death of Christ is victory over sin; the power to conquer self and do right; in it is the
death of our old self which gives way to a new life – the life of Christ which should be seen in us. But
this spiritual death to self exposes us to physical death too. Those in ‘darkness’ cannot stand the
goodness of light, which continually reveals and exposes their dark deeds; they hate to acknowledge
the ugliness or the darkness of the deeds our light reveals and in hating the light, the hate the source. To
stop the constant guilt, their fury and shame would seek to get rid of you. Look at Cain (Genesis 4: 1- 8).
He did what was not right and so God did not accept him and his sacrifice. Instead of finding out why
his sacrifice was not accepted, he chose rather to be angry with Abel because his was accepted. God
cautions him but Cain did not heed. I believe he still desired God’s acceptance but what did he do? He
got rid of Abel with the hope, I believe, that if he was not judged by a ‘higher standard’ that could
redefine the way his actions are evaluated and so make him more acceptable before God. What he
needed was a change of heart so his strategy did not work, and worse still be was drawn further away
from God. This is not just a bible story, I had a friend who suffered a similar experience where a friend
of his poisoned him because of the comparisons his friend’s parents were constantly making using him
as the standard. Luckingly, he survived it. 1 Peter 4: 4 says, ‘your former friends are surprised when you
no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you.’ The world
may not have interest in us but deep down, it needs us. They are afraid of the cost of changing their
ugliness to beauty even though they would have loved to; some are afraid of losing the supposed
pleasure sin affords. To protect themselves they try to destroy that standard of beauty that makes ugly
their ugliness so that ugliness in its own light could be beautiful.
In addition, as mentioned before, the world is no longer good enough for us. Paul says in Galatians 6:14,
‘…for by means of the cross, the world is dead to me and I am dead to the world.’ (GN). LB puts it this
way, ‘because of the cross, my interest in all the attractive things of the world was killed long ago, and
the world’s interest in me was is also long dead.’ This creates in the Christian a longing to leave this
world (Philippians 1:21-25; 2 Corinthians 5:1-9). As Christians, we must live the way Christ lived. (1
John 2:6). If we are to live the way he lived, we are likely to tread the path he trod and very likely to go
through experiences very similar to his. We will likely suffer the things he suffered but most of all, we
must overcome as he overcame. He carried his cross; we must also carry our crosses. He gave his life,
we must also be willing to give our lives. The way he walked was not at all easy but we have a
consolation and a motivation – his very life!

Hebrews 12:1 [in my own words] – ‘you are surrounded by so many witnesses – first, those before you
who have made it and are eager to see you make it and those in the world with you; some marking all
you do and watching to find faults with you, some wondering if you can stand the test of time, yet still
some looking up to you and others, just watching. Seeing how eager everyone is in knowing the
outcome of the race we have signed up for, which God has set out for us, we must make sure nothing
gets in our way. We must run patiently and with determination. We must carry our cross [without faint]
till we get to Calvary where we can put to death our old self and experience the new and true life – and
that is victory, if we hold on to that life. We must do away with everything [sin] that can easily distract
us, weigh us down or tangle our feet and so prevent us from winning the price. Verse 2-3 has something
to keep you on: ‘it may not be easy but when you focus on or think of Jesus, and make him the most
important person/thing about whom your life revolves, you will find it easy.’ And again, ‘see how much
he loves you, see what things he did and suffered for you! Think of all he went through - the terrible
things he suffered from sinners; this should help you move on as you discover your suffering is not
unique to you alone. Yes, that should motivate you in the mist of your sufferings, frustrations and doubts
to keep up the race and so save your life – the life for which he died so as to preserve.’
Every test you experience is not anything new or different. It is the kind that normally comes to people
and many others have faced and may be facing the same problems. Because some have successfully
resisted you can also resist them besides, God gives you strength to endure and in fact provides you with
a way out - always.’ (1 Corinthians 10:13). Peter also says (1 Peter 5:8), ‘…the devil… [is] looking for
someone to tear apart or devour. Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord and remember that other
Christians all around the world are going through the same kind of sufferings too.’ Hebrews 12:4 –
‘consider what Christ went through, how much hatred and opposition he endured from sinners, and let
that spur you on, after all you have not yet gotten to a point of being killed, like Christ was, in your
resistance against sin. Christ who is your Lord went through more terrible things than you are going
through now.’ Other Christians have also suffered much; some were sawn in two, hanged, stone to
death, killed by the sword, etc. So can you pay this price if that is what is required?

[Christ did not battle with sin within because he was SINLESS and for any true Christian, struggle should not be with or
against sin within but without – the evils around you. This is because we have been given the power and the freedom to do
right; John 1:12: God has given us the power to become his children and again, in 1 John 3:9, a child of God does not
continue in sin and in fact as KJV puts it, as long as that identity holds, you cannot sin. The moment you indulge in sin, you
break the link between you and God and if he came that moment you would not share in his glory hence it is as well or as
true as losing your son-ship the moment you indulge in sin unless you turn quickly from it. If as Paul says, that he no longer
lives but Christ is he that lives through him Galatians 2:20, then it is very possible to live without sin. This does not mean we
are perfect the very moment we became Christians– No! We grow into perfection. That is, as we become matured Christians
through the knowledge, understanding and application of God’s word we tend to be more and more like Christ.]

COUNTING THE COST

The value as defined by us depends on our state when found; where? When? How? What?
By ‘where’, we are referring to the ‘place’ you were (spiritual state) when you were found or converted.
Sometimes this can be influenced by your place; by the kind of society that forms your environment or
the expectations of such society. It could also be shaped by your immediate circle of friends or peers;
your links, place in society – wealth, fame, etc.
A good example can be found in Zacchaeus, Luke 19:1-9. He had to pay a very high price when he
repented, though it was not demanded of him by Christ. He voluntarily decided to give away half his
wealth to the poor and his restitution was paying back four times whatever he cheated of any. If the
allegations against the tax collectors, as extortionist and cheat, were true then imagine what would be
left of Zacchaeus – maybe nothing! Yet he was willing to pay that price.

Example 2: Matthew 19:16-26; the story of the rich, young man. It ended this way,’…when he heard
this, he went away sad, because he was very rich.’ Look at it! He would have been perfect, he kept all
the laws; he was almost there, but to lose all he had was, for him, too big a price to pay so he let go life
for his wealth. Another example could be deduced from the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-32. I believe he
did appreciate his father’s love better. He was now, after the realization of his folly, ready and willing to
pay any price just to identify with his father – even if it meant being his servant. The older son may not
feel obliged. Of course he had served his father faithfully unlike his brother [which is a price too] but
now he feels his father owes him some good. He does not feel indebted like his younger brother. The
older brother may be akin to someone born a devout Christian home. They may not realize how
privilege they are, nor how much indebted they are to God. In some cases, like the elder brother some
Christians also feel entitled – they always want to be at the receiving end rather than giving to the Lord;
they think God owes them a lot, they have rights to prosper and be happy and our purpose of bringing
God pleasure is irrelevant – after all it is God’s duty and the price he should pay for making them his
children. Others are always thinking of what they can do for God and how to make him happy – to live
out the purpose for which God created them on earth, i.e. for his pleasure (Revelations 4:11). Were you
born in a Christian home or you had to struggle to find faith? Were you living in the mist of sorrows,
hate and doubts or you had all the comforts of life? Were you a sheep lost far in the wood or just within
the vicinity enjoying the pastures of the neighbours and not realising you are lost? Where you are found,
matters in the cost count.

Jesus’ experience in Simon the Pharisee’s house brings out this fact. Luke 7:36-50; Emphasis on verses
41- 43. The question is: ‘which one of them will love him more?’ The answer: ‘…the one who was
forgiven more.’ Now, Jesus did not deny the fact that Simon recognizes him or the need for God but he
was a Pharisee, supposedly, already living a ‘righteous’ life. Does Christ forgiveness reach out to him?
Yes! But what does that mean to him? If forgiveness is for sin, it might even look abstract to a
‘righteous’ man that his sin is forgiven. If he does not recognize how much was paid or how much was
forgiven, how can he feel indebted? But Mary was an obviously sinful woman, shunned as a sinner but
now accepted by Christ. What she offered was a sign of her appreciation, a price not even the disciples
could comprehend.

Peter in his letter (1 Peter 4: 4), says, ‘…now the heathen [your former friends, LB] will be surprised
when you do not eagerly join them any more in the wicked things they do (the same wild and reckless
living) and they will insult you, laugh at you in contempt and scorn.’ Not too many people can stand
mockery or peer pleasure – can you pay the price?

You may be seriously enjoying the pleasures of sin – and there is no denying that sin could be
pleasurable to those who partake of it, but the issue is, could you like Moses (Hebrews 11: 24 – 26)
rather chose God?
• He didn’t care about fame (refused to be called the son of the King’s daughter – verse 24)
• He preferred to suffer with God’s people rather than to enjoy sin for a little while ( verse 25)
• Forsook riches (he reckoned that to suffer scorn for Christ was worth far more than all the treasures
of Egypt – verse 26)

THE ‘WHEN’ FACTOR

Talking about the when, I mean when you got to know God and it could be more age dependent – that is
if our mental make-up and physiology are age dependent. Ecclesiastes captures it better in chapter 12:1,
‘Remember your creator while you are still young before those dismal days and years come when you
will say, ‘I don’t enjoy life.’’ The idea I want to draw from this verse is that there is a point in time
when worldly desires or pleasures do not matter much or nothing seems to count; times I believe it is
easier to let go some passions or desires – this is usual when one is sobered down by age.
There are people who drag on their decision for Christ because they think there are lots of pleasures they
would miss if they give up their lives for him to Lord over. They want to live their lives and have all the
‘fun’ after which Christ is welcome to live through them. LB puts the verse before us in this way, ‘don’t
let the excitements of being young cause you to forget your creator.’ Now we would agree there is the
passion of youths and with it comes adventurous zeal; the philosopher’s element that seeks to explore all
things; times where there is a strong need to belong – a need that makes one yield to peer pressures and
finally times flooded with thoughts that one has knowledge and should be in control. So it is very
tempting for some people to push their desire to follow Christ into the future since the present will
require much sacrifice. Those who take this stand presume, perhaps unconsciously, there is no death to
snatch them away before their decision to follow Christ is made. It is very dangerous to think you have
so many days or time ahead when the fact is anything could happen to you anytime. Paul warns, ‘give
up worldly passions …’ (Titus 2:12) and again, ‘flee youthful lust...’ (2 Timothy 2:22). Finding God (or
rather being found of him) as a child, a youth or an older person all have different experiences each with
its own price. The story of the prodigal son can also satisfy this example (Luke 15:11-32). The older son
can be likened to one who came to God in his childhood. So he has been working hard all these years
and his brother come to God in his later years and it seems the brother had an advantage since he did not
have to go through all the years his elder brother had be toiling but that is not true. His father made it
clear that although his younger brother was accepted back, he, the older son had the greater reward.

Time has in it some value and redeeming the time enables us better understand and enjoy it. But the
issue of counting the cost with respect to time is subtle in the sense that one could think it convenient
surrendering at a later time or older age if they exalt the ‘goodness’ in the world; one is also tempted to
think much is not or would not be required of such a one since the time left is short; what’s more,
regardless of when you repent or give up yourself to God’s Lordship, you would be saved if you hold on
to the end. For instance the criminal at the cross with Jesus seems to have had it very easy based on the
time factor. How about the parables of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20)? Those called at the
11th hour received as much wage as those called in the 1st hour – analogous to salvation. Yet those called
at the 1st hour worked 10 hours more. As pointed out earlier on, there is the danger of you not reaching
the 11th hour but supposed you did? Come to think of it, it is very likely that the longer you tarry, the
higher the tendency for the ‘where’ factor to be changed; there is a possibility that you could have gone
so deep into the canal world that at the end you would have to pay a higher price – and that is if you are
able to ‘save’ yourself. Paul says God created us for a life of good works which he has already prepared
for us to do. If each labourer had the same land size to work, then it would look obvious that the time
one starts work is important especially if a time limit is placed on the work. But with God, we know
very little; how does he apportion task to each man? According to out talents you may say – and we all
differ in these! As much as we may not know, one thing is certain that salvation of our souls is not the
ultimate reward for a life dedicated to God. The righteous will be judged also but not like the sinners;
the righteous will be judged according to their works. In 1 Timothy 4:1, Paul writes, ‘in the presence of
God and of Jesus Christ who will judge the living (those in Christ) and the dead (those who do not know

Christ)...’, 2 Corinthians 5:10, ‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one
may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.’ And
Hebrews 9:27, ‘It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment’. So the righteous will be
judged but why? Perhaps, because one might not truly be righteous but I believe if God identifies or
classifies you as righteous, you probably are. Matthew 16:27 and 1 Corinthian 3:8 says ‘and each one
will be rewarded according to his works’ and 1 Corinthians 3:11 – 15 says our works will be tested to
determine their real quality and if they survive the test, we will be rewarded. In Revelation 22:12, Jesus
says ‘behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to everyone according to his
work.’ And in 1 Corinthians 15:58, ‘Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is
not in vain.’ So what happens when you while away the time doing your own stuff until the 11th hour?

We could also consider the ‘time’ or ‘when’ factor in about the same way as the ‘where’. What I mean is
that things like perception of people can affect you; a world where you are the only man who is right is
not an easy world – you might not have experienced it but we know it is not impossible. Consider
Noah’s case, he was the only righteous man at his time! Are you in an era where truth is not distinct
from lie? The bible says the men of Issachar had an understanding of the times and knew what Israel
should do. Is it a time when everything is a trap? We must be aware of what is happening around us; we
must understand the times we find ourselves because the times can determine our ‘fate’. The bible says
of those in the world before the flood that they did not realise what was happening until the flood came
and swept them all away (Matthew 24:39). You may never realised how close you are to very dangerous
times, times when it would be very difficult to be a Christian, when the price to pay if you are one could
be very great regardless of your age. For some, such times are already here and could tend worse as we
witness the falling standards of the world and the ease with which it embraces evil. There are some
benefits if one was already in God – standing and established, before such times catches up him or her.
Pauls says there will be time all kinds of vices will be the norm. What then will you do in such a
situation? Jesus, referring to similar times, said, if God doesn’t shorten the days, even the elect will fall
away.’ The Bible points out in Matthew 24:12 that, ‘the love of many will grow cold’ in such days. The
God in them will be dead or inactive and it would be difficult to be Christ on earth. Paul in his letter to
the Ephesians (3:17-19) says that being rooted in love and knowing Christ’s love leads to being filled
with the very nature of God! And it is this nature of God that allows us share eternity with him. I would
like to end this section by saying there is no better time than NOW to accept and acknowledge Jesus as
both Lord and Saviour of your life if you haven’t done so before.

THE ‘HOW’ FACTOR

The how factor is the means by which you got converted. I don’t know how far those who go through
‘calculated conversion’ go. By calculated conversion, I am referring to those who set a plan for their
lives and the time they think is most appropriate for them to turn to God and decide to wait till such
time. If their plans go as expected, I am afraid that their encounter with God may be artificial, lacking
the beauty and joy of being found. For one thing, it would be like trying to make a fool of God by
upholding your supposed wisdom and this can be dangerous and the tendency is to, even if
unconsciously, pride in yourself in being in control of events and this ‘lordship’ may carry on into your
new found relationship. You might not even enjoy that privilege of gaining by losing. Some people
realize earlier enough that there is nothing this world can offer them and come to God in good time.
Others find out too late that this world has nothing substantial for them, too late because they would
have missed out on the joy of serving the Lord. Some are quite lucky not to lose their soul in the quest
to gain the world.
The good thing is there could be grace enough to transform your mind from it converted canal state; a
conversion that is planned so as to ‘enjoy’ sinful pleasures to the fullest before giving it up for God
when one is old and has no delight in such pleasures anymore cannot be a conversion based on
conviction. In such case one may just be playing the formality to save his soul from destruction but like
the bible says, do not be deceived, no one makes a fool of God’ (Galatians 6:7). The way grace sets in is
to create a true God consciousness or coincidently bring events that trigger your decision about your set
time. Regardless of how smart you think you are, the events and/or consequences of your days could
bear on you and perhaps create a big price for you to pay. Sometimes the consequences of our actions
take us by surprise and then it is not funny at all – ‘…whatever a man sows, that he will reap’; for some,
this is the turning point. But think of the ‘where’ and ‘when’ factor crushing in, could one pulled himself
or herself out of the depth of folly or pleasure without pain?
For a ‘dramatic conversion’ like Paul’s, I think many who experience such would feel so certain of the
path they are treading as to pay anything for it. This could be what I would call ‘compelled conversion’.
An example could be one who seems to have reached his dead end or a state of total hopelessness and by
some miracle or some wonder he is rescued from this situation and it is obvious that it was God at work
to his rescue. He comes to believe in this saviour without doubt of his ability to save and is willing to
trust him as Lord. Does he or she have a choice? Yes, but what is more likely is to feel indebted to Him
because you know you owe him your life or appreciation you think can only be shown through devotion
to Him. For some few, the new relationship that may emerge may be fuelled more by unconscious
selfishness – to want to identify with this Saviour or cling to him so as to enjoy greater favours or more
help in future. For others, it is an excitement that only last so long, before they know it they are ‘off
track’. This of course depends on how much the value their savoir. Most people, however remain
steadfast, realizing the reason they are alive is because of God.

The most common is the ‘cool conversion’; someone reaches out to you through a sermon, a tract, a
lifestyle that springs up inquiry, a godly home that awakens a God-consciousness in you, etc. The
various ways could also impact differently e.g. someone growing in a godly home may not have much to
be forgiven him and so may not love more as Jesus pointed out when the supposed sinful woman
anointed his feet and wiped it with her hair.
Ideally, everyone who has a personal encounter with God, regardless of how, where or when, should be
willing to pay whatever price set to follow Him because the salvation and enlightenment of the soul
should dissolve all vanities and quench all worldly passions, care or pleasure. That person should enjoy,
starting here on earth, the fullness of life He promised and a relationship that sets the one above
ordinariness. But this is not always so. It is like the Sower who sowed good seeds and some fell on good
soil, some among thorns and some on stony place (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23); there will always be those
who love less, who have no roots and so cannot stand tribulation, there will always be those who will be
choked by the deceitfulness of riches and the care of this world. There are some who never appreciated
the price they had to pay to follow Christ because they never had the opportunity to experience anything
or life outside their strict Christian home. Of course they came to make a personal decision for God, got
baptised but to them it is like they were born Christians by reason of their home. Baptism was a mere
formality. It does not seem to them they have been raised to the newness of life. They had grown up
learning to honour God and to dutifully serve him without questions or in some cases without
understanding the essence of the faith.
When I gave my life to Christ, it was ‘cool conversion’ but it came with a realization of how much I
owed God which sprung from how much he loved and still loves me. I was determined to live for him
and to set him above all my desires. I told myself even if everyone went their own way, I will go the
Lord’s way. The ‘how’ can influence our relationship with God. The given examples do not always hold
and regardless of how we meet God, we can always enjoy him if we want to. We can always develop
our Word-relationship. That is we can get to know him through the study of and meditation on his word,
the living word, which is Jesus revealed in the bible. God’s word can transform us and cleanse us from
any errors we might have started with. If we diligently seek him, we will find him. The more or deeper
we get to know God through His Word and prayer, the more we will understand his will for our lives
and the more favours we will enjoy – but it all comes with a price. We repeat again Paul’s words to the
Philippians: we have been given the privilege not only in serving God by believing in him but also by
suffering for him (Philippians 1:29). Can you pay the price?

THE ‘WHAT’ FACTOR

I would briefly touch on the ‘What’ factor i.e. what got you converted in terms of the message you heard
or the acts you saw or the content of the experience that created a change in heart towards God.
An example could be conversion based on some prosperity message where God is a tool or a magician
that could be evoked to satisfy material quest; in such case demandingness, rather than faith which is
provoked in us by love, marks or rules most of the thoughts or actions seen. The act of a Christian
should be marked with faith without which we cannot please God. Some results of scary messages of
torture or torment in hell after death if one did not make a decision for Christ could lead to conversion
based on fear rather than conviction or understanding of the gospel. Such people may never experience
the joy of salvation or of knowing Christ. The may just have gone through a formality compelled by fear
to save their souls. The gospel is one and is centred around Christ love for us, around Christ’s bearing
our sins, nailing it to the cross in his death and resurrecting to give us newness of life and a hope for the
future if we believe. If we can recognise our wretched state and then God’s love for us; if we can
appreciate his grace and His desire for us to be like Him; if we can identify with the purpose for which
we created, honour the God in every man, the effect should definitely be different. Salvation is not a
instantaneous accomplishment that is why Philippians 2:12 says, ‘…keep on working with fear and
trembling to complete your salvation (GN) or ‘…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling
(KJV). Romans 13:11 also says, ‘For the moment when we will be saved is closer now than when we
first believed.’ The messages one feeds on starting from the day you first believe is what shapes your
life. To get your final salvation, you must continue learning. Matthew 28:19 - 20 talks about teaching
those who become disciples after baptism to obey all that God has commanded. Did you actually believe
in Jesus or something else? Is it the gifts you want or the given? Are you just afraid of hell or you have
found a reason to live? Is it about the rewards for every little service or sacrifice or it is about pleasing
God? Or maybe you are just following the multitudes or perhaps trying to be the odd one among your
peers. We cannot erase the fact that a lot of people came to Christ for different reasons and this may
likely be based on what they have heard. For most people their feeble quest gives way to the ultimate
quest of life as they gain more understanding of the Way. Some people have enjoyed God’s blessings
and power and have mistaken it as a certification of their knowledge of God and the deep and
meaningful relationship they should have with him never becomes a reality. Some come to meet God
many years after they ‘find’ Him. The ‘what’ we hear can thus affect our attitude and relationship with
God but regardless of what brought us to the path, we can always find the true expressions of faith by
the ‘what’ we feed on, if we truly seek God.

To end this bit on evaluation of the cost, I would like to say here that the price you pay is not only seen
in what you deny yourself of (i.e. what you are letting go of for Christ’s sake) but also in what you are
willing to take upon yourself. This could be the works or things you would do for him. We may also
want to think of sufferings you might be subjected to for his course which is quite different from
suffering by ‘losing’ your blessings for his sake. With regards to suffering, depending on your mental
make up or perception of things, you may not count a lot of the things you go through as suffering which
may be suffering to others. More importantly, when Christ says we should count the cost, he is not
implying that we can make it on our own or secure our salvation by ourselves. He is asking us to count
the cost so we can assure ourselves of our commitment to let God have his way in us; of our
commitment to please him, to serve him to let him direct our path, accept him us our guide and guard.
Yes, we cannot be successful Christians without God’s help. Counting the cost may take time, involve
mind battles and whatever it takes to go through this critical decision making but it is worth it. We must
realize though that we may not always have all the time to decide. If you have not already made a
decision for Christ or consider what it would cost to follow him, you need to make it a critical and
urgent decision that needs your immediate attention. When we make a commitment to give up
everything we own or to renounce our blessings for Christ that does not mean we will be without
blessings. On the contrary, we will find out that we have gained more than we have lost. We might even
find out that it was not a loss after all because we are better off without those things we let go of. Count
the cost and choose right, choose life.