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Count the cost bible verse

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Count the cost bible verse

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost and whether he has enough to finish it – ” (Luke 14:28)

Jesus quoted this verse while teaching the multitudes on the cost of discipleship, as captured in Luke 14:25–27, 33. This is what it says:

“Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.’”

“So, likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

From the passage we have just read, we learn that in order to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, you must meet the following requirements:

  • You must be willing to denounce your father, mother, brother, sister, wife, and children for the sake of Christ.
  • You must be willing to give up your life for Christ’s sake.
  • You must be ready to bear your cross and follow Christ.

Let us consider each of the aforementioned requirements to get a deeper understanding of them from a Biblical perspective.

What does it mean to ‘hate’ father, mother, brother, sister, wife, and children?

The decision to follow Christ is a personal one. It involves abandoning the beliefs of your father’s house in favor of the message of the cross.

A good example is the call of the Patriarch Abraham. When asked by God to leave his father’s house and embark on a journey whose destination he had no idea about, Abraham obeyed without question. We read this account in Genesis 12:1-4 as follows:

“Now the LORD had said to Abraham: ‘Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

So Abraham departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”

Another example is the call of Gideon, one of the Judges of Israel. The Angel of the LORD appeared to him and commanded him to do away with the foreign gods in his father’s house. Gideon obeyed and executed this command as directed. We read this story in the book of Judges 6:25–27 as follows:

“Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, ‘take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.’ So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the LORD had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.”

In Matthew 10:34–37, we see Jesus telling his disciples that he has come to set a man against his own household for the sake of the kingdom. This is what the scriptures say

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

From this passage, we learn that a disciple of Jesus is one who is willing to give up his family’s traditions and customs for the sake of the gospel.

What does it mean to hate one’s own life for Christ’s sake?

To hate one’s own life for Christ’s sake is to be willing to give up everything earthly in order to pursue godliness. It may at times involve persecution and suffering for the sake of the gospel.

A good example is that of believers in the early church who went through untold difficulties because of their faith. Some were beaten, others imprisoned, and others were rendered homeless for their stand regarding the gospel.

Hebrews 11:35–38 tells of the sufferings that these believers went through. This is what it says:

“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial mockings and scourgings, yes, and chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, and they were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.”

The Apostle Paul tells us that he counted everything to be nothing for the sake of the gospel. We read this in Philippians 3:7–11, which says

“But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Here, Paul talks of partaking in the sufferings of Christ, including death, so that he may experience the resurrection from the dead.

Hating one’s life as a believer also implies denouncing the three enemies of godliness recorded in 1 John 2:15–17, that is, ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, for the sake of the gospel. This scripture says:

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

This implies that we should not allow the flesh to inform our actions but instead give way to the word of God to reign in our lives. Therefore, we should not yield to the demands of the flesh, as doing so will certainly lead to alienation from godliness. 

What does it mean to carry your cross and follow Christ?

Carrying your cross and following Jesus implies death to oneself. It implies offering your life as a sacrifice to God on a daily basis so that you may please Him.

The meaning of carrying your cross and following Jesus is well captured in the story of the rich young ruler, as recorded in Mark 10:17–22. This scripture says:

“Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘good teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’

So Jesus said to him, ‘why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘do not commit adultery,’ ‘do not murder,’ ‘do not steal,’ ‘do not bear false witness,’ ‘do not defraud’ ‘honor your father and your mother.’’ And he answered and said to Him, ‘teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.’ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’ But he was sad at this word and went away sorrowful, for he had great possession.”

This passage shows how difficult it is for one to give up his earthly possessions for the sake of the kingdom. But Jesus has assured us that, though difficult with man, with God all things are possible.

The book of Revelation tells of the sufferings and deaths of the brethren in the church of Smyrna for the sake of their faith. This is what it says in Revelation 2:8–10.

“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things that you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Despite these hardships and even death, Jesus promises to give those who will endure to the end the crown of life.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the cost of discipleship as explained in the Bible. We have established that there are three requirements one must be willing to meet: willingness to denounce your father, mother, brother, sister, wife, and children for the sake of Christ; willingness to give up your life for Christ’s sake; and willingness to bear your cross and follow Christ. With man, it is not possible to do it, but with God, all things are possible, as Jesus told His disciples. This is because God’s grace is all that you need in order to meet these requirements. For it is not by might nor by power, as the Bible says, but by the Spirit of God.

Allow me to stop here, but before doing so, I leave you with the words found in Luke 9:57–62 that say

“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’ Then He said to another, ‘follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.’ And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘no one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

So, let your focus be on Christ Jesus, the ‘author and finisher of our faith’.

I hope the information was helpful. Thank you.

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Prayer to become a born again Christian

“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness;

I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God.

I believe that you were sent by your Father to the earth to save sinners like me.

I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.

Come into my heart and baptize me with The Holy Spirit.

Thank you for saving me.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen!”

Congratulations friend! You are now a born-again Christian!

Welcome to the Family of God!

Benediction

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Shalom.

Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/

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