This past Sunday morning we examined a text from the book of Luke where Jesus spoke of the expectations that are held for those who become followers of Jesus Christ. It is summarized in these words:
Luke14:33
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (KJV)
We live in a time where many efforts are being made to reduce the cost of discipleship in order to make the Christian faith more attractive and acceptable. In some quarters heretical teachers are even suggesting that Christ has come to make our earthly lives more pleasant and even to bring us temporal wealth. Such errors are attractive indeed and many are the folks that have bought into such foolishness. This stuff is not Christianity at all.
It is rather a distinctive heresy that Paul spoke of when he said that the time would come when folks would not endure or accept sound teaching, but would rather gather to themselves teachers that would tell them what they want to hear. It is a Christianity without standards of holiness and without the cost of hardship and rejection. Unfortunately, these heresies now prevail among most Christian churches. If you want a crowd, you must avoid the realities of the faith and promote the silliness of what began as being positive and has now evolved into bold lies and twisted Scriptures.
The truth remains, to be a Christian is costly and only those accepting and bearing the cost are the true children of God.
