KBM Salvation And Counting The Cost
KBM God's Plan Of Salvation • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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In the church we like to make powerful and memorable statements that are meant to grab our attention and help us hold on to the “basic” concept of whatever topic is at hand. With the plan of salvation we find this, in that if you ask most people in the church what the plan of salvation is they will repeat what they have heard for years, Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, Be Baptized. Again, these easy to remember things we come up with are good for memorizing if they are kept in proper perspective. For example as we dealt with repentance in our last lesson, one of the thing that is required before one ever makes that great confession (Matthew 5:32; Romans 10:9-10) is that Jesus tells them to “count the cost” and determine if they are willing to do what it takes to be his disciple. Let’s look at what the potential cost of being a disciple of Christ looks like, from Jesus’ own words.
26 “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. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Jesus then, as he often times does, illustrates this point and then he declares in Luke 14:33…
33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
When we study God’s existence and his word and determine God, not only exists, but that he has given us a portion of his mind in written form in what we called the bible (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). And we, based on the evidence, put our faith or trust in him whom, we know exists and will reward the faithful (Hebrews 11:6), it’s no wonder people see the need to repent, as we said in our last study. If Jesus did everything he did for “my sins” (Isaiah 59:1-2; Psalm 22) then of course I want to “turn or repent” and follow God.
But here is where we are now, one “must” determine if they are willing to “if needed” give up everything on this earth for an eternity with God. Notice how the apostle Paul put it in Philippians 3:7-8…
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
Christianity is the greatest life one can have on this earth from the perspective of emotional stability, but it is also the hardest life on earth from the perspective of those in sin causing trouble for those living a righteous life. After all, those in sin actually crucified the Son of God. It’s no wonder Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Tim 3.12…
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
To be a disciple of Christ requires one to understand and make the decision that eternity is so great that “anything on this earth can be counted as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.”
