Gospel is a beautiful message of love, salvation and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to bring people back to God. When we read the story, it sounds almost impossible how someone could willingly sacrifice himself for this cause. Not only to sacrifice but also to go through unimaginable pain and suffering. All so that we could come back to God.
Modern Christianity very much focuses on the Gospel which is in the center of their teachings. The message however has been slightly watered through and over time it changed it’s meaning. Nowadays churches teach us that Jesus’ sacrifice was the final sacrifice and the only thing we have to do is to believe. We are just here waiting for Jesus to save us from this cruel world and we can’t do anything about the fact that we are all sinners living in those sinful bodies. We just have to cultivate the message and spread it across. No works is required and only if you feel like you are called to, however the only requirement is just faith.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2: 8-9
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” Romans 5:1-2
However, we also have to learn through the context of the whole Bible, including Old Testament. Faith is the most important aspect but there are also other elements to the faith and salvation like sacrifice. Of course I am not talking about sacrificing animals here…but let me explain. The message of salvation is true: through faith by grace – and we should be so grateful to Jesus for His sacrifice and to God for accepting us. But there is more to the story.
I mentioned in my previous posts the importance of repentance in order to receive the Holy Spirit and how some people believe that water baptism or infant christening is the way to receive Holy Spirit. Only through repentance, which is turning away from the old sinful life and genuine change of heart is where we can receive the Holy Spirit:
“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
But once you have repented, turned away from the sinful life and you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, is that it? I am not talking about the doctrines of the Catholic church with their sacraments and doctrines of other Christian dominations of works. However, it seems there are only two spectrums of the message: either just believe, have faith in Jesus and you will be saved or you have to prove yourself to God and without works you cannot be saved. The truth is in the middle. We are saved by grace through faith and not justified by works, however “faith without works is dead”. Works and following the Law is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit and the Spirit changes you from the molded version of the world, you will naturally be drawn to spiritual practices, wanting to please God and to help others on this path. It’s a sign that Holy Spirit is changing you. So we can agree that yes, works does not give us a pass to heaven, however works goes hand in hand with the filled with the Holy Spirit flesh that wants to obey God.
I would agree that not everyone is here to preach or to prophesy, however the gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed across people in different areas. We are not obliged to all start preaching to people, however as possible in our own abilities to share the message in the way we can:
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” Romans 12:6-8
Another important part in the walk with God is sacrifice. This is also not something often shared at the church, because it makes people uncomfortable.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12: 1
When we think about our bodies we often hear: my body my life. However, our body is a temple of God, a living sacrifice to God and it’s not about what we want but what God wants. It’s about rejecting your own wants, needs, pleasures and the pride of life to live a humble life. This world is not our place, we are just ‘visitors’ passing by, therefore we shouldn’t be putting importance in what this world has to offer.
When I came across this scripture, it took me aback a little:
“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. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14: 26-33
At the beginning of my walk with Christ, this is something I was battling with in my head. How come I should hate my parents or my sister or my son? Shouldn’t we love our neighbor like ourselves? But with time this started to be clear…
The process of transformation through the Holy Spirit takes time and it does not occur over night. Once turning your back to the world and choosing Christ, you have to get rid of your old ways of thinking, old ways of living and your old habits. That includes what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, what you eat and how you spend your time on. You must value and guard your eye gates, your ear gates and your mouth gates. This takes time. There are times you might forget and watch something you shouldn’t, listen to an artist that increases your spiritual warfare or you slip back to your old habits. The process of setting apart from the world while living in the world takes time. And this is when your family, friends, people you spend time with will start noticing the change. They will start getting uncomfortable with the new you, that you reject everything including catching up at the restaurant or a pub for some gossip. They will not understand this transformation and they’ll think you are taking it too far. ‘Maybe it’s just a phase, maybe she will be back to ‘normal’ after some time, maybe she will miss old times… ‘- they think. And this is where I realized what that scripture really meant.
The cost of being disciple means you reject everything of the world and you guard yourself as if you were living in a foreign country. You have to be very selective on the consumption of many things to not ‘defile’ your eyes or ears or bodies. So you have to forget about the normal activities that before you didn’t think twice about. And with that, people that were around you will decrease, even family members will get uncomfortable with your change. They will have problems with understanding why you had to take things so drastically.
Why so drastic?
Not only because this is what we have been told to do:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12: 1-2
But also, you realize that the world we live in is ruled by the kingdom of darkness and everything here is designed to take you away from God through sin and through defilement of our bodies. You realize that there is agenda behind everything, no matter how innocent it looks and there are consequences by giving in and relaxing your ways. That is why you have to be comfortable to “hate your father or mother” if they are of the world and you are not. You have to value being with Christ more that with your parents, children, partner… Everyone has a different plan and as much as we would like to save everyone close, you have to realize that not everyone will go with you. And this is a very sad part that I am still processing.
Another cost of being a disciple is being comfortable with loosing your belongings and living minimalistic life:
“Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Mark 10: 28-31
No more focusing on material things, fashion, make up, houses, cars, products. This is all back to basics.
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6: 31-33
We often hear: You need to “take up your cross” – what does that actually mean?
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” Luke 9:23-25
This is where we have to deny ourselves, our passions, dreams, goals, pleasures and hobbies. This is the part where you realize it’s not about you, it’s not about your life, because:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2: 20-21
Yes, of course we can live in a way to give glory to God, it’s not ‘let us drop everything and live in a cave’ type of sacrifice. But it’s all about mindful decisions that if this doesn’t glorify God, if this is to only satisfy my senses and to please my flesh, then it’s not probably something I should do. Because if we are not careful, we can slip back to the old habits and start compromising on those decisions. And temptation is around. It’s about loosing yourself, not getting everything you want.
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” Colossians 3: 5-11
Therefore no casual dates, fornication, lusting after people or things, comparison, covetousness, constant want or need and living like the world. You just leave this behind in the past. That is part of the sacrifice.
It’s all about embracing a life of selflessness and service, it’s a call to surrender your life completely to God, to die to your desires, resist any urges and seek to please God instead. It’s a willingness to let go of your own agenda including your identity and trusting in God’s plan completely, allowing the Lord to transform you into the person He created you to be but the world molded you into a different version.
“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20: 24
Therefore the cost of being a disciple and following Jesus is the cost of leaving your life and not living it your way. It’s the cost of detaching yourself from the world and detaching any importance previously put on the world. It’s a life filled with the Holy Spirit and being comfortable going against the current, against the trends and against the pressure of people. It’s a cost of realizing that this world is designed to take us away from God, not to help us get closer to God, because the ruler of this world is an enemy of God. However, also knowing that the reward and life with God will be much more valuable than anything than this world could offer.
By Dagmara Z.