Is Following Jesus Really Costly?

Many Christians know that when they decide to follow Jesus, there is a price they must pay, namely deny themselves and take up the cross (Matthew 16:24). Yet, perhaps few know that when they choose not to follow Jesus, they need to pay an even greater price.

What do we miss out on if we refuse to follow Jesus?

1. Full Acceptance

The world cannot accept us as we are. That is why slimming products and beauty products that whiten or remove spots are so popular. The world has its own standards, and the more we chase those standards, the more exhausted we become. We will never be satisfied and will always feel lacking.

On the other hand, God sees us as His precious and perfect possession. We were created in His likeness and in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). And He loves us so much that He was even willing to die for us while we were still sinners, while we were still His enemies (Romans 5:8).

Do you feel rejected by others? God accepts you as you are. When you fail, sad, afraid, or disappointed, He does not insult you or think you are pathetic. Yet God does not want you to remain the same person day after day. He keeps giving you opportunities to become better. He is always present, even at the lowest point in your life.

Can you imagine living in acceptance this great? No one in the world can accept you the way Jesus does. After knowing this truth, do you not want to follow Him?

2. Abundant Life

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. – John 10:10 

What is meant by abundant life? Does that mean we become rich and lack nothing?

We know there were 613 laws of the Torah that the people of Israel had to obey. The question is, why did God give so many laws? Was Israel not His chosen people, who should have been cherished rather than drilled with so many rules?

In those laws, God regulated how they were to treat one another, livestock ownership, what could and could not be eaten, and so on. He knew what was best for Israel. He wanted this nation to be healthy, live in good condition, have long life, and receive His blessing.

Imagine this illustration: If fish thought that the rule of living in water limited their movement and chose to move onto land, they would surely die. Yet as long as they remain in the water, they can live freely and enjoy all the abundance and beauty of the sea that God has given them.

We may think, “Ah, these rules are so burdensome and restrictive. I cannot do this, I cannot do that. How annoying!” In fact, all those rules are good and guard us so that we may have a full life in God, according to His best design for us. A life free from the bondage of sin, from guilt, from things that can harm us.

The LORD our God commanded us to do all these statutes and to fear the LORD our God, for our good always and to preserve us alive, as we are this day. – Deuteronomy 6:24  

3. Forgiveness of Sins

Whether we realize it or not, we live as slaves to sin. Our intentions are good, but what we do is contrary to those intentions (Romans 7:19-20). And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). In order to be saved from the sentence of death, a sacrifice is needed to atone for all our wrongs.

In the days of ancient Israel, there was a sacrifice that had to die as the ransom price to pay for their sins. But now we no longer need that, because we already have Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God. Through His death, once for all, He redeemed all human sin (Hebrews 7:26-27). There is no one who is without sin and able to forgive and save us. Only Jesus can do that.

For in Him and through His blood we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. – Ephesians 1:7

Rejecting Jesus means rejecting the One who was willing to exchange His life for ours so that we might be forgiven and remain alive. Will you reject grace this great?

4. Salvation / Eternal Life

Therefore God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess: “Jesus Christ is Lord,” to the glory of God the Father! – Philippians 2:9-11 

On the day I was baptized, I heard a sermon that mentioned the verse above. It said that in fact we do not have many choices. One day, whether we like it or not, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. If I am too late to believe and repent, all that remains is regret because I will have no chance to make it right anymore.

How important is eternal life? Life is short. The average human lifespan is still under one hundred years. The rest is eternity, far longer than one hundred years. There are two kinds of life in eternity: eternal life with Jesus, or eternal suffering in the fire of hell. How we will live later depends on the choices we make and the way we live now. - If we choose to live as we please and do not want to follow God, eternal death is what we will receive. We will suffer punishment in a place full of weeping and gnashing of teeth, where the fire never goes out (Matthew 13:42).

But if we pay that price now by following Jesus, we will receive the crown of righteousness and eternal life with Jesus Christ. So, which will you choose: eternal death or eternal life?

Indeed, there is a price we must pay when we follow God. Yet in Him, we receive full acceptance, abundant life, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. By choosing not to follow God, it means we must pay a far greater price, namely eternal death. Have you made your choice?

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References: https://bibleproject.com/learn/the-law/

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