Following Christ Is Costly

-April 5, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.’”

(Luke 9:57).

Salvation is free, simply by the grace of God. We all know the familiar verses in Ephesians 2:8,9, “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.”

Though salvation is free to us, following Christ is costly. Every person that Jesus called, He urged to “Follow Me.” Our lives are no longer our own and we must surrender all to the Lord, giving Him all, and having no will of our own.

The unknown person who followed Jesus as He made His final journey to Jerusalem where He would be crucified and rise again, said, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

Jesus makes it clear just what is involved when we call Him Lord and decide to follow Him fully. Jesus challenged this person’s decision to follow Him. Our Savior said, “…Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Jesus had already proclaimed the ground rules in Luke 9:37, “…If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” But what does this mean in a practical way? We must follow Him whatever His will leads us. Following Christ involves times of pain, sorrow, loss, persecution, failure, or disappointment.

The life of a disciple is one of sacrifice, surrender, and sure dependence on Jesus. There is a beautiful hymn written by William K. Brehm that says, “What will it cost me to follow the Lord? What is the price of a life that’s restored? If I am willing to walk in His way, what is the price I must pay? Ev-‘rything! Ev-‘rything! All that I own, Ev-‘rything! Ev-‘rything! All that I am, Ev-‘rything! Ev-‘rything! All that I love, that is the price I must pay, that is the price I will pay.”

Are we willing to give up everything to follow Jesus? It is a costly price on a daily basis. Have a blessed day following Jesus wherever He leads us. Stay safe and healthy.

The cross cost Jesus everything to save us; taking up our cross daily, costs us everything to follow Him.

Dean