What Are We Doing?

Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’ [Luke 13.22-27]

Salvation is free. But somehow it seems modern Christianity has made it cheap. It cost God the life of His Son, but what does it cost us?

What? Salvation is FREE! Grace is unmerited favor!

Jesus was clear that there IS a cross to bear to follow Him. He also was no less clear that there IS a price to pay:

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. [Luke 14.25-33]

I know this might ruffle some "easy grace" feathers, but is it not worth it? I like "easy grace" as much as anyone, but what if Jesus words recorded here mean more than the "easy grace" teachings allow? Can we afford to be wrong?

Christianity is about a change of heart. If that change of heart is not seen, then what are we doing? To call ourselves "Christian" and not markedly live and look like Christ, is a mockery of the life, work, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Plus, it has no effect on a lost and dying world - for whom God loved so much, He gave His only Son.

Father, forgive me for not looking and acting like Christ. Forgive me for my contentment with sin and powerless. Forgive me for not being changed and not bringing change to the world in which I live.