Following Jesus is a privilege and a blessing—not something to check off our to-do list. Instead of being passive in following Jesus, we need to live as though we live in persecuted areas.
As someone who lives in the Western world, there is not much physical persecution for my faith. I can go to church, carry my Bible with me, and tell others about my faith in Jesus without fear of someone trying to hurt or murder me. Our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world do not have this same privilege. Oftentimes, we can overlook the privileges and blessings we have because we have always had them.
Since we have never had to worry about physical persecution, we don’t always consider the cost of following Jesus. Believers in highly persecuted areas know what it means to suffer and die for Christ. Many Muslims who placed faith in Jesus have faced persecution for their faith, including being disowned by their families, treated like outcasts, beaten, forced out of their homes, or even killed. When we look at these things, we can see the cost of following Jesus.
Choosing to follow Jesus may mean we lose our family, friends, or occupation. We have to give up sinful desires because we know they do not serve us or promote our relationship with Christ. Rather than trying to always be the best or to be “perfect,” we have to humble ourselves (1 Peter 5:6). Different countries and people groups will face different forms of persecution; however, what we can be certain of is that there is a cost when it comes to following Jesus.
Placing Jesus Above All Else
The Lord tells us plainly, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). As Jesus tells us, we have to love Him more than anyone or anything else. In other words, we have to place Jesus above all else. While we should love our parents and our children, we should not love them more than Jesus. The Lord tells us this to emphasize the truth that we should love Him more than anyone in our lives, any job, or any hobby.
Jesus tells us that if anyone loves his mother, father, son, or daughter more than Him, then they are not worthy of Him. This is something that is often overlooked by believers, but it is worth mentioning. It convicts us and shows us the importance of loving Jesus more than anyone. When we truly love Jesus more than anyone or anything else, we will be able to faithfully follow Him.
As one can see, this single statement by Jesus is a cost. For those in Muslim families, they have to be willing to give up everything they have. Within the Muslim religion, they will not take too kindly if a member of the family converts to Christianity. As mentioned above, they will be severely persecuted and might even be put to death.
In America, we do not have this type of persecution, but it doesn’t mean that it might not happen one day. In fact, as time gets closer to the end, things will go from worse to terrible. However, at present, we are not often physically persecuted for our faith, but we can be ridiculed and made fun of for our faith in Christ. Many people call us “unintelligent” or think we believe in a fairy tale. They consider us hateful, judgmental, and bigoted for honoring life in the womb and standing against homosexuality.
The world will laugh at Christ and His followers, but in the end, we know to whom we belong. If you are standing up against persecution today, know that it is a cost of following Jesus. Whether it is physical persecution, social persecution, or both, know that it does not go unnoticed by God. He sees everything, including every tear that has fallen from your eyes (Psalm 56:8).
Abandoning the World and Its Desires
Counting the cost of following Jesus is also seen in the way we need to abandon the world and its desires. The Apostle John says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (1 John 2:15). As John tells us, if we love the world, the love of God is not in us. This is a strong statement and something that can convict many of us. Following Jesus means giving up the sinful practices of the world as well as its wants and desires.
This can be challenging for most of us, yet it is something that we must do. Following Jesus is not a walk in the park. It is very strenuous, takes much discipline, and encourages us to do the right thing rather than the easy thing. Even though it is challenging, it is rewarding. By following Jesus, we know we are doing the right thing and are glorifying Him. When we choose to not follow Jesus, we will feel shame and guilt and drift further away from Him.
The world does not contain anything that will endure forever. Expensive cars, big houses, and high-paying jobs will not last forever. They are temporal. To follow Jesus, we cannot hang onto these things. We have to be willing to give up these things because the Lord does not call us to a life of high fashion, wealth, and prestige. Instead, we are called to a life that mirrors Christ—one of humbleness, suffering, and self-sacrifice.
More Than Willing to Die for Christ
Willing to die for Christ is one thing and actually dying for Christ is another. Many of us make the statement that we would die for Christ, but would we? If we were placed before a judge and were convicted for being a Christian, would we stay strong or would we be like Peter who disowned Christ (Matthew 26:69-75; Luke 22:54-62)? Not only did Peter disown Christ, but he disowned Him three times. If we are honest with ourselves, it would stand to reason that many of us would echo Peter.
If your life's on the line for your faith in Christ, there is no reason to disown Him. He is our Savior, Redeemer, and Lord. A major cost of following Jesus is to know that you might die for your faith in Christ one day. We have to be more than willing to die for Jesus—we have to give our entire lives, hopes, and desires to Him. Just as Jesus died for us, we should be willing to die for Him.
This is true for many of our fellow believers across the globe. If you live in a highly persecuted area, you are already aware of the cost of following Jesus. If you are not someone who lives in a highly persecuted area, you would do well to learn from those who live in these areas. Following Jesus is a privilege and a blessing—not something to check off our to-do list. Instead of being passive in following Jesus, we need to live as though we live in persecuted areas.
Through being persecuted, our faith can grow stronger. Nobody would willingly be persecuted or die for their faith unless they knew it to be true. Just as the apostles and many early followers of Christianity were martyred for their faith, we should be willing to do the same. Since we know Christianity is true, we should be willing to die for our faith in Jesus. In the same way, we can see this is a cost of following Jesus, but the rewards of knowing Him far outweigh any pain, suffering, or trial we will face.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/James Robinson
