The advertisement said, ‘you can make use of the equity in your house to pay off credit card debt.  One listener got $100,000 in less than 60 seconds just by applying.  No closing costs and no hidden fees.’  Sounds great for home owners.  Actually, it sounds almost like free money; but, it isn’t.  The advertisement is not telling the listener of what the payments will be and neither does one hear of the interest rate for the loan.  It is just that, a loan and not free money; it has to be paid back.  However, one has to admit, it is great advertising.  In fact, a lot of things are purchased not because of the quality of the product but because of the quality of the advertising.  The last thing God would try to do is give us great advertising while hiding the true cost of the purchase.

      The Bible says clearly that we have been bought with a price.  (I Corinthians 6:20)  The study of Scripture as a whole will also tell us that the cost was the crucifixion of the Son of God.  In addition, one learns through a study of Scripture that believers are subject to persecution and even martyrdom.  The Gospel Message is meant to be communicated with clarity without trying to convince someone to follow Christ and not first count the cost of discipleship.  Anyone coming to God through faith in Jesus as the Christ of God must understand that it is not a “free ride” – in a manner of speaking.  A German Theologian named Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke of ‘cheap grace’ in his book The Cost of Discipleship.  His teaching is clear: There can be no forgiveness without repentance.  Baptism means discipline; it is not simply implied.  We come to God by way of confessing our sins as opposed to hiding them.

      The Church will die unless we provide discipleship for our young people and for any new believer – young or old.  The Apostle Paul reminds us that Jesus “being found in human form … humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  (Philippians 2:8)  The Church is obligated to clarify the true message of the Gospel.  God paid the price for our soul.  The Church must pay the price of discipleship by making Christ Jesus the example for how we live our life from day to day.  We learn obedience as He did.  We learn to call others to repentance as He did.  We learn to study the Scriptures that He gave us – His Holy Word preserved through the ages for our edification.  We learn that our earthly life is not worth eternity.  (Matthew 16:25)  We are saved by grace and not by works.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)  The Church that is alive today is the Church that teaches believers that we are ‘created in Christ Jesus for good works’ and that our daily walk of life is demonstrated by those good works.  (Ephesians 2:10)  While they do not save you, they display the grace of God at work in your life.  That in turn becomes a witness to the world around you.

      The value of a single human life is measured not by the amount of “good works” performed; but rather by the price God paid to give that human life access to His Grace.  Our Creator God looks upon each one of us with loving and caring eyes and He sees great value.  This is why the Apostle Peter wrote the following: The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9)  May we never become guilty of “false advertising” when it comes to the proclamation of the Gospel.  Let us proclaim the true message that salvation is by God’s Grace and commitment to follow Jesus means learning obedience to God’s Will for our life.  Are you willing to call others to repentance?  Are you willing to tell others about your own personal faith in the risen Christ?  The answers to such questions will determine the strength and vitality of the Church.  So, come now and let us reason together about the cost of being a disciple of Jesus who is the Christ.

Pastor David