In Luke 28:26-34 Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even life itself; such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, "This person began to build and wasn't able to finish." Or suppose a king is about to go to war with another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty-thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Salt is good but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, it is thrown out. "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."
Now lets get things straight here, Jesus does not want us to hate anybody, but in comparison to the love we should have for him everything else is nothing. Even our very own lives... This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is no longer your will but his will for your life and everything on this earth must not possess you.
In Luke 18:18-29, we read: And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good- except God alone. You know the commandments: "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother." All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God." Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with human beings is possible with God." Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" "Truly I tell you," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brother or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."
This ruler was sad because he had a lot of possessions and did not want to give them up. The Lord knows you need clothes, shoes, food etc...He does not necessarily want you to sell all you have either. The problem here is that he saw in the young rulers heart that the things he had possessed his heart! Jesus was not the center of his heart! Notice in comparison, Peter said, "We have left all we had to follow you". Peter was a true disciple of Christ! But look at the promise that came with that sacrifice, "no one who has left home or wife or brother or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life." Never be afraid to let go of whoever or whatever you have to in order to follow Christ, because great is your reward!
In order to do this there is a great need for a self disciplined life. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Cor 9: 24-27) This was the apostle Pauls writing to the church of Corinth.
Just like a runner runs in a small pair of short and little clothes so that it may not hinder him, we must remove everything that hinders our walk with Christ. If it is the friends we associate with, then we need to let them go! Pray for them that they may be saved and let them turn to you, not you turn to them! (Jer 15:19) If it is an addiction then you need to pray for deliverance for that addiction and disassociate with everything and everyone that has anything to do with it. If it's a relationship out of wedlock, you must give it up and trust God. If that person is God's will for you he will restore it in the right way, in the right time. But you must put everything in the cross. You must die to it...That is what it means to take up your cross daily! Not letting these thing go and trying to walk with Christ is like a runner trying to win a race with a heavy backpack and a bunch of clothes on. Those things will hinder you and could prevent you from winning that crown! Sometimes, it could even be a marriage that hinders you. A marriage partner that was chosen in the flesh and is an unbeliever. In this case you must obey the instruction given in 1Cor 7:16, but you must continue to follow and as you follow if that spouse does not want to follow you and they want to leave then you must let them go and trust God!
I am not speaking from a stand point of not having to do these things...I have had to walk away from friends, relationships, addictions etc...in order to follow. I let go of possessions that did not Glorify God or the Holy Spirit asked me to give away. I even had to separate from my family for a time and season in order for God to do a work in me. These things are necessary as a true disciple of Christ. Nevertheless, the Lord has been faithful to his word and promise and has restored everything in my life to more than what I could ever imagine. When I look back at my life and think about all the suffering the Lord pulled me through and allowed in order to form Christ in me and teach me many things that can only be learned thru experience; all that he has done and restored in my life. I can't help but to well up with tears because he has been so good. No it hasn't been easy...Swimming against stream is never easy. A disciple of Christ walks in a narrow path least chosen because of the difficulty of it to the flesh, but your spirit man is edified through out it all. All the suffering he allows you to go through he has a plan of restoration for it already. You will look back at your life and know that you walked through these things but your heart will be so healed and pure that you will not feel any pain of the memories...he will make all things new! There is a difference between suffering that comes upon us from living a life of disobedience apart from Christ and suffering from walking with Christ. Nevertheless, once you have turned and truly repented from your ways that Lord is still able to restore you. That doesn't necessarily mean that he will take away the consequences from the bad choices you made while living in sin but he will forgive you and still can use it for your good. (Rom 8:28)
This is the truth about what it means to follow Christ. Everything comes with a price... If you give your life up for Christ...you will find it! (Mat 10:39) If you don't it will cost you much more in this age and next age to come....
Therefore, make that body a slave to prayer and fasting! Let go of everything that hinders you! Trust God with the pain of letting go of people and relationships and BE FREE! Run the race and GO! You can do it but not in your own strength. Only with the power and help of the Holy Spirit can living a true Christian life be accomplished!
What has Christ done in your life? Has this post clear things up for you? Leave your comments below, your testimonies...that they might inspire others who read!
