Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Matthew 19:21 (WEB)

 

The greatest threat to the church today is posed by people who are more fans of Jesus than followers of Jesus. They want to be close enough to Jesus to receive something from Him, but not so close that it requires anything from them. The rich young man was willing to follow Jesus if it does not cost him his inheritance. When Jesus raises a challenge to him to give away everything he had, the rich young man chose the pull of money over the choice to pursue Jesus.

You have such a worth in Christ that is beyond measure. Once you know this truth and begin to live it, there is nothing you are not prepared to give up for the sake of His Kingdom. His life in you gives you the ability to live more freely without fear of losing out on life. This is the context why Jesus told His disciples, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Following Jesus will cost us.

His call for radical discipleship challenges our way of life that is oriented towards personal comfort, self-centered focus, and individualistic behaviour. All the earthly riches and fame we have cannot compare to the true and eternal riches of Christ. If we understand the gospel of grace, the cost to follow Jesus is not a cost or even a burden. It appears costly because we have yet to completely surrender ourselves to Jesus and let Him live out His life in us through His Spirit. But when we give ourselves to follow His leading, we have no qualms about losing what we cannot keep so as experience the joy of keeping what we cannot lose.

What is God saying to me here and what must I do?