Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Price of Free


Our old home was a dungeon. We used to be chained there… in the dark...waiting to die. Then Jesus freed us. He broke our chains, he took our place and then he paid the price of our punishment. We couldn’t earn this freedom. We couldn’t buy this freedom. We couldn’t steal this freedom. He gave it to us freely. And so it cost us nothing to accept this gift.

But there is a cost to following Jesus. It’s important to know this. If we blindly follow Him, expecting rainbows and candy, then we will fall away the moment any form of conflict comes our way. Below I have listed some of the costs:

The cost of alienation: We no longer belong to the world. We are outcasts to its ways. We are set apart and different. No longer can we laugh at the lewd jokes. No longer can we gather in the workplace kitchens and exchange gossip. No longer can we bad-mouth someone else because they bad-mouthed us. We must face persecution without striking back.

The cost of self denial: God must come first. We are no longer number one. We must deny our pride, our self reliance, our stubbornness. God must come first, even above our spouses, our children, our friends and our jobs.

The cost of reliance: We must give up our independence. We must put our trust in God and rely on Him in everything we do.

The cost of vigilance: We can’t relax and take it easy. We must be forever vigilant for the subtle things that turn our attention away from God. We can’t take a break. We can’t fall back on our old ways.

Are you prepared to pay the price of following Jesus? Can you think of other costs to add to this list?

Tomorrow I will talk about the REWARD of following Jesus, which far out-weighs the cost.

11 comments:

Cherie Hill said...

Lynda...what a GREAT post...it especially hit me when you said, "persecution without striking back." This has been a challenge for me lately as I follow Christ...and I'm truly needed His strength in this area. Thankfully, I am walking confidently forward in the other areas...thank you for a wonderful post and a reminder of the price we must pay for the freedom we experience in Christ...it IS worth it ALL!
With joy,
Cherie

One Prayer Girl said...

Jesus literally saved me from death here in this earthly life and has blessed me with such beautiful spiritual gifts that I find it hard to even care or really think about the cost. I just pay them gladly.

PG

Anonymous said...

Excellent difference between our permitting Jesus to be 'just' Savior and truly LORD of our lives!

Unknown said...

I am so glad you posted this! It seems we always talk about the rewards of being a Christian but not the cost! Your list is right on!

Deborah Ann said...

This is a great reminder...we are not our own. Jesus paid a great price for us, so we should live like it!

Kathy Schwanke said...

Amen! Jesus said consider the cost...I continually pray that we will finish well...

David C Brown said...

"Christ has set us free in freedom; stand fast therefore, and be not held again in a yoke of bondage", Galatians 5: 1.

Nikki (Sarah) said...

this is awesome Lynda...and soooo true. Sarah

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Cherie, this is a challenge for me also. I tend to 'react' too quickly. I *try* to practise James 1:19 "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

PG, my next post will cover why it's possible to do that (although I haven't written it yet..eek)

Deb, yeah, that's it! :)

Alisa, yeah, a little fire n brimstone is good for the soul ;)

Deborah Ann, and living like it makes such an enormous difference.

Kathy, Amen indeed!

David, I love that verse.

Sarah, hugs.

Just Be Real said...

Wonderful reminder Lynda. Appreciate the post. Blessings.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks JBR, and I finally finished the next post about rewards. Woo!