And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. Luke 9:23-24

What does it cost to be a Christian? Some would say it costs nothing, however that is not true. As Jesus teaches us here, it will cost you everything to be a Christian! Now am I talking about money , no! To be a born again disciple of Christ will cost you your life. You must die to your old self and become a new creature in Christ. 

As Jesus said “If anyone wants to come after him or follow him, they must deny themselves” The first step in becoming saved is understanding you need to be saved! When people come to Christ for the wrong reasons, this is why you have false converts. People need to understand God is Holy and we are sinful, the only way we can become saved is through Jesus Christ. When you don’t have this understanding of your sinful nature, people come to Christ for the wrong reasons.

Jesus also said “If you want to save your life, you must lose it first” If you truly are born again, then there should be evidence of your conversion. If you’re still dead in your sins, then what were you saved from? This is a paraphrase of the late preacher Leonard Ravenhill, you must crucify your old flesh before you can become born again in Christ

 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. Luke 9:25-27

Jesus asks another question “ What does it profit you to gain the whole world and to lose your soul” Money will not save your soul from Hell, only Jesus Christ will. So don’t spend and waste all your time working and acquiring things. Spend your time on your spiritual lives, spend your time serving Christ. Your bank account will not buy you a house in Heaven. Only those who are born again will see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3)

So do you tell others the good news about Christ? Are you ashamed to be a Christian? Jesus said “Anyone ashamed of him , he will be ashamed of them before God the Father” This is about a relationship with Christ, it’s a two way street, you can’t neglect Jesus, and expect him to adore you. You must develop a relationship with Christ by prayer, reading your Bible, and worshipping in a community. Don’t be ashamed of the One who died for your sins, on that shameful rugged cross

Everyone thinks its easy to be a Christian, say a prayer and you have the golden ticket to Heaven! That’s not Biblical or reality, fact is you need to carry your cross on a daily basis and follow your Lord Jesus Amen!