What it Cost to Live Like a Christian

(#247, Hinkley/Yermo/Kelso, May 1949; Imperial, 1954))

Read Mark 8:34-38; Phil. 3:8.

Christ gave us 2 parables in Luke 14 dealing with “cost”: the parable of the tower and the parable of a king going to war.  The foolishness of some Christian is in not considering the cost.

v  The cost to God.

2 Cor. 8:9: For ye know that grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.

1 Peter 1:18-19: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

v  The cost to the Christian.

This cost is expressed in 3 phrases:

Ø  Take up his cross.

The Christian life is a life of sacrifice (Rom. 12:1) as is suggested by the “cross.”

Ø  Deny himself.

Self-denial involves denial of self-dependence, self-righteousness, self-wisdom, self-will, self-seeking.

Ø  Lost his life.  Read Phil. 3:7-8.

v  What is the gain?

Ø  The believer gains Christ (Phil. 3:8).

Ø  The believer becomes as salt, a preservative in the world (Luke 14:33-34).

Ø  Souls are saved.

Ø  Reward is eternal; treasures are laid up in heaven.

Two things are involved in out and out living for Christ:

§  Becoming a Christian.

§  Yieldedness to Christ.

 The issue is clear: we are either for or against Christ.  God wants no halfway Christians.