A Christianity That Doesn'T Cost Anything Isn'T Worth Anything

There are some folks who, if asked, will tell you they are Christians. They are conservative in their politics, and proud to be Americans, who believe in the principles of our Founding Fathers, and that they stand against the growing evils of our day. They tithe to their local church and serve there in some capacity.

They can even quote you some parts of the Bible, and they will tell you they will pray for you if you need prayer. In their eyes, they are pretty solid Christians, and they will tell you so. But if you scratch the surface of their life, and dig a little deeper into their claim of being a follower of Christ Jesus, you won't be able to find much evidence of their professed faith other than what they've already told you.

These individuals are willing to have a comfortable Christianity that can benefit them, but they don't want a Christianity that gets in the way of their daily living, or costs them anything. They want eternal life and all the crown rights of heaven, but without the cross and a life of discipleship. But what costs counts, and what counts costs, and a Christianity that doesn't cost anything isn't worth anything.

And that's the title of my message today, friends. A Christianity that doesn't cost anything isn't worth anything. There is no sacrifice attending their brand of Christianity, but the living God of the Bible delights in sacrifice, for he sacrificed his only begotten son to suffer and die on an ignoble cross for sinful man.

Jesus spoke of the cross and the life of discipleship in following him. Jesus never taught a comfortable Christianity, but one that costs something. In Matthew's Gospel in chapter 16, we read in verses 24 and 25, Then Jesus said unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. But a Christianity that involves a life of self-denial is shunned by the modern self-satisfied churchgoer. Even in the days of Jesus, there were those who followed him for what they could get out of him, whether it was a free loaves and fishes or a miracle of healing.

We read, beginning in John 2, 23, Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men. The disciples understood the cost of discipleship and forsook all to follow him along the narrow way, as they were willing to lay down their lives for Christ and the Gospel.

A comfortable Christianity is not found anywhere in my Bible, but one that costs something. For those who follow a crucified Christ must live crucified lives that bleed once in a while for the sake of the Gospel and the souls of men. The self-satisfied church member doesn't mind engaging in casual prayer occasionally, but they are strangers to unfortunate, agonizing prayer that has a sacrifice attending it as it gains the ear of the Almighty.

They will tell you everybody needs Jesus, but seldom will you ever find them out in their community, sharing their faith with a stranger. They will gladly inform you that they give regularly to their church, but they won't tell you that they give only out of their abundance and are strangers to giving out of their want, like the widow and her mites. In short, their brand of Christianity only runs so deep so long as it doesn't cost them anything.

And these folks comprise a good part of our churches. I repeat, a Christianity that doesn't cost anything, isn't worth anything in the eyes of a nail-pierced Christ who gave his all on a bloody cross for us, holding nothing back in Hebrews we read. Who, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears unto him, that was able to save him from death, and he was heard in that he feared, though he was son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Those last two words, obey him, separate the chaff from the wheat in this day of a non-biblical carnal Christianity.