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Matthew 16:26
So yesterday we read where Jesus outlined the cost of discipleship. We can actually see that Jesus lives up to the standard when we read any of the four Gospel accounts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all show us how important it was to Jesus To be a Disciple of the Father, for Him to say and do what the Father, and only what the Father, required of Him to say and do.
I want to remind us today of the end of that portion in Matthew where Jesus poses the following question.
Matthew 16:26 (NIV) What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
This is an extremely deep question. And again I believe that often times we read over this and think, “How can I save my soul from the eternal damnation of hell?” And I don’t believe that’s what Jesus meant when He asked the question. I believe that it goes much further and deeper than simply an eternal transaction of safety. Or as we used to put it in youth ministry salvation goes further than simply being fire insurance.
It becomes a question of devotion to God. Allegiance to God must become unconditional, not tentatively but without reservation. And His question at the end of this particular verse is again something to pay attention to.
What do we posses in any fashion, that would be able to even begin to pay the debt we owe because of sin? The answer is we don’t have anything. There is nothing we can do to affect our lostness or sinfulness, except to become a disciple of Christ believing in Him as Messiah to the point of experiencing salvation. I believe salvation to be more than a confession, it is to be the way one lives life in accordance to Scripture. Christ is the only Sacrifice that can pay the debt humanity owes.
I will say that for a long time I thought that in our day being a Christian and serving Christ would not come to martyrdom. I don’t know that I believe that any more given the circumstances we see happening around the globe and even here in the United States. There may come in my lifetime the need for such resolve as to give up ones physical life for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Right at this moment I don’t see that to be the case.
However, I do see people who are looking for security, safety, easier, and more comfortable way to live than living the life of a committed disciple of Jesus Christ. And that puts life eternal in a precarious place. In every decision we make we find ourselves choosing a path. Can the path we are on be one in which we choose to love God with all heart, and with all our soul?