Did we really weigh the cost?

Late last night I witnessed something more terrifying than any nightmare or occasion that had ever befell me. Last night, the mirror of the Word of God was before my face, and the reflection that shone back at me was utterly devastating and life changing. You see, I, like most of you, have always been taught a form of "easy believism". I  never really bought into this personally, but last night it was revealed to me that I was a liar and a fraud before the Word of God. Don't start praying for me yet, it may very well be that you are no different than I am. Scripture I have read over many times, suddenly revealed in it's reality. Warning: If you're content with your "religion", you may want to stop reading now. Now, for whoever is left let's look at the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’^{[e] 37} He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Notice vs 37-39. Jesus says we must love Him more than our children, our parents, and ourselves. Is this not the exact opposite that is being taught today? Let's look at the same verses from the book of Luke. Luke 14: ²⁵ Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— ²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
So what is Jesus really saying? I believe He is telling us that He has to be first in our lives period. We can not put anything before Him, to include our own life. We were bought with a price. That price was paid for by Jesus' very own blood. We have turned Christianity today in to a check list of do's and dont's. It has absolutely nothing to do with either. We have made it where people come to Jesus on their own terms. We decide when and how we worship. We decide what we believe to be acceptable to the Lord. We make everything  our decision. Henceforth comes easy beliveism. Want to drink and party? There's a church for you! Want to justify smoking weed with your friends while you "witness"? I'm sure you can find a place too. How many times have you seen someone come up to an altar with tears and snot running down their face and repeating a prayer after the preacher, and then the preacher boldly announces this person as saved to the entire congregation? I have witnessed it many times. How many times have you also seen this "saved" person come back to church once or twice and then within weeks be right back to their same old sinful lifestyle? I have seen this happen too. Why? Because a preacher tried to "save" this person by his own terms. Let me explain. Person is convicted by the Holy Spirit. In a moment of shameful emotion, this person is feeling bad about themselves. They go to the altar. The preacher runs to them and consoles them and as quickly as possible, has them repeating a prayer. If any of you listen to Paul Washer you know where I'm going with this. The person repeats this prayer. The preacher announces Heaven's newest citizen and everyone tears up and claps their hands. Now, for what really happened. This person was being convicted by the Holy Spirit. Instead of letting the Spirit work, the preacher runs over and interrupts. The work was never completed. This person is still lost and undone and now goes back to the pig trough believing he is saved and on his way to Heaven.
This is not what Jesus taught. It was Jesus that left glory and became flesh. It was Jesus who taught us in the scriptures. It was Jesus who endured the ridicule and the shame. It was Jesus who was spit upon and beaten unmercifully. It was Jesus who was murdered on the cross for our sins. It was Jesus who was raised from the dead by the Father. It is Jesus who sits at the right hand of the Father. It is Jesus who is our intercessor. It is Jesus who is our High Priest. It is Jesus who will judge the living and the dead. Now where in all of our arrogance and pride do we get the audacity to believe Jesus must conform to our terms and conditions? A wicked generation we are.
If we are to follow Christ then we must be completely sold out to Him. In everything we do He must be at the center. From the clothes we wear to the food we eat. Even to the chewing gum you smack on the entire church service. We can't keep playing footsie with Jesus. We are the poster children for the Laodicedan church. We are neither hot nor cold. We play church on the weekends and try to do good, but we still have one foot in the world. Of the seven churches of Revelation, Jesus commends each of them for having some redeeming quality except one. Laodicea. There is nothing good in this church. This is our church today. Jesus said because it is neither hot nor cold that He would spew this church from His mouth. Is that not us Christians? With our lips we worship but our hearts are far away from Him? We can't get over ourselves long enough to truly worship and praise our Savior to the extent He is deserving of. Our churches have become seeker sensitive Sunday morning social clubs. High on entertainment and low on Spirit. As a result, our walk with Christ has suffered greatly.
Jesus Christ will not be second. Not to your family, not to your pride, and not to your life. He is either first, or He is nothing. Are you deceiving yourself today? Do you say Jesus is first with your lips, but your lifestyle and actions speak something completely different? This was revealed to me last night. To my shame I had to fall on my face before the Lord and repent of my self centered desire to fit Jesus into my comfort zone. You see, He saved me. I am no longer a free man, but I belong to Him. Many of us mistakenly believe that He belongs to us. If  He died for us, then it is our calling to live for Him. Jesus asks in verse 28 of the above scripture of who builds a tower without first weighing the cost? How many abandoned and half finished towers fill the seats of our churches today?Are you willing to give all for Christ? Are you willing to suffer the cost? Words can not convey the anguish in my soul as I type this. I am a truly wretched man. There is nothing good in me save the Holy Spirit. I beg anyone reading this to examine your life. Are you completely sold out to Christ? 95% isn't good enough. He will spew you from His mouth. Don't even think this has anything to do with legalism. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is about obedience and submission to our risen Savior. Do you truly love Him more than anything? It's not an option. I plead with you, if you haven't watched the Paul Washer Project video clip on the left side of the page to do so. He sums this entire blog up well. May the Lord be merciful to us all, and may our spirits be truly renewed so that when the Son of Man appears in the clouds that we will be found worthy to stand before Him. Please examine yourselves and put away all evil things before it's too late.
Written by Kirk