We often speak about salvation being free.
And that is absolutely true.
We cannot earn salvation.
We cannot purchase forgiveness.
We cannot perform enough good works to make ourselves right with God.
Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
But while salvation is free, following Jesus can be costly.
Jesus never hid that fact.
In Matthew 16:24, He said:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Jesus wanted people to understand what discipleship meant before they claimed to follow Him.
He was not building a crowd through false advertising.
He was calling disciples to surrender.
That surrender begins with two difficult words:
Deny yourself.
Our culture tells us almost exactly the opposite.
Follow your heart.
Live your truth.
Do what makes you happy.
Put yourself first.
Jesus says, “Deny yourself.”
That does not mean we have no value.
It means we are no longer the center of our own universe.
My desires are not Lord.
My feelings are not Lord.
My money is not Lord.
My career is not Lord.
My relationships are not Lord.
My comfort is not Lord.
Jesus is Lord.
That changes everything.
Sometimes following Jesus costs us habits we enjoyed.
Sometimes it costs opportunities.
Sometimes it costs friendships.
Sometimes it costs popularity.
And in some parts of the world, following Jesus can cost family relationships.
Jesus addressed this difficult reality in Matthew 10 when He explained that allegiance to Him could create division even inside families.
He was not teaching Christians to create conflict.
He was warning them that commitment to Christ sometimes exposes differences that cannot simply be ignored.
Imagine becoming a Christian in a family where Christianity is considered betrayal.
Imagine confessing Christ knowing your parents may reject you.
Imagine leaving a religious group where all your friendships and family connections are tied to membership.
Imagine being told:
“You can have Jesus, or you can have us.”
What do you do?
Jesus said:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.”
Those words are difficult.
But Jesus is making something clear.
There can be no relationship above our relationship with Him.
And before we think this only happens somewhere else in the world, the principle applies to all believers.
What happens when your friends want you to participate in something you know dishonors Christ?
What happens when your employer pressures you to be dishonest?
What happens when a romantic relationship continually pulls you away from God?
What happens when following Christ makes you unpopular?
At some point, every disciple has to decide:
Who comes first?
Christianity cannot simply be Jesus added to everything else.
Jesus demands first place.
But why would anyone accept such a costly invitation?
Because the One calling us is worth the cost.
Jesus continues in Matthew 16:25:
“Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
There is the paradox.
The world says:
“Hold onto your life.”
Jesus says:
“Give it to Me.”
The world says:
“Protect yourself.”
Jesus says:
“Trust Me.”
The world says:
“Live for yourself.”
Jesus says:
“Follow Me.”
And Jesus says the life we surrender to Him is the life we finally discover.
Christianity is not about losing everything that matters.
It is about discovering what matters most.
Jesus is not simply one more possession we add to our lives.
He is the treasure.
So what does it cost to follow Jesus?
Potentially, everything.
But what do we receive?
Christ.
Forgiveness.
Eternal life.
Freedom from sin.
A relationship with God.
Hope beyond the grave.
And when Christ becomes our greatest treasure, we begin understanding something believers throughout history have known:
Whatever following Jesus costs us, Jesus is worth more.
