Crisis of Faith
Part Five
THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS
Matthew 16:24 NLT says it most plainly:
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”
To be a true follower of Jesus, we must deny ourselves.
When I became a Christian, I didn’t know what that meant. Of course, I was only six years old, and my biggest fears were being left behind and being sent to Hell.
When the full realization finally hit me years later, I had a crisis of faith. I didn’t want to give up everything. I wanted to live my life my own way.
And if following Him meant hardships and suffering and being ridiculed, I didn’t have the stomach for the drama and pain.
So, I walked away to make my own path in this world.
I think that’s what happening to many Christians today, and why they’re choosing to walk away rather than sacrifice their lives for something or someone that may not be even real.
Facts. Evidence.
Many are relying on sources of men to let themselves off the hook. Many have found churches that support their deconstruction, churches that support their lifestyles, and churches with views that are not “antiquated” or “bigoted.”
Knowledge.
Many are turning to science and philosophy, as I did, for answers and explanations to their questions. And these will satisfy them — as they will accept them as truth.
Freedom.
Many claim that they experienced a great sense of freedom and peace when they walked away from Christianity.
Yes, to follow Jesus would be costly — the cost is sacrificing oneself to become His disciple. Sacrificing our dreams, talents, and desires for Him.
Bottom-line, the choice is ours. We can choose what kind of life we want to live. Either choice will have its consequences and rewards, but one will be more costly than the other.
We live in an age and world where it’s so much easier to go along with the tide rather than against it. It’s much easier to adapt to the worldview rather than continually be ridiculed and persecuted for a Biblical one.
Humans deal best with tangible things — things we can see and touch. We trust in the knowledge of man more than God — since there is an abundance of physical evidence to support man’s science, philosophy, and historical events.
To trust in a being that we can’t see, hear or touch is difficult at best.
With a growing number of churches choosing to adopt worldviews into their doctrines, to become more welcoming to the culture of the day, hence we are seeing a dramatic increase in people experiencing crisis of faith.
Why? With churches seeking to meet the needs of the communities they serve, you’d think the people would be thriving emotionally and spiritually.
Those who have shunned both the churches and their faith for greater personal freedom and happiness, many are discovering that happiness and freedom are merely illusions. Illusions that appear wonderful on the surface, but underneath, lies a cost that far outweighs the value of one’s worldly lifestyle.
Without God, there is for mankind no purpose, no goal, no hope, only a wavering future, an eternal dread of every darkness. — Jean Paul
