What does it mean to count the cost ? It means what is expected of GODS saints when they first made the commitment to answer the call and be chosen.
When Jesus said, “count the cost” , he meant that his followers must fully understand and commit to the immense sacrifices required for discipleship, including forsaking worldly attachments, worldly ambitions and even their own lives to insure they are not just impulsive believers who quit when things get difficult but truly dedicated disciples who are willing to give up everything for him, understanding that this complete surrender leads to profound spiritual reward.
The rich young ruler was not able to do this because he did not want to give up his wealth in order to follow Jesus. It says he went away sorrowful indicating that he did have some inkling of what it was he had turned down. GOD and Jesus will not force anyone to become a disciple, it is a matter of answering the call, the rich young ruler did not answer the call therefore he was not chosen. Many are called but few are chosen.
The innumerable multitude, the church of GOD at Laodicea that exists along side the Philadelphia church did accept the call and they were indeed chosen but due to the cares of this world, the desire to be rich and increased with goods needing nothing was their fault. They forgot the cost of being a disciple and because of this will be required to give up their lives as martyrs whereas the Philadelphia church kept the words of Jesus and never denied his name. They were willing to sacrifice their lives if it was his will but because of their dedication will be protected / sealed from the horrors of the great tribulation, that hour of trial that will come upon the world. Revelation 3:10
Then Peter asked Jesus, Matthew 19:27 , “We have given up everything to follow you, what then shall we have ?” The answer Jesus gives is in Matthew 19:28-29 Anything we have in this life is nothing when compared to what GOD offers us. This life is only temporary and everything in it but the life to come is everlasting and everything in it. We give up the temporary to gain the everlasting. Would you be willing to do this ?
At this time GOD has not chosen us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation. Even if GOD and Christ ask you to do something that will cause your first death you are still guaranteed everlasting life in the kingdom and avoid the second death.
Being a true elect of GOD will make you different from the carnal world because you will be guided by GOD working in you and HIS love the spiritual force in your life. Perhaps this may lead to problems with family, friends and employers because you will not compromise the will of the spirit of GOD and Christ. Some people may think you are crazy, some see that you are different but none truly understanding why.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living GOD. It is the death of the old you, the evil sinful you, to be controlled by the spirit of GOD that you must never quench or grieve. Surrender must be total and complete. It begins at your conversion and grows throughout your life and perfection is only achieved when after being faithful and enduring to the end you will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, into a glorified immortal impeccable spirit being.
This is the future GOD and Jesus want for you and though free to us it came at a great price for GOD, the death of HIS son. This Jesus gave us the example of how we follow him in how he followed his FATHER, a total and complete surrender of his will to his GOD and his GOD worked in him to Will and to do all HIS good pleasure. GOD lived in Jesus and Jesus lived in GOD. NOW, with the saints both GOD and Jesus live in us, we are their property, they own us, we submit willingly in love for what they have done and will do for us.
Until a person surrenders as God requires, they will not understand the peaceful and content life that follows the surrender of self and living to God. For those not chosen, the stresses and cares of this world remain part of their daily living - and everything seems normal to them. That is, until Yeshua returns.
ReplyDeleteThe elect saints of God have been given what the rest of humanity cannot at this time receive. God has three separate times in which He will give humanity their first opportunity for salvation. Today it is only the church, the called and chosen elect, then the people in the millennium and lastly the people in the second resurrection. These are the three measures of meal in the parable in Matthew 13:33
ReplyDeleteReading the articles on this blog isn’t much good unless you connect them together in order to gain a better understanding. The article about Cornelius I found interesting because it shows plainly that it doesn’t matter when a person receives Gods Spirit they still need to be baptized. I never thought when I baptized into the Mormon church that it was the genuine baptism once I was compelled by Gods Spirit to leave the so called “latter day Saints”. I was baptized into a cult just like anyone else that was in any of the false churches of the world. Peter asked, “can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Spirit just as we”. There was a reason behind this that it seems some of the saints have missed. Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized “ , this believing today is possible only by God giving us His spirit, we believe and then we are baptized. It’s just like Cornelius.
ReplyDeleteI then find interesting the purpose of Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21, and Titus 3.5. It the event at the home of Cornelius is the standard by which we establish knowledge, then these other three passages serve no purpose. Maybe the Cornelius story was intended to teach the Jews something?
DeleteThose three passages you gave were written in a time when we still had Apostles and an organized church. The Cornelius standard did not begin until after that was all gone. It became necessary to give the spirit first so I could even see the mess I was in and after that came the one and only true baptism.
DeleteYes. Part of counting the cost is realizing what you just said. I was baptized into a cult so how could that baptism be the real one. The other churches mimic what they see in the writings but then they all go and preach a false gospel. This isn’t being rebaptized it’s the only true one not a lying copy. In Ephesians 4 did you ever see that all the ones there are all connected together so if we have one of those ones wrong it will mess up the others. I am not real good with words but I hope you get my meaning.
ReplyDeleteIt was not until the church was overrun by pagans who brought in those damnable heresies that eventually spread to the whole false Christian world that the Cornelius experience took hold. If someone is caught up in one of the many false churches and totally deceived it would take knowledge by the Holy Spirit to get them out of the fix they are in. You have to ask yourself, would God baptize me into a lie, a false church ?
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know I was in a cult until Gods spirit taught me i was. If that didn’t happen I would probably still be in the cult.
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