Haven’t we all at some point in time sat through a dazzling sales presentation where you are enlightened to all the amazing things this product can do for you; but you also know...there is a ‘bottom line’ coming so you begin to build up some form of defense in the back of your mind to prepare you for when you hear what this product (that you can’t live without)...will ‘cost you’. Oh...the lessons we learn over the years. IYKYK

Today, there is no shortage of preachers and pulpits that will fill your mind and heart with a false hope with so many wonderful things that God can...and desires to do in your life (which is true)...but then they try to convince you that it is all a ‘free gift’ and will ‘cost you nothing’...because...”Jesus paid the price!” And this...is where the road to eternal life separates and takes that narrow path that Jesus spoke of, even adding that only ‘few’ will walk it. (Matt. 7:13-14)

You can believe what you want to believe, as most of us eventually will do; but I am here to tell you, in the name of Jesus Christ...that there is a price to pay, and this walk of faith with Jesus will cost you; and it’s not cheap. Call it what you want, be it the ‘small print’ that nobody ever takes the time to read, or those 3-pages of conditions you have to ‘click & agree to’ before you download that new app or update for your phone. May I invite you to go read those ‘conditions’ now, first in Luke 14:25-33; Luke 9:23-25?

I’m going to tell you once again, what many fail to inform new ‘converts’ when they first make a ‘profession of faith’. Maybe those who are there to ‘lead them in’ are not fully aware themselves, or maybe they are but don’t want to ‘scare them off’, or perhaps find it unnecessary to take the time needed to lay it all out there so folks can truly ‘count the cost’. But Jesus never shied away from laying it out there; so let’s see how He presented to inquiring souls what it cost to truly abide in Him.

Friends...I’m convinced what I am going to share here with you is probably the number one reason why so many people’s ‘walk of faith’ tends to ‘stall’, become stagnant, and/or eventually leads to them ‘crashing and burning’ ...which is a more dramatic way of saying they ‘fell away from the faith’. And there are plenty who not only ‘fall or drift away’ from the faith...they actually ‘turn and choose not to walk with Jesus anymore’ (John 6:66; Heb. 2:1; 6:6; 2 Thess. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1). And if you want to try and take up the cause and explain why they “are still saved”...well...have at it. My focus these days is not to debate who is or is not ‘saved’. But this I know...IF you are abiding in Jesus...you are in a good place, the best place to be in fact.

So how does one begin to ‘abide’ in Christ? Let me answer first by saying: You just don’t wake up one morning and say to yourself...I think I’m going to abide in Jesus today”...and then off you go. Nor does a woman wake up and decide to have a baby later in the morning so that she can become an ‘instant’ mother. I don’t want to complicate this or confuse anyone, but we do tend to try and oversimplify the mysteries of God’s kingdom that include ‘new births’ and the ‘mystery of Godliness which boils down to Christ being in us’ (Col. 1:26-28).

But if I’ve said it once over the past four years...I’ve said it dozens and dozens of times: You have to come to God with your whole heart. I mean...all of it, no strings attached, no pre-existing conditions or ‘pre-nuptials’. You are asked to lay it all down before Him...BEFORE... you can even begin the process of abiding in Him. And I don’t know who needs to hear this, but ‘coming to Jesus’ is not something I recommend you ‘try’ to see how you like it. Again, we are admonished to ‘count the cost’. You may want to glance over Luke 9:57-62, where Jesus warns us that “no one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Remember Lot’s wife? Luke 17:32)

It is never advisable for any person, when having to make a major life decision, or purchase, maybe signing on to a mortgage, or taking vows in marriage, to do so in a rash , emotional manner. Why even the wisest man who ever lived (King Solomon) said it was better to not make a vow...than to make one and then not keep it (Ecc. 5:5). I do want to offer some hopeful encouragement to anyone reading today...that we are living in a time of God’s abundant mercy as many sincere, but misinformed ‘believers’ are beginning to ‘wake up’ from their slumber and deception, and God is telling us the door is ‘still open’...but we better get about the business of making ourselves ‘ready’, just as the wise virgins did in Matt. 25:1-13. (also Rev. 19:7 & 2 Cor. 7:1)

So let’s revisit a familiar story found in Matt. 19; the story of the rich, young ruler who came to Jesus in a respectful manner inquiring as to how he too...might become a recipient of this ‘eternal life’ that Jesus spoke of (16). He falsely assumed it boiled down to doing ‘one good thing’. Jesus answered his inquiry saying...IF you want to enter into...this life...keep the commandments.”(17). Now isn’t that interesting?! Seems we read that a lot in our NT (Rom. 2:13; 1 Cor. 7:19; Luke 10:25-28; Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 21:14...to list a few.

The young man asked: “Which ones?” (Matt. 19:18). Jesus listed several of them there for the young man, who quickly confirmed that he indeed...had ‘kept those since he was a young lad’.

This is where Jesus slows him down and informs him, in a loving way (Mark 10:21)...”you just lack one thing.”

Just ‘one thing’? Can you imagine that? Look how close he was. I wish I only had ‘one thing’ that needed to be dealt with when I came to Jesus. Why, I would never want to say personally that I ‘have no sin’ (or inner issues needing to be dealt with- 1 John 1:8). But let’s not forget that one can have ‘buried sin issues’ but not necessarily ‘acting out on them’. It’s when the Holy Spirit begins to bring them to our attention, with the goal of us confessing and then repenting, or turning away from those sin issues...that things become crucial; just like they did for the rich young ruler. And when Jesus pointed out this area that we come to see shortly that still had, or lingered in this young man’s heart...he balked. He was sorrowful because he wasn’t ready to lay down...the very thing Jesus asked of him to do. And he walked away.

Friends...there was something in this man’s heart...that he was still loving more...than God. And God demands...that if we are going to come to Him...to serve Him...to walk with Him...to ‘abide in Him’...we have to come...with ALL our heart. And you should know by now...He will test your heart to see how serious you are about doing this. (Deut. 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4). Some folks might call them ‘pet sins’, you know...the ones we tell ourselves are ‘not that bad, or serious’, so we hold on to them. Yeah...let’s talk about those, tomorrow...Lord willing.