WHAT DOES IT COST TO BE A CHRISTIAN?

Salvation is the free-gift of God in Christ. It is not earned or merited in any way by man. Even the faith by which we receive grace is a gift of grace. But, of this you may be sure, true faith in Christ is a very costly grace. True, saving faith is a heart surrender of all things to the claims of Christ as Lord. Our Lord said, "If any man come to me, and hate not his fathers and mother, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple...So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26, 27, 33). Either you will be a servant under the dominion of Christ, your Lord and Master, voluntarily giving up all to his claims, or you will never be saved. You may not have to give up anything in actuality, but surrender to Christ must be just as real in your heart as if you had given up everything, down to life itself. Our Lord requires total, unreserved surrender of the heart to him.