| << Lesson 2 S |
| What does the Bible have to say about the cost of living the way God wants us to live? |
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| Luke 14:28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, |
| Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." |
| Luke 14:28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost..." |
| 2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. |
| Jesus never taught that the Christian Way was easy. He called it a narrow way with a small gate and few would find it. |
| He taught that for some people, such as the rich it was almost impossible for for them to enter the road to the kingdom of God. |
| He also taught that we need to be aware of easy Christianity because there would be many who would be deceived into thinking that they were on their way to heaven but when the judgment came they would find that they were lost. |
| Matthew 19:24 "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.". |
| Jesus taught through a parable in Luke 14:28 that before you build a building you need to sit down and count the cost to see if you have what it takes to build the building. There is a cost to building a building just as there is a cost to living the Christian life. |
| Beginning with Abraham God taught that His way required people to come out and leave their connections with the world. |
| The apostle Paul in II Corithians 6:14-18 repeated this to Christians in a very bold way. This passage also teaches separation or what is Biblically called holiness. God taught us to be different and separate fromt he world and its ways. |
| Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. |
| 14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. 18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. |
| Jesus also taught that the Christian life involved giving up of everything that was contrary to the nature of Christ. |
| When we do what Jesus requires and begin to live a godly life it will result in persecution in our lives from those who want to live more ungodly. |
| Luke 14:33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. |
| Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. |
| There is only one cost to the Christian and that is the cross. A cross has only one purpose and that is to die upon. As Jesus gave all and died on a cross so that is what it will cost us also. |
| Those who desire to serve Christ will be called upon by the Spirit of God to ever more lay down their lives for Christ until all is on the altar for Him. |
| Everything in the Christian life is done through or by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God and so we must not only come to Christ and believe in Him by faith for salvation but we must also live every step of the Christian lfe by faith also. As soon as we stop trusting in God we will fail. Do you have the faith to trust Christ to take you through the Christian way to eternal life? Then put your faith in Him and confess Him as your Lord. |
| Now that you have read what the Bible has to say about to cost to living God's way, lets go on. |
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| 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' |
| Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. |
| The main question that we face is do we have the faith to see us through to the Hope that God has for us. Do we have the confidence that God is God and that He will reward us for taking that step of committment to Him for the rest of our lives. |
| Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. |
| Luke 14:28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost..." |