Where In The Bible Will I Find:

The Cost To Be A Child Of God?

Some of the people out of the great multitude that often gathered around Christ during His teaching, especially during the times when thousands were fed of the loaves and fishes which He was able to multiply, said that they wanted to follow Him, but Jesus said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Matt 8:20).

He was saying in effect, "Don't follow me with the hope of dwelling in a mansion here on earth, or having all the fineries of this world, for of such I do not have." Jesus wanted them to follow Him but He also wanted them to know the cost of discipleship, "…If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).

During His teaching He taught some "hard" sayings, at least, to some of those people who did not understand, His sayings were hard. In Luke chapter 14 Jesus is saying, those who would follow Him must hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brethren, his sisters, yea, and his own life. Now upon these conditions, who could be a child of God?

A child of God cannot possibly hate anyone, especially those of his own family. Just what is He teaching here? In this same chapter an example is given of some that said they wanted to follow Jesus but had other things to do in which they thought were more important at present, and Jesus said, "…whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple" (v. 33).

Our definition of "hate" is despise, dislike, detest, or having animosity in our heart against something or someone, but Christ is using the word "hate" in an illustration of "loving less." To follow Jesus, we must put Him FIRST in our life, that we cannot let anything, or anyone hinder us, or come between us and Christ. He does not mean that we must despise, detest, or have animosity in our heart against anyone, but we must be ready to give up everything for Him: For, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:37).

This is simply a comparative statement, compared to loving father and mother we must love Christ more. We are taught by God to love and honor our parents. Jesus is simply saying that we have to put Him FIRST in our lives, thereby, loving our parents but loving Him more. We cannot love God without loving our family. To be a child of God we must forsake all worldly possessions (care less for them than we do Christ), "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (I John 2:15). The Psalmist declared, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psm. 37:25). God still takes care of us, and so to be a child of God is worth more than whatever the cost is.