Synopsis

Discipleship is a very costly business, and in moments of severe trials, one may be tempted to ask, “Why go into all this trouble of suffering with Christ? Why not give up? Is there any reward?” Questions such as these are not new. The first disciples asked them. Peter asked the Lord Jesus, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” (Matthew 19:27)

A disciple of Christ is a person who has, first of all, received the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her personal Saviour and is therefore reconciled to God, and, secondly, has set his whole heart, mind and all to seek Him. The disciple makes Jesus his all and forsakes everything that may stand in the way of his fellowship with Christ. Such a one has Christ for his all in all and desires nothing outside of Him. Such a relationship with Christ in which he becomes our all in all is very costly and, since the Lord Jesus warns us to count the cost, let us look at the cost.