By grace through faith, we make the great exchange. Jesus took upon Himself the punishment for our sins and He credited His perfect righteousness to our account. But we have to be willing to turn from our sinful ways and abandon our sense of self-righteousness to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesus tells us that we should count the cost of following Him, because He demands our whole heart.
Christ was willing to make the great exchange for us
Jesus willingly humbled Himself for you and me by offering Himself as a substitute in our place to meet the just demands of God for our iniquities. The Bible beautifully describes the nature of His work on behalf of sinners.
“… have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).
He has given His all for you! He would not have come to die for you if it wasn’t absolutely necessary to reconcile you to the Father. The question remains whether you have received His free gift of mercy. Will you reject your only hope for eternal life in order to hold onto the momentary pleasures of sin and pride? Let’s consider what we must be willing to give up so we can gain the treasures only found in Christ.
Surrendering our past way of life to Christ
Salvation is like making a transaction. We must be willing to give up something in order to gain something we value more. As sinners, we must be willing to humbly admit our guilt before God, seek His mercy and receive His forgiveness on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done for us. This part of the transaction calls for repentance, which consists of a change of mind and heart about the future direction of our life. And it results in a commitment to turn away from our former sinful way of life.
Not only do we turn away from those areas of life we know to be wrong, but we also turn away from relying on the prideful areas we counted on to win favor with God. They may be good in some respects, but they will never measure up to the standard of perfection God requires.
The apostle Paul knew this very well when he was converted. Many of us know about Paul’s conversion when he encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19). This is the historical record. However, it doesn’t describe his state of mind. (You can read about that in Philippians 3:4-11.)
The confidence Paul had in himself before he considered it all a loss at his conversion
Paul had a great deal that he could be proud about. He wrote, “If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless” (Philippians 3:4-6).
Before his conversion, Paul trusted that these areas would ensure a good standing before God.
- Ritual. Circumcision was a strict Jewish rite, by which you are initiated into the covenant people. So, Paul started his life with the most essential rite and sacrament which they felt was absolutely necessary for salvation.
- Race. Paul was not a proselyte who became a Jew later in life. He was a natural born member of the nation of Israel. And the children of Israel were the covenant people, chosen by God.
- Rank. Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin, which was a prestigious tribe of Israel to belong to. Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son, born to his favorite wife Rachel.
- Tradition. Paul says he was a “Hebrew of Hebrews“. This may have been his way of saying that even though he grew up in Gentile territory, both his parents were Hebrews, they spoke Hebrew, and they followed the traditions of Judaism.
- Religion. Paul had achieved the highest level of religious achievement in Judaism. He had become a Pharisee.
- Sincerity. He loved God, He loved the law of God, and he love the community of God. He loved Judaism so much he that he hated anything that threatened it, and Christianity threatened it.
- Righteous works. Outwardly speaking, he lived according to the law, though he knew he wasn’t sinless. He admits to fighting sin in Romans 7:5-11.
Committing our future to the Lord
We have to believe that our gain in coming to Christ is worth far greater than what we must give up to become His disciple. Paul was willing to give up his impeccable credentials and reputation in order to gain Christ. He wrote, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7-9).
The treasures Paul found in Christ
Here’s what’s really of the utmost importance for Paul. “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:9-11).
Paul mentions the following five things that were worth more to him than everything he had been formally trusting in for salvation.
The knowledge of Jesus Christ
Paul is not referring to just an intellectual knowledge about Christ. He’s referring to a transcendent experience of communing love with Christ. It’s a bond of love that’s intimate, supernatural, and transcendent. It’s an otherworldly experience of seeing Jesus in His priestly role as the Savior, Christ in His prophetic role as God’s messenger, and also as King in his role as Lord. And yet, experiencing Him in an intimate personal relationship.
The righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Paul worked his whole life trying to gain a righteousness of his own derived by the law. It’s a great burden to bear and a deception that it is even possible. Instead, Paul was more than willing to trade his failed past efforts for the righteousness of God that comes by faith in Christ.
The power of Jesus Christ as displayed in His resurrection.
Paul wanted to experience the same power that Christ displayed in His resurrection from the dead. He knew there was no power in the law. He had no power to overcome sin in the flesh, no power for spiritual service in the flesh, no power for witnessing in the flesh, and no power for victory in the flesh. He’d already experienced resurrection power in his salvation, but he wanted more. He also wanted the power to continue to be a useful resource for Him.
Fellowship with Jesus Christ by participating in His sufferings
Paul needed a companion in his suffering. He needed someone who could be strong for him when he was weak. Where do we go when we suffer. In Christ, Paul gained someone to fellowship with when he suffered. He finds in Christ a sympathetic merciful high priest who cares. He is is a friend who feels his pain and was tempted just like he was.
Attaining to the resurrection of the dead when Christ returns in His glory
Paul also longed for the resurrection from the dead. This would take place at the Rapture when Christ comes in His glory to gather His children to be with Him. He eagerly awaited for the Savior who will come again and transform his body and end the conflict of the flesh and the spirit.
Counting the cost of following Christ
While God’s grace is a free gift, it comes by means of a genuine faith, which is willing and committed to following Christ as one’s Lord. In that respect, we no longer choose to rule ourselves. Instead, we place Christ as King over our life. We become like a willing bondservant to Him, someone who is in a permanent position of servitude to Him. We obey Him because we love Him.
The Cost of Being a Disciple
Jesus warned that His way would not be popular or easy. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14). Which road are you on?
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me'” (Luke 9:23). Christ’s demands will take top priority.
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
‘Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
‘Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples’ (Luke 14:25-33).
Jesus rebuked three would-be followers of Christ (Luke 9:57-62)
The path is not easy. “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'”
Go when when He calls. “He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’”
Don’t be uncertain. “Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’”
What is most important to you?
Are you ready to make the exchange? What’s so important to you that you wouldn’t gladly let it go to save your soul for eternity? Your life is like a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. As compared to your eternity, whether in heaven or hell, your present life is like a single grain of sand in a beach full of sand. Don’t let this moment slip away without making a decision.
Jesus Christ is our peace. He’s the only one who can bridge the gap between a perfectly holy and just God and an unholy sinner like you and me. Don’t be separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in heaven, without hope and without God. Cry out to Him to be merciful to you, a sinner. Receive Him as your Lord, who was risen from the dead. Don’t let another day go by until your destiny is settled.
If you aren’t sure that you will go to heaven when you die, and you’re not certain why God should let you into heaven, settle that matter today. Visit my post, How to Begin Your Life Over Again and you’ll know how to answer the ultimate question, where and how you’ll spend eternity.
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