Becoming a Christian will not make your life easier. It will not get you special benefits from your coworkers. You will not benefit financially from it. You will not be rewarded in any way in this life for becoming a follower of Christ. That is not why you become His follower.
Once you understand that He is GOD, how can you do anything other than bow at his feet?
Once you understand the depth of His love for you, how can you willingly break His heart again?
Once you understand how much He sacrificed for you, how can you hold back what you have from Him?
Once you realize that He gave up His life for you, how can you offer anything less than your own?
Being a Christian is not a part time commitment, it is an all-in kind of life. The rules we live by do not make sense to the rest of the world. They consider us fools for believing nonsense. Indeed, if what we believe is not true then we deserve the ridicule.
" and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." I Corinthians 14:14-19
In light of all of this, we must be sure of our faith. It is a life altering commitment when taken seriously. There will be consequences. Jesus said:
"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Luke 9:23
These were not idle words. The people listening would have understood exactly what he was saying. In the Roman Empire, crucifixion was common. The people listening knew that when someone carried a cross, they were on their way to be executed in a horrible way. They were forced to carry the very instrument of their own death. It was a walk of hopeless shame.
Jesus told his followers to expect to be treated like criminals condemned to death. He said they needed to treat every day like it was their last day on Earth. The fate of many of the believers of that time and almost all the Apostles would illustrate this expectation in gory detail. They were killed in the most horrific ways know to man. At this time, when you became a Christian it was more than just something you mostly believed. It was willingly accepting a death sentence as a possibility. We are not promised an easy life; quite the contrary. We are told to expect hardship.
“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well...” John 15:20
“These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” II Timothy 3:12
“strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.’” Acts 14:22
“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on His behalf.” Philippians 1:29
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed.” I Peter 4:12-13
“Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:10
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ... But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:35-37
Don't make the mistake of thinking you can have all the benefits of the faith without experiencing the costs. If that is what you want, then you are in the wrong place. If that is what you are currently experiencing, then you should ask yourself some hard questions. Satan attacks the children of God. He is our enemy and always seeking ways to destroy us. If he is not attacking you, then you must ask why. Are you a threat to him? Are you living for God? Are you taking your faith seriously? Were you honest in your commitment to follow Jesus?
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 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?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” Matthew 7:21-23
There are those who act a certain way thinking that is what it takes to get into Heaven. They will be surprised when the time comes to stand before the judgement seat of God. What will they say in their defense? Our actions do not buy our entry into Heaven. Rather, our actions are a byproduct of our adoption into the family of Christ. The only defense we will have on that day is the forgiveness Jesus offers to us. If we accepted it, then we are in.
Live your life for Christ.
He is worthy of everything we could ever do.
He is worthy of all praise.
He alone is worthy.
Maranatha!
Come quickly Lord Jesus!