If you are a believer, have you counted the cost of follow Christ? Most of us in the United States feel little persecution for aligning ourselves with Christ, but we might want to consider how much persecution it would take before we would bend or even break. What level of persecution would cause us to put our well-being before our faith in Christ? Like Paul, we might want to consider where that line is before we are put to the test. When the prophet Agabus warned Paul against going to Jerusalem because of a prophesy he had concerning Paul being bound and handed over to the Gentiles, Paul responded this way in Acts, chapter 21, verse 13 which says:
“Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’”
Early on, Paul had counted the cost of following Christ. He had already decided in his mind and his heart that he’d be willing to die for the cause of Christ if it should come to that. How far are you willing to go for your faith? Are you willing to be teased and ridiculed? Are you willing to be avoided and ostracized? Are you willing to be condemned by your parents? Or like Paul, would you be willing to be bound and handed over to your enemies, or even killed for your faith in Christ? We may never truly know until we are put to the test, but I would challenge you to consider how far you are willing to go and whether you’ve truly counted the cost. Because it would be better to know now so that you will be prepared with your response should you ever find yourself needing an answer to that question.
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Have you ever heard the term, being “sold out” for Christ? It is a Christian phrase indicating that someone is all in for Christ; someone who has counted the cost, and has decided that there is no turning back. Are you sold out or is there a level of persecution that would cause your resolve to waver? Paul was sold out. He said that he was ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. God may not call us to this level of sacrifice, but it would be important for us to know that we would give up anything and everything for the cause of Christ should he require it of us.
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