Several years ago, I listened to a pastor preach on what he felt it meant to be a Christian. He said that if everything in the Bible is true, why aren’t we doing everything we can to live a dedicated life for Christ while also leading others to Jesus? He was basically saying that being a Christian should be an all or nothing thing; that we should be “all in”, or what’s the point? I know that Jesus would agree, and maybe even go one step further, like he does in Matthew 16:25-26 which says:
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
The stakes are high. The Bible tells us that it is better for us to be hot or cold when it comes to our commitment to the faith. In other words, we should be all in or all out. If we are just lukewarm, or dabbling with lackluster commitment, then what’s the point? What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? We only have about 80 or 90 years on this earth if we’re lucky, but our soul will live on either in heaven or hell. Jesus tells us not to fear man who can only destroy the body, but to fear God who can destroy both body and soul. So, I challenge you to take your faith seriously. In the end, it doesn’t matter what you gain in life; fame, fortune, or all of the fleshly desires anyone can ask for. What matters is your soul, and only God can save that.
---
Jesus reminds us that “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” When choosing to follow Christ, every believer should count the cost, knowing that the decision for Christ may very well cost them everything. Sure, you may obtain many desires of your heart here on earth, but every believer should be ready to let any, or all, of it go for the sake of Christ. There are people literally losing their lives for Christ. Is it asking too much that we dedicate ours to him by taking our faith seriously? I encourage you to evaluate your faith. Are you all in, all out or somewhere in between? And if you’re not all in, then what is the point of following Christ at all? After all, it is your very soul that is at stake.
