Kneeling Man Takes Jesus' Hand at the GateBible World
14:33Luke 14:33
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Christ lays down forsaking all that one has as His own fixed term of discipleship, and without meeting it no one can be His disciple whatever profession is made. The surrender must be entire and unreserved, with the whole heart and undivided affections, for no one can belong partly to God and partly to the world. Becoming His disciple requires sitting down and calmly counting the cost and then paying it with determined purpose, because eternal life is worth all and of infinite value, so no sacrifice is too great. What must be given up includes love of money and possessions, pursuit of reputation and worldly honor, self-will and selfish ease, and every cherished sin and idol with worldliness and hurtful associations. The demand is reasonable because He first left riches, glory and honor to humble Himself for a lost world, and all that remains — possessions, abilities, time and means — belongs to Him as a loan to be used for His glory and the winning of souls.
Demand of Discipleship
Forsaking all that one has is the fixed term of discipleship laid down by Christ's own lips, and no one becomes His follower except by complying with what He specified. Following Him means leaving all and following Jesus, with willingness to make any sacrifice and bear any cost, and mere profession of faith is not enough to make one a Christian or to give sound hope of eternal life. This demand follows the call to count the cost before undertaking discipleship, and it belongs together with denying self, taking up the cross and following Him, having in oneself the mind that was in Christ Jesus, consecrating oneself anew to God, working together with Christ while God works within to will and to do, and glorifying God in body and spirit as one bought with a price. It is the standard of duty shown in His perfect authoritative example, and obeying His explicit command to follow Him keeps one from walking in darkness, for He is the only hope.
The surrender must be entire and unreserved, with the whole heart and undivided affections, for no one can belong partly to God and partly to the world. Whatever separates the heart from God must be given up, including love of money and desire for wealth, pursuit of reputation and worldly honor, and selfish ease or freedom from responsibility, with these attachments broken. One must turn away from love of the world and earthly things and take Christ as the only portion, otherwise one cannot be His disciple. A divided commitment leaves a person following Christ at a distance and unable to be His disciple, since to abide in Him means giving up divided loyalty to earthly affections and worldly interests, loving God supremely and serving Him willingly. No adequate excuse can justify withholding that devotion.
To receive Christ at all is to receive Him as King to reign in the soul, acknowledging Him and submitting to His authority. His will must be consulted, His law made the rule of life, His requirements binding, His life taken as the pattern, and the stern precepts of His word obeyed. This means leaving self-indulgence and one's own devising and worldly practices, denying self for His glory, giving up the world's favor and friendship, and being ready and willing to give up all and make any and every sacrifice for His service. The demand runs contrary to human inclinations, and by it He tests His disciples whether He truly reigns within, with willingness to make any sacrifice for Him being both duty and privilege. When received, He enters the soul to reign.
The demand extends even to family ties and life itself when loyalty to Him requires it. The cross may bring painful choices, but disciples need strength from above to obey. Natural inclination will not lead a person to make that sacrifice; the heart must be subdued by grace and the will trained to follow God's will rather than personal desire. With watchfulness and reliance on Him, His grace brings the heart's inclinations under the Spirit's direction. Some may be convinced of the truth yet be unable to accept it because the world and unbelieving relatives stand in the way, lacking courage to sacrifice all for Him.
No excuse justifies withholding devotion, not that friends do not obey, nor temperament, nor scorn and trials. Possessions or other attachments must not take priority over Him, and disobedience to God's requirements, including keeping the Sabbath, cannot be excused by saying that friends do not obey them, for His requirements are reasonable and can be obeyed. Discipleship requires a settled commitment to give up everything that competes with loyalty to Him, to die to self and the world, to relinquish carnal inclinations, and to remain on the side of truth through opposition. One who will not do so has not counted the cost and cannot be His disciple, and turning back to the world or becoming ashamed of Him when scorn and trials come shows that commitment is lacking. The cost is forsaking all, meaning renunciation of self, dying to self, being emptied of self, crucifying pride and self-sufficiency, bringing the will into perfect conformity with the will of God, and consecrating all there is to His service. No temperament excuses retaining the old nature, and self cannot be retained while being filled with the fullness of God. Heaven is worth this sacrifice and is gained only through this renunciation and receiving the mind of Christ and being formed after the divine pattern. Until a person is willing, transforming grace is not manifested, but when the emptied nature is presented to God, He by the Holy Spirit supplies the vacuum made by renunciation of self, gives of His fullness, and enables abiding in Him to receive blessing, diffuse it to others, and enjoy a blessed eternity.
Counting and Paying Cost
Discipleship begins by sitting down and calmly considering and counting the cost before undertaking to follow, and then deciding to follow at whatever it will cost. Counting the cost means dealing truly with the soul by thoroughly examining the grounds of hope, refusing self-deception in so weighty a matter, refusing an unworthy Christian name or a mere profession with which to meet Jesus, and refusing a supposed hope that can never save. It means giving up all that one possesses and giving up self to obey the word and surrender all, and children are to be taught what this commitment means before receiving baptism. Those who count in this way pay the price with determined purpose, accepting peculiarity and a spirit that cannot mingle with the spirit and influence of the world any more than oil mixes with water, even giving up enjoyment of the society of those who pay no heed to divine things. To be a child of God and joint-heir with Christ is great, carrying the privilege of knowing the fellowship of His sufferings, for God looks upon the heart, and without earnest seeking and a higher standard of piety everlasting life will certainly be lost.
The cost to be counted and paid is everything, because eternal life is worth all and is of infinite value, so that no sacrifice is too great to obtain it. Peace and hope are worth more than all worldly riches, pleasures and glory, even if gaining them costs everything and a lifetime of toil, and farms and other possessions are not worth more than the interests of the soul. Forsaking all therefore means wrenching away from hurtful associations, cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and overcoming the evils condemned in the word. It leaves no place for idleness or for waiting in idle expectation to be compelled by miracle or supernatural power, but calls for earnest work for the Master, individual battle against the world, the flesh and the devil, submission to the definite Thou shalt and thou shalt not of Scripture, and skillful use of the appointed means and of the word as the sword of the Spirit to cut through opposition and darkness.
The heart of that cost is renunciation of self, dying to self, being emptied of self, crucifying pride and self-sufficiency, and having the will bent and fashioned into perfect conformity with the will of God with all consecrated to His service. No temperament excuses retaining the old nature, and self cannot be retained while being filled with the fullness of God, but heaven is gained only through this renunciation and receiving the mind of Christ and being formed after the divine pattern. Until that full surrender and willingness is made, the transforming grace of God is not manifested or experienced. As soon as the emptied nature is presented to the Lord Jesus and His cause, He by the Holy Spirit supplies the vacuum made by renunciation of self and gives of His fullness, enabling abiding in Christ to receive blessing, diffuse it to others, and enjoy a blessed eternity, for He does not want anyone to perish and desires all that a person is consecrated to His service even more urgently than the person desires more of God.
Only when a person yields to His claims and gives up all does He throw His arms of mercy around them, and those who give all as soldiers in the warfare will as reward inherit all things and will appreciate the eternal reward when the warfare is over and the victory is gained. Giving all means giving a sin-polluted soul for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His mercy, and to save from death by His matchless love, so that the deepest gratitude is due that He will accept the offering. Those who surrender all for Him and put away every cherished idol receive the light of heaven shining upon them. Leaving everything behind rather than clinging to possessions or anything else that stands in the way is represented by the narrow gate, and counting everything as loss for the knowledge of Christ brings light, freedom and power.
Attachments to Forsake
Forsaking all to be Christ's disciple means giving up whatever separates the heart from God, and this includes the love of money and the desire for wealth. Money, wealth and possessions can become idols that bind to Satan, and no one can belong partly to God and partly to the world. The rich young ruler showed how this works, for though he claimed to keep the commandments he would not sell what he had, give to the poor and follow Christ, because his possessions were his idol and left no room in his heart for God, so that property kept its holder from heaven and he could not retain his idol and have heaven too. Possessions are entrusted to advance God's work and not owned for selfish use, yet love of wealth can displace love for truth and service to God. The surrender must therefore be complete and sustained by watchfulness and prayer, lest a person begin to give up under the Spirit's influence and then return to loving and serving possessions when that influence fades, and truth received into the mind must change the heart to a new character.
The same forsaking requires renouncing the pursuit of reputation and worldly honor. Wealth, reputation, worldly honor, ease and freedom from responsibility must be given up when they draw the heart away, become idols, or bind to worldly influence, for discipleship means belonging wholly to God and not dividing loyalty between God and the world. Worldly position, reputation, distinction and office can become snares that endanger the soul, so there must be readiness to change position and stand for Jesus in every relationship and circumstance. This surrender includes denying self and giving up the world's favor and friendship, with willingness to make any sacrifice as both duty and privilege.
Self itself must be denied, including self-will, self-interest, selfish ease and freedom from responsibility, self-pleasing, personal pleasure and love of ease, sinful pleasures, appetite and temper. Every sinful burden must be laid aside and the flesh with its desires crucified, with every idol given up even at the cost of suffering. Renunciation of self means dying to self, being emptied of self, crucifying pride and self-sufficiency, bringing the will into perfect conformity with God's will, and consecrating all to His service, and no temperament excuses retaining the old nature. This surrender must be real in daily conduct, with words, character and actions showing Christ's spirit in humility, self-denial and charity, since profession alone is not enough.
Forsaking all means wrenching away from hurtful associations and cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, overcoming the evils condemned in God's word. It requires giving up every cherished sin and idol in painful detachment from pride, selfishness, vanity, worldliness and sin, with the will submitted to God in a costly bond of dependence on Christ's atoning blood and a changed heart. No one can truly love Him while copying the fashions of the world or enjoying worldly society, for grace upon the heart gives mental power and wisdom to use means not for self-pleasing but for missionary work after His example. It leaves no place for idleness or waiting to be compelled by supernatural power or for God to do by miracle what is to be done by appointed means, but calls for earnest work, individual battle against the world, the flesh and the devil, submission to the definite Thou shalt and thou shalt not of Scripture, and skillful use of the word as the sword of the Spirit to cut through opposition and darkness.
Old associations must be broken up, plans of life relinquished, and earthly hopes surrendered in order to follow Him and go forth to sow the seed of truth in toil and tears, in solitude and through sacrifice. Those called to unite with Christ must leave all that would hold them back. Devotion to worldly work must not come at the cost of neglecting spiritual growth, which calls for searching examination whether life answers His call and follows His divine example.
Christ's Giving and Worth
Christ's requirements are reasonable and can be obeyed, and no one can excuse disobedience, even in keeping the Sabbath, on the ground that friends do not obey. Giving up all is not too hard and the way is not too strait, for all human self-denial is put in the shade by what He gave up for sinners. If He required less, His dear and great sacrifice to bring sinners up would have been too much for such a result, and giving up all means separation, not being conformed to the world or to dead heartless professors but being transformed by the renewing of the mind on a self-denying narrow path. This is seen in the garden sweating great drops of blood with only a solitary angel sent to strengthen Him, followed to the judgment hall to be derided and mocked and insulted by the mob, clothed in the old purple kingly robe with coarse jests and cruel mocking, crowned with thorns and smitten with a reed till thorns pierced His temples and blood flowed from His brow. He was delivered to the murderous throng crying for His blood, led pale and weak and fainting to crucifixion, stretched on the wooden cross with nails through hands and feet, and hung in dreadful hours of agony till angels veiled their faces and the sun hid its light.
The demand asks no more than He Himself gave, for He left all His riches, glory and honor, stripped Himself of His robes of royalty and humbled Himself to take man's nature, so that through His poverty and humiliation believers might be made rich. As He left heaven to sow life for a lost world, those called to unite with Him must leave all to follow Him and go forth to sow the seed of truth. He denied Himself and gave His life to save humanity, and His example makes extravagant spending for worldly display a failure to meet obligation to God, for disciples are to study and practice the Saviour's lessons and serve as producers rather than consumers.
Giving all means giving a sin-polluted soul for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His mercy and to save from death by His matchless love, so that thinking it hard to give up all is shameful. Only when a person yields to His claims and gives up all does He throw His arms of mercy around them, and the deepest gratitude is due that He will accept the offering. Union with Him is a costly bond of dependence requiring a changed heart, reliance on His atoning blood, and painful detachment from pride, selfishness, vanity, worldliness and sin. When requiring all feels hard, the remedy is to go to Calvary and weep, beholding the Deliverer's hands and feet torn by cruel nails to wash from sin by His own blood and remembering what Christ gave. Those who feel constraining love do not ask how little may be given to obtain the heavenly reward and do not seek the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer, yielding all with ardent desire and zeal proportionate to the object pursued, which is immortality and eternal life.
Examples and Warnings
Forsaking all to be a disciple means an entire surrender of all that is possessed and all that a person is, leaving nothing that competes with loyalty to Christ. The rich young ruler claimed to keep the commandments, yet when told to sell what he had, give to the poor for treasure in heaven, and follow Christ, he would not do it but turned away sorrowfully because he had great possessions. His property was his idol that bound his heart and left no room for God, so he did not receive or believe in Christ, proving that an idol cannot be retained and heaven had too. Those who do follow appreciate His words, for truth received into the mind changes the heart and gives the life a new character.
Those called to unite with Christ must leave all that would hold them back in order to follow Him and go forth to sow the seed of truth as He left heaven to sow life for a lost world. Old associations must be broken up, plans of life relinquished, and earthly hopes surrendered, with the seed sown in toil and tears, in solitude and through sacrifice. Abraham fulfilled this leaving by forsaking country, home, relatives, and all pleasant associations of earthly life to become a pilgrim and stranger and keep God's name alive. Paul fulfilled it by departing from Jerusalem when sent far hence to the Gentiles. Only those willing to give up all for Christ can be His disciples, accepting poverty and humility in seeking to be like Him, as the persecuted Christians who met the condition loved to be poor, humble, and Christlike.
No one can be Christ's disciple without forsaking all that he has, which means counting the cross of Christ more precious than crown, electoral hat and ermine, goods and life, subjects and states, and father's country. It requires readiness to leave goods and life behind, to renounce subjects and states, and to quit country staff in hand rather than receive any other doctrine or dishonor the Lord Jesus Christ. John of Saxony and the other princes lived this when they resolved to do what is right without troubling about the crown, to confess the Lord, and to sign the Confession at any cost. For the Jewish nation, accepting Christ and forsaking sin to be reconciled to God was the only hope of peace and of becoming a nation united to Him, but by rejecting Him and persisting in pride and religious bigotry they continued toward the outcome foretold in prophecy.
Conversion brings a decisive change in motives and a separation from the influence of worldly relationships, forsaking every worldly attachment that competes with allegiance to Him. That separation can cause pain, yet Christians long for their friends to forsake all for Christ because otherwise there will be an eternal separation, and the value of those souls makes a frivolous, lighthearted manner with unbelieving friends unfitting. The verse gives the call to the supper, urging those in the valley of decision to take courage and decide to be fully on the Lord's side by keeping all the commandments of God. Giving up everything rather than letting possessions or other attachments take priority is required, and no one can excuse disobedience to God's requirements, including keeping the Sabbath, by saying that friends do not obey them, for Christ's requirements are reasonable and can be obeyed.
Daily Life and Service
Forsaking all must become real in daily conduct, not profession alone, with words, character and actions showing the spirit of Christ in humility, self-denial and charity, laying aside self-will, personal pleasure and love of ease. It calls for searching examination whether life answers His call and follows His divine example, refusing to let devotion to worldly work crowd out spiritual growth.
All that a person has — possessions, abilities, self, time and means — belongs to Christ and is only a loan from the Saviour to be used for His glory, for doing good and winning souls, with the interests and prosperity of His kingdom put before personal pleasure and selfish gain. Followers are His hired servants and stewards, purchased by His suffering life and spilled blood, and self-denial in doing others good expresses the unselfish love that marked Him. Those who live this way find the happiness the selfish seek in vain, while those who make pleasure and selfish gain their chief aim are unfaithful stewards whose hearts are on earthly rather than heavenly things. The love of wealth can displace love for truth and service, so the surrender must be complete and sustained by watchfulness and prayer, lest one begin to give up under the Spirit's influence and then return to loving and serving possessions when that influence fades. Faithfulness is proved in ordinary choices rather than requiring great dramatic sacrifices, aiming to become Christlike and lay up heavenly treasure by daily self-denial and giving means to God's work instead of selfish use. Extravagant spending for worldly display fails obligation to God, for Christ denied Himself and gave His life to save humanity, and disciples are to study and practice His lessons as producers rather than consumers.
The willingness of the church to surrender its resources for His work expresses true self-sacrifice and shows the reality and power of the gospel, bringing abundant blessing as its witness. Discipleship for the work may require risking life, health, strength and time and taking responsibility to advance the message. Grace upon the heart gives mental power and wisdom to use the talent of means not for self-pleasing but to carry forward missionary work after the example of Christ, the Son of God who was a missionary to this world. No one can truly love Him while copying the fashions of the world or enjoying worldly society.
Renewed consecration to God and His service is necessary for growth in grace and knowledge of the truth in order to inherit the heavenly kingdom. The Christian name must not be unworthy, nor profession a mere cloak to meet Jesus, nor hope a self-deceiving supposition that will never save, but grounds of hope must be thoroughly examined with true dealing with the soul. The spirit of the disciple cannot mingle with the spirit and influence of the world any more than oil can mingle with water, requiring peculiarity and giving up enjoyment of the society of those who pay no heed to divine things. To be a child of God and joint-heir with Christ is great and carries the privilege of knowing the fellowship of His sufferings, for God looks upon the heart, and without earnest seeking and a higher standard of piety everlasting life will certainly be lost.
Counting the cost and paying it with determined purpose means wrenching away from hurtful associations, cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, overcoming evils condemned in God's word, and giving up self-pleasing, favorite sinful pleasures and the desire to have one's own way. It is individual battle against the world, the flesh and the devil, with earnest work for the Master, submission to the definite Thou shalt and thou shalt not of Scripture, and skillful employment of the word of God as the sword of the Spirit to cut through opposition and darkness. There is no place for idleness or waiting in idle expectation for God to do by miracle or compelling supernatural power what is to be done by appointed means and means He has provided. Carrying the truth to the world calls for wholehearted commitment, and those who give themselves to it and rely on Christ's strength receive supernatural help to carry it out. Such surrender requires effort, as when children who have been a stumbling block must remove that wrong and yield whole heart and affections to God, yet clearing sin from the conscience and gladly accepting His leading brings greater pleasure in serving Christ and happiness and rest in His yoke.
Christ lays down forsaking all that one has as His own fixed term of discipleship, and without meeting it no one can be His disciple whatever profession is made. The surrender must be entire and unreserved, with the whole heart and undivided affections, for no one can belong partly to God and partly to the world. Becoming His disciple requires sitting down and calmly counting the cost and then paying it with determined purpose, because eternal life is worth all and of infinite value, so no sacrifice is too great. What must be given up includes love of money and possessions, pursuit of reputation and worldly honor, self-will and selfish ease, and every cherished sin and idol with worldliness and hurtful associations. The demand is reasonable because He first left riches, glory and honor to humble Himself for a lost world, and all that remains — possessions, abilities, time and means — belongs to Him as a loan to be used for His glory and the winning of souls.
Demand of Discipleship
Forsaking all that one has is the fixed term of discipleship laid down by Christ's own lips, and no one becomes His follower except by complying with what He specified. Following Him means leaving all and following Jesus, with willingness to make any sacrifice and bear any cost, and mere profession of faith is not enough to make one a Christian or to give sound hope of eternal life. This demand follows the call to count the cost before undertaking discipleship, and it belongs together with denying self, taking up the cross and following Him, having in oneself the mind that was in Christ Jesus, consecrating oneself anew to God, working together with Christ while God works within to will and to do, and glorifying God in body and spirit as one bought with a price. It is the standard of duty shown in His perfect authoritative example, and obeying His explicit command to follow Him keeps one from walking in darkness, for He is the only hope.
The surrender must be entire and unreserved, with the whole heart and undivided affections, for no one can belong partly to God and partly to the world. Whatever separates the heart from God must be given up, including love of money and desire for wealth, pursuit of reputation and worldly honor, and selfish ease or freedom from responsibility, with these attachments broken. One must turn away from love of the world and earthly things and take Christ as the only portion, otherwise one cannot be His disciple. A divided commitment leaves a person following Christ at a distance and unable to be His disciple, since to abide in Him means giving up divided loyalty to earthly affections and worldly interests, loving God supremely and serving Him willingly. No adequate excuse can justify withholding that devotion.
To receive Christ at all is to receive Him as King to reign in the soul, acknowledging Him and submitting to His authority. His will must be consulted, His law made the rule of life, His requirements binding, His life taken as the pattern, and the stern precepts of His word obeyed. This means leaving self-indulgence and one's own devising and worldly practices, denying self for His glory, giving up the world's favor and friendship, and being ready and willing to give up all and make any and every sacrifice for His service. The demand runs contrary to human inclinations, and by it He tests His disciples whether He truly reigns within, with willingness to make any sacrifice for Him being both duty and privilege. When received, He enters the soul to reign.
The demand extends even to family ties and life itself when loyalty to Him requires it. The cross may bring painful choices, but disciples need strength from above to obey. Natural inclination will not lead a person to make that sacrifice; the heart must be subdued by grace and the will trained to follow God's will rather than personal desire. With watchfulness and reliance on Him, His grace brings the heart's inclinations under the Spirit's direction. Some may be convinced of the truth yet be unable to accept it because the world and unbelieving relatives stand in the way, lacking courage to sacrifice all for Him.
No excuse justifies withholding devotion, not that friends do not obey, nor temperament, nor scorn and trials. Possessions or other attachments must not take priority over Him, and disobedience to God's requirements, including keeping the Sabbath, cannot be excused by saying that friends do not obey them, for His requirements are reasonable and can be obeyed. Discipleship requires a settled commitment to give up everything that competes with loyalty to Him, to die to self and the world, to relinquish carnal inclinations, and to remain on the side of truth through opposition. One who will not do so has not counted the cost and cannot be His disciple, and turning back to the world or becoming ashamed of Him when scorn and trials come shows that commitment is lacking. The cost is forsaking all, meaning renunciation of self, dying to self, being emptied of self, crucifying pride and self-sufficiency, bringing the will into perfect conformity with the will of God, and consecrating all there is to His service. No temperament excuses retaining the old nature, and self cannot be retained while being filled with the fullness of God. Heaven is worth this sacrifice and is gained only through this renunciation and receiving the mind of Christ and being formed after the divine pattern. Until a person is willing, transforming grace is not manifested, but when the emptied nature is presented to God, He by the Holy Spirit supplies the vacuum made by renunciation of self, gives of His fullness, and enables abiding in Him to receive blessing, diffuse it to others, and enjoy a blessed eternity.
Counting and Paying Cost
Discipleship begins by sitting down and calmly considering and counting the cost before undertaking to follow, and then deciding to follow at whatever it will cost. Counting the cost means dealing truly with the soul by thoroughly examining the grounds of hope, refusing self-deception in so weighty a matter, refusing an unworthy Christian name or a mere profession with which to meet Jesus, and refusing a supposed hope that can never save. It means giving up all that one possesses and giving up self to obey the word and surrender all, and children are to be taught what this commitment means before receiving baptism. Those who count in this way pay the price with determined purpose, accepting peculiarity and a spirit that cannot mingle with the spirit and influence of the world any more than oil mixes with water, even giving up enjoyment of the society of those who pay no heed to divine things. To be a child of God and joint-heir with Christ is great, carrying the privilege of knowing the fellowship of His sufferings, for God looks upon the heart, and without earnest seeking and a higher standard of piety everlasting life will certainly be lost.
The cost to be counted and paid is everything, because eternal life is worth all and is of infinite value, so that no sacrifice is too great to obtain it. Peace and hope are worth more than all worldly riches, pleasures and glory, even if gaining them costs everything and a lifetime of toil, and farms and other possessions are not worth more than the interests of the soul. Forsaking all therefore means wrenching away from hurtful associations, cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and overcoming the evils condemned in the word. It leaves no place for idleness or for waiting in idle expectation to be compelled by miracle or supernatural power, but calls for earnest work for the Master, individual battle against the world, the flesh and the devil, submission to the definite Thou shalt and thou shalt not of Scripture, and skillful use of the appointed means and of the word as the sword of the Spirit to cut through opposition and darkness.
The heart of that cost is renunciation of self, dying to self, being emptied of self, crucifying pride and self-sufficiency, and having the will bent and fashioned into perfect conformity with the will of God with all consecrated to His service. No temperament excuses retaining the old nature, and self cannot be retained while being filled with the fullness of God, but heaven is gained only through this renunciation and receiving the mind of Christ and being formed after the divine pattern. Until that full surrender and willingness is made, the transforming grace of God is not manifested or experienced. As soon as the emptied nature is presented to the Lord Jesus and His cause, He by the Holy Spirit supplies the vacuum made by renunciation of self and gives of His fullness, enabling abiding in Christ to receive blessing, diffuse it to others, and enjoy a blessed eternity, for He does not want anyone to perish and desires all that a person is consecrated to His service even more urgently than the person desires more of God.
Only when a person yields to His claims and gives up all does He throw His arms of mercy around them, and those who give all as soldiers in the warfare will as reward inherit all things and will appreciate the eternal reward when the warfare is over and the victory is gained. Giving all means giving a sin-polluted soul for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His mercy, and to save from death by His matchless love, so that the deepest gratitude is due that He will accept the offering. Those who surrender all for Him and put away every cherished idol receive the light of heaven shining upon them. Leaving everything behind rather than clinging to possessions or anything else that stands in the way is represented by the narrow gate, and counting everything as loss for the knowledge of Christ brings light, freedom and power.
Attachments to Forsake
Forsaking all to be Christ's disciple means giving up whatever separates the heart from God, and this includes the love of money and the desire for wealth. Money, wealth and possessions can become idols that bind to Satan, and no one can belong partly to God and partly to the world. The rich young ruler showed how this works, for though he claimed to keep the commandments he would not sell what he had, give to the poor and follow Christ, because his possessions were his idol and left no room in his heart for God, so that property kept its holder from heaven and he could not retain his idol and have heaven too. Possessions are entrusted to advance God's work and not owned for selfish use, yet love of wealth can displace love for truth and service to God. The surrender must therefore be complete and sustained by watchfulness and prayer, lest a person begin to give up under the Spirit's influence and then return to loving and serving possessions when that influence fades, and truth received into the mind must change the heart to a new character.
The same forsaking requires renouncing the pursuit of reputation and worldly honor. Wealth, reputation, worldly honor, ease and freedom from responsibility must be given up when they draw the heart away, become idols, or bind to worldly influence, for discipleship means belonging wholly to God and not dividing loyalty between God and the world. Worldly position, reputation, distinction and office can become snares that endanger the soul, so there must be readiness to change position and stand for Jesus in every relationship and circumstance. This surrender includes denying self and giving up the world's favor and friendship, with willingness to make any sacrifice as both duty and privilege.
Self itself must be denied, including self-will, self-interest, selfish ease and freedom from responsibility, self-pleasing, personal pleasure and love of ease, sinful pleasures, appetite and temper. Every sinful burden must be laid aside and the flesh with its desires crucified, with every idol given up even at the cost of suffering. Renunciation of self means dying to self, being emptied of self, crucifying pride and self-sufficiency, bringing the will into perfect conformity with God's will, and consecrating all to His service, and no temperament excuses retaining the old nature. This surrender must be real in daily conduct, with words, character and actions showing Christ's spirit in humility, self-denial and charity, since profession alone is not enough.
Forsaking all means wrenching away from hurtful associations and cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, overcoming the evils condemned in God's word. It requires giving up every cherished sin and idol in painful detachment from pride, selfishness, vanity, worldliness and sin, with the will submitted to God in a costly bond of dependence on Christ's atoning blood and a changed heart. No one can truly love Him while copying the fashions of the world or enjoying worldly society, for grace upon the heart gives mental power and wisdom to use means not for self-pleasing but for missionary work after His example. It leaves no place for idleness or waiting to be compelled by supernatural power or for God to do by miracle what is to be done by appointed means, but calls for earnest work, individual battle against the world, the flesh and the devil, submission to the definite Thou shalt and thou shalt not of Scripture, and skillful use of the word as the sword of the Spirit to cut through opposition and darkness.
Old associations must be broken up, plans of life relinquished, and earthly hopes surrendered in order to follow Him and go forth to sow the seed of truth in toil and tears, in solitude and through sacrifice. Those called to unite with Christ must leave all that would hold them back. Devotion to worldly work must not come at the cost of neglecting spiritual growth, which calls for searching examination whether life answers His call and follows His divine example.
Christ's Giving and Worth
Christ's requirements are reasonable and can be obeyed, and no one can excuse disobedience, even in keeping the Sabbath, on the ground that friends do not obey. Giving up all is not too hard and the way is not too strait, for all human self-denial is put in the shade by what He gave up for sinners. If He required less, His dear and great sacrifice to bring sinners up would have been too much for such a result, and giving up all means separation, not being conformed to the world or to dead heartless professors but being transformed by the renewing of the mind on a self-denying narrow path. This is seen in the garden sweating great drops of blood with only a solitary angel sent to strengthen Him, followed to the judgment hall to be derided and mocked and insulted by the mob, clothed in the old purple kingly robe with coarse jests and cruel mocking, crowned with thorns and smitten with a reed till thorns pierced His temples and blood flowed from His brow. He was delivered to the murderous throng crying for His blood, led pale and weak and fainting to crucifixion, stretched on the wooden cross with nails through hands and feet, and hung in dreadful hours of agony till angels veiled their faces and the sun hid its light.
The demand asks no more than He Himself gave, for He left all His riches, glory and honor, stripped Himself of His robes of royalty and humbled Himself to take man's nature, so that through His poverty and humiliation believers might be made rich. As He left heaven to sow life for a lost world, those called to unite with Him must leave all to follow Him and go forth to sow the seed of truth. He denied Himself and gave His life to save humanity, and His example makes extravagant spending for worldly display a failure to meet obligation to God, for disciples are to study and practice the Saviour's lessons and serve as producers rather than consumers.
Giving all means giving a sin-polluted soul for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His mercy and to save from death by His matchless love, so that thinking it hard to give up all is shameful. Only when a person yields to His claims and gives up all does He throw His arms of mercy around them, and the deepest gratitude is due that He will accept the offering. Union with Him is a costly bond of dependence requiring a changed heart, reliance on His atoning blood, and painful detachment from pride, selfishness, vanity, worldliness and sin. When requiring all feels hard, the remedy is to go to Calvary and weep, beholding the Deliverer's hands and feet torn by cruel nails to wash from sin by His own blood and remembering what Christ gave. Those who feel constraining love do not ask how little may be given to obtain the heavenly reward and do not seek the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer, yielding all with ardent desire and zeal proportionate to the object pursued, which is immortality and eternal life.
Examples and Warnings
Forsaking all to be a disciple means an entire surrender of all that is possessed and all that a person is, leaving nothing that competes with loyalty to Christ. The rich young ruler claimed to keep the commandments, yet when told to sell what he had, give to the poor for treasure in heaven, and follow Christ, he would not do it but turned away sorrowfully because he had great possessions. His property was his idol that bound his heart and left no room for God, so he did not receive or believe in Christ, proving that an idol cannot be retained and heaven had too. Those who do follow appreciate His words, for truth received into the mind changes the heart and gives the life a new character.
Those called to unite with Christ must leave all that would hold them back in order to follow Him and go forth to sow the seed of truth as He left heaven to sow life for a lost world. Old associations must be broken up, plans of life relinquished, and earthly hopes surrendered, with the seed sown in toil and tears, in solitude and through sacrifice. Abraham fulfilled this leaving by forsaking country, home, relatives, and all pleasant associations of earthly life to become a pilgrim and stranger and keep God's name alive. Paul fulfilled it by departing from Jerusalem when sent far hence to the Gentiles. Only those willing to give up all for Christ can be His disciples, accepting poverty and humility in seeking to be like Him, as the persecuted Christians who met the condition loved to be poor, humble, and Christlike.
No one can be Christ's disciple without forsaking all that he has, which means counting the cross of Christ more precious than crown, electoral hat and ermine, goods and life, subjects and states, and father's country. It requires readiness to leave goods and life behind, to renounce subjects and states, and to quit country staff in hand rather than receive any other doctrine or dishonor the Lord Jesus Christ. John of Saxony and the other princes lived this when they resolved to do what is right without troubling about the crown, to confess the Lord, and to sign the Confession at any cost. For the Jewish nation, accepting Christ and forsaking sin to be reconciled to God was the only hope of peace and of becoming a nation united to Him, but by rejecting Him and persisting in pride and religious bigotry they continued toward the outcome foretold in prophecy.
Conversion brings a decisive change in motives and a separation from the influence of worldly relationships, forsaking every worldly attachment that competes with allegiance to Him. That separation can cause pain, yet Christians long for their friends to forsake all for Christ because otherwise there will be an eternal separation, and the value of those souls makes a frivolous, lighthearted manner with unbelieving friends unfitting. The verse gives the call to the supper, urging those in the valley of decision to take courage and decide to be fully on the Lord's side by keeping all the commandments of God. Giving up everything rather than letting possessions or other attachments take priority is required, and no one can excuse disobedience to God's requirements, including keeping the Sabbath, by saying that friends do not obey them, for Christ's requirements are reasonable and can be obeyed.
Daily Life and Service
Forsaking all must become real in daily conduct, not profession alone, with words, character and actions showing the spirit of Christ in humility, self-denial and charity, laying aside self-will, personal pleasure and love of ease. It calls for searching examination whether life answers His call and follows His divine example, refusing to let devotion to worldly work crowd out spiritual growth.
All that a person has — possessions, abilities, self, time and means — belongs to Christ and is only a loan from the Saviour to be used for His glory, for doing good and winning souls, with the interests and prosperity of His kingdom put before personal pleasure and selfish gain. Followers are His hired servants and stewards, purchased by His suffering life and spilled blood, and self-denial in doing others good expresses the unselfish love that marked Him. Those who live this way find the happiness the selfish seek in vain, while those who make pleasure and selfish gain their chief aim are unfaithful stewards whose hearts are on earthly rather than heavenly things. The love of wealth can displace love for truth and service, so the surrender must be complete and sustained by watchfulness and prayer, lest one begin to give up under the Spirit's influence and then return to loving and serving possessions when that influence fades. Faithfulness is proved in ordinary choices rather than requiring great dramatic sacrifices, aiming to become Christlike and lay up heavenly treasure by daily self-denial and giving means to God's work instead of selfish use. Extravagant spending for worldly display fails obligation to God, for Christ denied Himself and gave His life to save humanity, and disciples are to study and practice His lessons as producers rather than consumers.
The willingness of the church to surrender its resources for His work expresses true self-sacrifice and shows the reality and power of the gospel, bringing abundant blessing as its witness. Discipleship for the work may require risking life, health, strength and time and taking responsibility to advance the message. Grace upon the heart gives mental power and wisdom to use the talent of means not for self-pleasing but to carry forward missionary work after the example of Christ, the Son of God who was a missionary to this world. No one can truly love Him while copying the fashions of the world or enjoying worldly society.
Renewed consecration to God and His service is necessary for growth in grace and knowledge of the truth in order to inherit the heavenly kingdom. The Christian name must not be unworthy, nor profession a mere cloak to meet Jesus, nor hope a self-deceiving supposition that will never save, but grounds of hope must be thoroughly examined with true dealing with the soul. The spirit of the disciple cannot mingle with the spirit and influence of the world any more than oil can mingle with water, requiring peculiarity and giving up enjoyment of the society of those who pay no heed to divine things. To be a child of God and joint-heir with Christ is great and carries the privilege of knowing the fellowship of His sufferings, for God looks upon the heart, and without earnest seeking and a higher standard of piety everlasting life will certainly be lost.
Counting the cost and paying it with determined purpose means wrenching away from hurtful associations, cleansing from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, overcoming evils condemned in God's word, and giving up self-pleasing, favorite sinful pleasures and the desire to have one's own way. It is individual battle against the world, the flesh and the devil, with earnest work for the Master, submission to the definite Thou shalt and thou shalt not of Scripture, and skillful employment of the word of God as the sword of the Spirit to cut through opposition and darkness. There is no place for idleness or waiting in idle expectation for God to do by miracle or compelling supernatural power what is to be done by appointed means and means He has provided. Carrying the truth to the world calls for wholehearted commitment, and those who give themselves to it and rely on Christ's strength receive supernatural help to carry it out. Such surrender requires effort, as when children who have been a stumbling block must remove that wrong and yield whole heart and affections to God, yet clearing sin from the conscience and gladly accepting His leading brings greater pleasure in serving Christ and happiness and rest in His yoke.