J.C. Ryle does it again.

Ole J.C. Ryle

The cost of Christianity has been on my mind lately. For one, I think I’ve been trying to figure out what indeed Christianity has cost me. A hard verse for me to read is when Jesus says ”if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” It’s hard for me to read because life as a Christian seems way too easy. I mean, I have a hard time confronting people because I'm scared it will cost me "how much they like me."

Let every reader of this paper think seriously, whether his religion costs him anything at present. Very likely it neither costs you trouble, nor time, nor thought, nor care, nor pains, nor reading, nor praying, nor self-denial, nor conflict, nor working, nor labour of any kind. Now mark what I say. Such a religion as this will never save your soul. It will never give you peace while you live, nor hope while you die. It will not support you in the day of affliction, nor cheer you in the hour of death. A religion which costs nothing is worth nothing.

I don’t really have much to add to J.C. Ryle’s quote. When Jesus says ”if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” He assumes that our following Christ means it will come with a cost. I don’t know about you, but for me, I sometimes wonder how much Christianity has really cost me. I’ve grown up in the “Christian” friendly south. I’ve always been surrounded by Christian friends, and have even been working for a campus ministry for the past 4 years.” But alas, Jesus did not say, Christianity will cost you something….unless you are from Mississippi.

Nope, I dare say the reason Christianity costs us so little is because we fear man more than we fear God. In Mark 6, King Herod stands at a crossroads. He can either have John the Baptist beheaded, thus pleasing his adulterous wife, daughter in law, and rich friends, or he can refuse to murder John the Baptist and forfeit the favor of his colleagues. King Herod sadly fears the dislike of his friends more than God and therefore executes John the Baptist.

What’s our answer? We look to the cross and see what it cost our Savior to bring salvation to His loved ones. Jesus, the Son of God, who was, is and always will be in perfect communion with Trinity, took on a body and walked the earth 2000 years ago. He became his own creation! Was rejected and despised by even his own people. Then horrifically suffered torture and then a slaves death on the cross, took the full, unmitigated wrath of God upon himself, and died. Why? All to pay the debts of his people and secure our complete redemption. When we look at the cross we see that Christ paid the ultimate cost, so that we might have life with him eternal.

Ryle asserts that Christianity will cost us our self-righteousness, our easy life, and the favor of the world. But when you compare the cost…it’s no comparison….because we get Jesus. Marrying Liza (my wife for those of you who don’t know) meant things had to change in my life, but it’s all worth it because I have Liza. And following Christ means emptying my wallet, confronting my friends about hard things, not being selfish with my time, and yes much, much more. But “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul (Mark 8:36).” As Ryle concludes

We shall marvel that we made so much of our cross, and thought so little of our crown. We shall marvel that in “counting the cost” we could ever doubt on which side the balance of profit lay. Let us take courage. We are not far from home. IT MAY COST MUCH TO BE A TRUE CHRISTIAN AND A CONSISTENT HOLY MAN; BUT IT PAYS.

Secondly, I was driving from class yesterday and noticed a big banner at McDonald’s that said “the McRib sandwich is back!” Good grief, why does that food item (I refuse to call it to a sandwich) keep coming back. Who actually eats the McRib and who celebrates when it comes back? I can just see a family gather the kids together in the living room. Kids, guess what, put on your best clothes…we’re going to McDonald’s because the McRib sandwich is BACK.!
The McRib falls right behind the BK Big Fish sandwich as my grossest fast food item.

1. BK Big Fish
2. McDonald’s McRib
3) Anything from Captain D’s.

Sweet emotion!... Holiness by J.C. Ryle is a great book.