On an interstate north of Dallas that I have traveled many times over the years there is a half finished mansion that has become a memorial of “Unfinished Business”. If hear say is correct, the house was owned by a wealthy rancher who was financially devastated when the oil prices crashed years ago. It turns out this rancher ended up not having enough resources to complete his mansion. Therefore it has stood there for many years abandon and deteriorating.

In the gospel of Luke Jesus says in 14:27-30, “…whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it…’”.(NKJV) Jesus uses the principle of

We can’t expect to continue living our life as it was before we surrendered and made a decision to follow Christ.   (tweet)

finishing a construction project as an illustration of a person that chooses to follow Him. In other words a disciple of Christ needs to count the cost and not make a casual commitment but a decisive and thoughtful commitment to follow Jesus.

            My father had a gifting in building and over the years had established a trustworthy construction company. I remember many nights he would be sitting at his desk calculating building projects, making sure he had everything that was needed to start and finish the job. It wasn’t just a passing thought but a well-planned project.

In the same manner Jesus is declaring that making a decision to follow Him is not a fly by night decision. Too often individuals are pulled by emotions, events and circumstances to try a “quick fix” of religion. Never making a real calculation of what it will take. They are never able to follow through and finish their decision to follow Christ in which they started all because they are not willing to let go of things. In His dialogue Jesus goes on to say in verse 33, “whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

In Luke 16:13, we are told, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.” We can’t expect to continue living our life as it was before we surrendered and made a decision to follow Christ. Like the saying goes, “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Meaning we must let go of the former lifestyle and grab on to Christ with the rope of faith. You can’t straddle the fence or serve two masters.

A true disciple puts off the characteristics of our former allegiance and must be filled with fruits of righteousness.      (tweet)

The author of the book of Hebrews exhorts us in Heb 12:1, “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”. NKJV Paul is telling us to get rid of everything that would hinder or hold us back from finishing our race of faith. In telling us to lay aside every weight, Paul is saying that there are things that can trip us up in finishing strong. In his letter to the Colossians he says, “…put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man…”

      Therefore, as we pursue being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ let us count the cost. A true disciple puts off the characteristics of our former allegiance and must be filled with fruits of righteousness.