Part 12 - Resolved for Christ
Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? If not, I pray that you would confess your sins to Him and believe in His Lordship. But if Jesus is your Lord, how are you living for Him? You see, there is a cost associated with believing in and following Christ. Yet in spite of this cost, we must be resolved to live for Him. In the gospel of Luke chapter 14:25-33, Jesus himself lays out the criteria for being His follower, and He tells us to “count the cost”. What does Jesus mean by this? Well, Jesus is making an exaggerated statement here to get our attention and open our eyes to a greater resolution, and a greater love.
What He is saying is, if you do not love Him more than the very ones you love dearly; your father, mother, spouse, brother, sister and children, you cannot be His disciple. Jesus is calling us to a greater love. To the unbelieving world this sounds outrageous. But to a believer in Christ, these words burn like an inferno in our hearts. So how should we understand and apply what Jesus is saying here? Let me explain...
It all begins by understanding that if Christ is your Lord and Savior, you are no longer your own, because you have been purchased with a great price. Christ died that you may be forgiven for all your sin; past, present and future. He did this so that you may have eternal life. Your eternality began the moment you believed, so the life you live now you should live for the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you. As great as this is, there’s more. Christ saved you so that you could share Him and His gospel with others. Our salvation, our faith, is not to be kept a secret. No, on the contrary we are to live our lives in full view as believers, followers and servants of our great God, Savior and Lord—Jesus Christ.
Being resolved for Jesus is living like you love Jesus. And as our love and faith in Him grows, we will love our parents, our spouses, families and friends with a greater love; the love that burns in our hearts for Christ. This is what He wants for you and I, so lets be resolved for Him.
I hope you have enjoyed this short series on “Living a Life of Resolution”. I pray that you have been edified by it, and that your faith has been deepened through it.