Count the Cost

It is God’s will that every man, woman, boy and girl be saved, I Timothy 2:4.

But in order to be truly saved, there needs to be some clarity as to what that means.

First, what does it mean to “be saved” – saved from what?
Second, what is the aftermath of being saved?
Third, what needs to be done in order to be saved?

First, why the need to be saved?
All people are born in slavery, in captivity and in bondage to pride, fear, anger, futility, sins, death and ultimately to be rejected by God for their refusal to repent, believe, and submit to His rule.

This is pictured in the opening chapters of the Bible’s book of Exodus.  A vast group of people had for generations lived in slavery to a task master and were completely unable to extract themselves from their situation.  They needed to be saved!  All people today likewise need to be saved!

Third, to be saved, what needs to be done?
For those in the Egyptian slavery, God sent in a redeemer, Moses, who brought God’s word, addressed the dictator, and caused a series of hardships designed to bring about their release.  God out front working for their release.  Such is a picture of the ministry of Jesus who came to seek and to save the lost.  He brought God’s Word; dealt with their captors like the Jewish leaders with their rules and the demons and Satan; and worked miracles showing His authority and drawing “slaves” into belief.   For those slaves in Egypt, they had to embrace the death of a “perfect” lamb by putting its blood around the entrance to their life (door frame) and partake of it in a meal (John 6:53).  They had to believe that the death of a lamb would give them salvation.  Today, each person likewise needs to embrace the death of the Lamb of God for their salvation.

Second, what was their backside of being saved?
If one is to put out a marker to their captors that they were “revolting” from their captivity (publicly embracing the blood sign), they needed to have some idea as to what lay beyond.  It was one thing to want release from a hard, painful and hopeless life, but maybe the next life would be harder.  Moses had declared that those who followed him out of their slavery were going out three days to worship God and also to serve God.  They had heard from their fathers and they heard from Moses that God had a land rich with lush fields of grass and flowers (milk and honey from bees gathering nectar).  They understood that they were being freed to follow Moses to serve God.

For captives today – the backside of being saved (that is, a public faith embracing the death of the innocent Lamb, Jesus, as Savior) means becoming a follower/servant/slave of Jesus:

1. John 10:27, My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me. A follower.
2. II Corinthians  5:20, Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ.  We show and tell Jesus – His voice and hands.
3. I Corinthians 6:20, For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
4. Romans 6:18, And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
5. Matthew 11:29, Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.  We are bound to Jesus and become His student.
6. I John 5:3, For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.  We love, study, obey.
7. Matthew  26:39, “Not my will – Your will be done”  He is Boss, Lord, Master.
8. II Corinthians 6:17, “Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord.
9. I Peter 4:4, They think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
10. Luke 14:27, And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

SO, what lies beyond truly being saved?  A life of submission, service, and sacrifice for Jesus!

Therefore, Luke 14:28, 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 — Count the Cost!  Yet, be saved!