Being a disciple of Christ is a costly proposition. You have to give up a lot of your old ways, live a life of self-denial, and yes, often suffer for the sake of the gospel. And living for Christ in some countries can lead to intense persecution, prison, and even death. So the question I pose to you is what makes the Christian experience so joyful if you have to give up so many worldly pleasures and in return seemingly have to sacrifice and suffer for the sake of Jesus.
Thankfully, we have the Bible, to give us solid answers to why Christianity is such a wonderful worldview and lifestyle. Throughout the pages of Scripture God has left us enormously encouraging verses to show us why living for Christ is the finest life imaginable. One of my favorite portions of Scripture is (Psalm 119). Whenever I get down and discouraged, I often turn to this amazing psalm for encouragement and to remind myself when life seems difficult that the holy Bible can supply me with so much peace, joy, and meaning that almost immediately my spirit begins to soar upward!
D. A. Carson offers us a precious thought on the high cost of Christian discipleship: “The kingdom of heaven is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship, and those who know where the treasure lies joyfully abandon everything else to secure it.”1
May I submit to you that the kingdom of heaven starts with salvation and offers us many blessings in this life and the incomparable blessing of eternal life after we pass from this life to the next.
In (Psalm 119:162) we read: “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” Notice that reading, knowing, and living biblically brings with it a treasure trove of blessings. For example, hiding God’s word in our hearts helps us not to sin, (Psalm 119:11) and this helps bring glory to God. (Psalm 119:165) tells us that those who love Scripture can experience great peace even when we struggle, and “nothing causes them to stumble.” In addition, one of my favorite Bible verses is found in (Psalm 119:18): “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” This verse tells me that as I study and meditate on the Bible that I will find so much peace, joy, and meaning, that life will prove to be one exciting and joyous adventure with Jesus always by my side.
And when it comes to talking about our eternal destiny when God calls us home to our mansion in heaven, in the words of Carson: “The kingdom of heaven is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship…” You see as believers in Christ we get to spend eternity in the presence of Jesus, we get a glorified body, we get to experience eternal joy and bliss, and we will reign as co-heirs with Christ for all eternity. These blessings, my friends, are simply out of this world!
Knowing that your true treasure lies in Christ makes all the difference between living a life of mere existence, to one filled with overflowing joy, peace, and meaning, both now and for eternity!
1 https://www.christianquotes.info/images/d-carson-quote-5-reasons-heaven-worth/