Jesus' Costly Expectations for His Followers - Nathan Rages

The Lord Jesus called His followers to "count the cost" of committing their lives to Him, including these five remarkably difficult areas:

1. Dying to yourself.  “hate … even his own life … carry his own cross and come after Me” (Luke 14:26-27)

2. Hating your family.  “does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters” (Luke 14:26)

3. Giving-up your possessions.  “give up all his own possessions.” (Luke 14:33) 

4. Enduring persecution.  “Blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you and insult you...” (Luke 6:22) 

5. Loving God and people completely.  “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart .… love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:28ff)

Four thoughts of application from this study:

1. The Christian life must be *supernatural*. 

2. Rejoice that salvation is by *grace* alone.

3. There’s no room for *self-pity*.

4. It’s still *worth it* to follow Christ!