This post may contain affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase through these links, I earn a small commission at no cost to you. I do not promote anything I do not believe in or stand behind.
To count the cost of following Jesus does not mean calculating what you must pay to earn salvation. Jesus already paid the price we could never pay through His death and resurrection.
Salvation is God’s gift of grace, received through faith in Christ.
However, Jesus also made something unmistakably clear: following Him will cost us something.
In Luke 14:28, He asks:
“For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and figure out the cost, to see if he has enough to finish it?”
We understand this principle in everyday life.
Before buying a house, starting a business, planning a major project, or paying for our children’s education, wisdom asks:
What will this cost?
Yet Jesus applies the same seriousness to discipleship.
Therefore, the question is not:
“What must I pay so God will save me?”
Rather:
“If Jesus is truly Lord, what must I be willing to surrender in order to follow Him faithfully?”
That is what it means to count the cost of following Jesus.
What Does It Mean to Count the Cost of Following Jesus?
Jesus spoke about counting the cost in a passage about discipleship.
In Luke 14, He uses strong language about loving Him above every competing loyalty and carrying our cross.
Therefore, biblical discipleship is not merely adding Jesus to an already crowded life.
Jesus becomes Lord.
That means His authority reaches our relationships, ambitions, possessions, habits, reputation, plans, and desires.
Nevertheless, we must keep grace at the center.
We do not surrender these things to purchase God’s love.
Instead, because Christ has saved us, we learn to live under His lordship.
Consequently, the cost of following Jesus is not the price of salvation.
It is the cost of discipleship.
Grace is free to us, but following the One who gave Himself for us will reshape everything.
Salvation Is Free, but Discipleship Is Costly
The New Testament holds two truths together.
First, we are saved by grace through faith, not by works.
Second, genuine faith produces a life that increasingly follows Jesus.
Therefore, Christianity cannot be reduced to outward religious behavior.
A person can attend church, use Christian vocabulary, and still resist the lordship of Christ in everyday life.
Jesus calls us to more.
He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.
That does not mean Christians perform perfectly.
We still stumble.
Moreover, we continue to depend upon grace every day.
Yet the direction of discipleship is clear:
Jesus increasingly becomes more important than whatever competes with Him.
So before we ask what discipleship costs, we should remember why the cost is worth paying.
Christ Himself is the treasure.
1. Count the Cost of Renouncing Self-Righteousness
The first thing we must surrender is our belief that we can make ourselves acceptable to God.
Human pride wants to say:
“I am basically a good person.”
Perhaps we compare ourselves with someone who appears worse.
Maybe we trust morality, church attendance, generosity, ministry, or religious tradition.
However, the gospel removes every reason for boasting.
We are not saved because we became good enough.
Instead, we come to Christ admitting our need for mercy.
Paul writes in Philippians 3 about abandoning confidence in his own religious achievements so that his righteousness would be found in Christ.
Therefore, to count the cost of following Jesus means surrendering spiritual pride.
You cannot cling to Christ as Savior while also insisting that you do not truly need saving.
Grace begins where self-righteousness ends.
The Christian confession is not:
“Look how good I became.”
It is:
“Jesus Christ is my only hope.”
Self-Righteousness Can Hide Inside Christianity
Self-righteousness does not disappear automatically when someone becomes religious.
Actually, it can become more sophisticated.
We may begin comparing prayer lives.
Bible knowledge.
Ministry success.
Theological correctness.
Even holiness can become a source of pride if we forget grace.
Therefore, Christians must continually return to the cross.
Whatever growth exists in our lives is evidence of God’s grace, not a reason to look down on others.
Moreover, remembering our dependence on Christ protects us from harshness toward struggling believers.
Holiness matters.
Obedience matters.
Yet neither becomes a ladder by which we climb above other people.
The closer we come to Jesus, the more clearly we understand how much we need Him.
Therefore, one cost of discipleship is allowing the gospel to destroy our confidence in ourselves.
2. Count the Cost of Renouncing Sin
Following Jesus also requires a new relationship with sin.
We do not become sinless the moment we believe.
However, we cannot peacefully embrace what Christ calls us to forsake.
Jesus did not save us so that sin could continue ruling our lives without resistance.
Therefore, discipleship involves repentance.
Secret sins matter.
Public sins matter.
Sexual sin matters.
Bitterness matters.
Dishonesty matters.
Pride matters.
Yet repentance is not simply feeling guilty.
Instead, repentance turns away from sin and toward God.
Consequently, when Scripture exposes something, we should not spend our energy redefining it until obedience becomes unnecessary.
We confess it.
We seek grace.
Moreover, we take practical steps toward change.
If you want to explore the subject more deeply, read A Biblical Definition of Sin.
To count the cost of following Jesus means deciding that no cherished sin is worth more than Christ.
Fighting Sin Does Not Mean Earning God’s Love
This distinction matters.
We do not fight sin so that God will finally love us.
Christians fight sin because God has shown us grace and called us into a new life.
Therefore, repentance is not payment.
It is response.
Moreover, even our battle against sin depends upon the Holy Spirit.
When temptation becomes strong, we need more than motivational slogans.
We need God’s Word.
Prayer.
Accountability.
Wise boundaries.
Christian community.
Above all, we need Christ.
Sometimes victory happens quickly.
At other times, deeply rooted patterns require a long battle.
Nevertheless, the important question remains:
Are we fighting sin or defending it?
A disciple may fall.
However, a disciple should not make peace with the very thing Jesus calls him to surrender.
3. Count the Cost of Renouncing Spiritual Laziness
Christian discipleship requires intentionality.
However, this does not mean living in constant anxiety about whether we have prayed enough or read enough chapters.
Instead, Scripture calls believers to spiritual vigilance.
Jesus told His disciples to watch and pray.
Paul described the Christian life using images such as running a race and fighting a fight.
Therefore, spiritual growth does not happen accidentally.
Prayer requires time.
Bible reading requires attention.
Christian fellowship requires commitment.
Likewise, serving others and sharing our faith require willingness to move beyond comfort.
Nevertheless, spiritual disciplines should never become a new form of self-righteousness.
We do not pray to prove our value.
We pray because we need God.
We do not read Scripture to impress Him.
Rather, we need His truth to renew our minds.
To count the cost means accepting that following Christ requires faithful habits, even when we do not feel spiritually motivated.
Grace Trains Us to Become Disciplined
Grace and discipline are not enemies.
Titus 2 teaches that grace trains believers to reject ungodliness and live godly lives.
Therefore, grace does not say:
“Effort does not matter.”
Grace says:
“You no longer have to earn God’s acceptance, so now learn to live as someone who belongs to Christ.”
Consequently, Christian discipline is grace-powered effort.
We choose to pray.
We open Scripture.
We attend church.
Moreover, we say no to habits that weaken our walk with God.
Some days those decisions feel joyful.
Other days, faithfulness feels ordinary.
Yet consistent obedience shapes our lives over time.
The goal is not spiritual exhaustion.
Instead, it is developing rhythms that keep us near Christ.
Discipleship costs our laziness, but it gives us something better: a life increasingly formed around Jesus.
4. Count the Cost of Losing the World’s Approval
Following Jesus can also affect our reputation.
After my conversion, some of my old friends thought I had become extreme.
That experience taught me that wholehearted discipleship will not always receive applause.
However, this does not mean Christians should deliberately become offensive or isolate themselves from unbelievers.
Jesus Himself was known for spending time with sinners.
Therefore, the issue is not whether the world likes us.
The issue is whether our desire for approval controls our obedience.
Sometimes faithfulness will make us unpopular.
We may refuse an unethical business practice.
Perhaps we choose sexual purity when others mock it.
In another situation, we may speak biblical truth when silence would be easier.
James 4 warns against friendship with the world’s rebellious values.
Consequently, to count the cost of following Jesus means deciding that Christ’s approval matters more than cultural acceptance.
Losing Approval Is Not Permission to Become Harsh
Christians should be careful here.
Being disliked does not automatically prove that we are faithful.
Sometimes people reject us because we behave badly.
Therefore, Peter tells believers not to suffer as wrongdoers but to live honorably.
We should never confuse arrogance with courage.
Likewise, unnecessary arguments are not persecution.
The goal is not to become offensive.
The goal is to become faithful.
Therefore, speak truth with love.
Treat unbelievers with dignity.
Serve people generously.
Moreover, refuse to compromise Christ simply to remain socially comfortable.
There is a difference between losing the world’s approval because of Jesus and losing people’s respect because we acted without wisdom.
Christian courage should still look like Christ.
Is the Cost of Following Jesus Worth It?
After hearing about sacrifice, someone may naturally ask:
“Is following Jesus worth the cost?”
Jesus’ answer is ultimately yes because what we receive is greater than what we surrender.
We give up self-righteousness and receive Christ’s righteousness.
We turn from sin and discover freedom.
We surrender spiritual laziness and grow in fellowship with God.
Moreover, we may lose human approval while gaining something infinitely better: Christ Himself.
Jesus once described the Kingdom as treasure hidden in a field.
The man who discovered it sold everything with joy because he understood the value of what he had found.
That is crucial.
Christian discipleship is not merely:
“Look at everything I had to lose.”
Instead:
“Look at the One I have gained.”
When Jesus becomes our treasure, surrender begins to make sense.
Count the Cost Before the Storm Comes
A shallow faith often looks strong when everything is comfortable.
The real test comes when following Jesus becomes costly.
Perhaps family members oppose your faith.
Maybe obedience affects a relationship.
In other places, Christians face genuine persecution because they refuse to renounce Christ.
Therefore, Jesus tells us to count the cost before pressure arrives.
Do not build your faith entirely on emotion.
Instead, decide what Jesus is worth.
Ask yourself:
If obedience costs me comfort, will I still follow Him?
If people misunderstand me, will I remain faithful?
If Christ asks me to surrender something I love, do I believe He is better?
Those questions are uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, discipleship becomes stronger when we answer them before the storm.
Count the Cost, but Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
Perhaps the phrase “count the cost” sounds heavy.
It should make us serious.
However, it should never make us forget grace.
Jesus is not standing at the end of the road waiting to see whether you can reach Him through sufficient sacrifice.
He is the One who called you.
He is also the One who gives grace to follow.
Therefore, when discipleship becomes costly, look again at Christ.
Remember the cross.
Remember the resurrection.
Moreover, remember that whatever we surrender for Him is temporary, while life with Him is eternal.
A cheap Christianity that requires nothing cannot adequately represent the Jesus who calls us to take up our cross.
Yet costly discipleship is not hopeless discipleship.
We surrender because Christ is worth more.
What Must You Surrender to Follow Jesus?
Return to Luke 14.
Jesus asks us to sit down and count the cost.
Therefore, consider your own life.
Is self-righteousness keeping you from depending completely upon Christ?
Is there a sin you continue defending?
Has spiritual laziness slowly weakened your walk with God?
Perhaps your deepest fear is losing people’s approval.
Bring each area before Jesus.
Then ask:
“Lord, what stands between wholehearted obedience and me?”
Do not try to purchase His grace.
Instead, respond to the grace He has already shown.
Count the cost.
Take up your cross.
Then follow Him.
The cost of following Jesus is real, but Jesus is worth infinitely more than anything He asks us to surrender.
Take Your Next Step
If you want to understand holiness more deeply, continue with Holiness in the Bible.
You can also read A Biblical Definition of Sin and Fight the Good Fight of Faith.
If you would like prayer as you surrender an area of your life to Christ, you can send a prayer request.
I am a blogger, writer, pastor, Director of Zion Romania Bible School, husband to Olguta, a father and, most importantly, a child of God. I also completed my studies at the King’s University where I earned a B.A. in Theology with a concentration in Messianic Jewish Studies. I love Israel and I love the ‘Jewishness’ of the Bible.
[…] If you have not read Part I, begin with Count the Cost of Following Jesus. […]