From The Desk of:

Let Go and Receive Jesus

One would assume that a person deciding to receive Jesus by becoming a disciple would be a no-brainer. If that is the case, a person’s walk with Christ could become compromised by believing they could hold on to everything in this world. Much thought and deliberation are required. Jesus would say that a person must be willing to “count the cost and forsake all” (Luke 14:25:33). Also, He informs would-be disciples that they must enter through the “narrow gate” (Matthew 7:13-14), which implies we cannot take everything with us that we desire.

 Those who received Jesus in the first century faced a backlash from their family and friends that led to them being expelled from their community (John 9:22). As we count the cost, some deductions will come. But Jesus has promised to compensate us for what we lost as a necessary consequence of receiving Him (Mark 10:29-31). To receive Jesus is to let go of sin and people, who are detrimental to our relationship with God. Also, according to Mark 10:31, it is to put ourselves last. Letting go of those things drowning us could be difficult; however, counting the cost forces us to ask ourselves if it is worth losing our souls. What would it profit, and what will you give in exchange for your soul (Mark 8:36-37)? Scripture encourages us to “Be saved from this perverse generation (Acts 2:40). I can still lose if I win the wrong things. Therefore, put God first; He promises you will win or be placed first.

This world, and everything in it, is like a sinking ship. God has provided a means of salvation through Jesus. By receiving Jesus, we let go of the world and lay hold of Jesus who will save us. Make no apologies for being saved and remaining secure in Jesus. By receiving Jesus, you are not leaving anyone for dead; you are not abandoning anyone because you continue to remind them of what is available in Christ Jesus through your life, words, and actions. Living life for God is better than being drowned by life.

By letting go, you receive Christ, and He gives you the authority to become God’s child.

John 1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

©Jan 6. 2024, Courtney Henderson