The Cost of Holiness

In his chapter on The Cost of Holiness, J.C. Ryle builds on the idea of Luke 14:28 about counting the cost.  He laments the “easy-believism” that marked his day, and ours.  He mentions that there is little cost associated with the nominal Christianity that fills many of our churches.

The point is not that we can in any way earn our salvation- only Jesus could do that.  The point is that if we truly believe, there will be a cost we will pay.  We had better count that cost.

1. It will cost us our self-righteousness.  We must forsake all our boasting in the practices that we think may bring us life.  Ryle quotes a Puritan, “it is harder to deny proud self than sinful self.  But it is absolutely necessary.”  The doctrine of free grace is an affront to the flesh.  As Luther has written, there is a little religious zealote in each of us clamoring to earn a part of our salvation.

2. It will cost us our sins. There is a willingness to forsake our sins, particularly our pet sins.  “Our sins are often as dear to us as our children: we love them, hug them, cleave to them, and delight in them.”  We enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  Yes, they have their pleasures.  Otherwise we would not commit them.  But, “he and sin must quarrel, if he and God are to be friends.”  God hates sin, and to enjoy his fellowship we must begin to break with sin.  As we grow more like God, we will hate sin more and more.

3. It will cost us our love of ease.  Following Jesus will mean a new carefulness to life.  We are more concerned with our use of time, treasures, tongue.  Most of us avoid difficulty, unless there is a sufficient payoff.  The time line on our payoff is pretty long.  We must expend lots of energy first, and this “cuts against the grain of our hearts.”  This is why people drop away so quickly when following Jesus introduces difficulty in their lives.  They love X more than him.  We must don’t want trouble with our faith.

4. It will cost us the favor of the world.  We will lose friends, jobs, promotions etc.  Many of us will find it difficult to “get ahead” in the world.  In some countries, Christians are among the lowest social groups, mired in poverty, due to hatred, prejudice and persecution.  We will be ridiculed and slandered.  Our words will be twisted ( a common problem today in American discourse on any number of issues) and actions misrepresented (such as Chris Matthews seemed to do to Gov. Huckaby in the debate last night- trying to get him and Romney to fight and portray another Christian as a heartless, mean, SOB).

“A religion that costs nothing is worth nothing!  A cheap Christianity, without a cross, will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown.”

He ends this chapter with some practical help to count the cost rightly.

1. Count & compare the profit and the loss.  We will lose somethings in this world.  But Jesus reminds us, “What does it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

2. Count & compare the praise and the blame.  Whose praise will matter more in the end?  Whose blame will matter more in the end?

3. Count & compare the friends and the enemies.  What friends will you lose?  Though dear to you, are they helpful to the condition of your soul?  What enemies shall you make?  Will they be those who will help or hinder the progress of faith?

4. Count & compare the life that now is and the life to come.  Which of these is bigger in the scales?  Which matters to you most now?

5. Count & compare the pleasures of sin and the happiness of God’s service.  Will we live for the fleeting pleasures, or the everlasting happiness?

There are a few more that he provides, but I think these are the most helpful.  A faith that costs us nothing is quite out of step with the lives of the faithful found in Scripture.