A Battle Plan (Pt. 5)

2. Counting the Cost.

The second aspect that is so necessary to Christian Warfare is the preparedness to count the cost. This may seem an odd point to highlight, however, it is extremely necessary.

Let me make a statement that will no doubt offend many:

If you are a Christian living in Australia today and you are not persecuted or do not feel some restriction upon your life, then you are doing an extremely poor job of living as Christ commands!

React as you will to this comment, I would simply ask that you weigh the evidence:

• Christians cannot preach openly;
• Christians are muzzled. The message of Christ is not free in certain arenas, and the list is growing;
• Christians are the ones being constrained by “equality” legislation;
• Christians are being attacked for their stand on abortion and homosexuality – when they stand;
• The Christian standard of ‘marriage’ is constantly attacked;
• Sabbath! Not popular today, but have you been asked to work rather than worship? Think about this, the Biblical view of the work week has been almost obliterated.
• Registration for homeschoolers. Not just a Christian issue, but one that impacted many Christians; your children are now livestock to be tagged;
• School. Have you had a teacher question you as a parent? Have you had to write a note to a school so that you could take your child somewhere on a school day;
• Headship. Men are not free to be head of their homes. To act as head is to be considered draconian and a bigot;
• Christmas. Well, really it is just ‘mas’. Christ was removed some time ago. One Council this year going with “Seasons Greetings” rather than “Merry Christmas”. Reasons were given, but one must see that it is nothing but compromise;
• Family. How has Big Brother intruded upon your responsibility to raise your children to God’s glory? Discipline? Out! Training? Out! Respect for parental authority? Out! Biblical Training? Out!
• Church. What sermons do you like? What sermons do you hear? Have you heard a sermon on Hell lately? Have you heard a sermon on God’s hatred of sin? What about a sermon on complete obedience to Jesus Christ with a detailed explanation of what that entails. Then there is the State encroachment upon what may or may not be said within the church.

This is the reality of Australia in 2013, its godless laws and pluralistic Christianity. As stated, if these godless laws and attitudes have not impacted upon you noticeably, it is because you have begun to think as the world thinks through imbibing the notions and form of a pluralistic Christianity. In this case, Brethren, you are imbued with the world and not with Christ.

Therefore, the question is, “What cost are you willing to pay?” It is pointless to even contemplate heading off to a warzone if you are not prepared to endure the sight of blood; the sound of bullets; the thunder of artillery; or even things as simple as eating tinned beef and squatting over a hole in the ground! “What cost are you prepared to pay?”

The truth of the matter is nothing less than this: It is going to take great sacrifice to turn this country around. Understand well, I do not mean, as a starting point, persecution to death, but I do not rule that out. My initial concern is far simpler. What are you prepared to do without in order to prosper the cause of Christ?

We have become a very luxurious and complacent nation. As a result, we have often put our comforts ahead of obedience to Christ. We have become adept at interpreting our welfare in terms of God’s blessings, no matter what the circumstances. Yes, God blesses richly. Remember well, however, that He only blesses obedience. Thus, if we think we have received a windfall at the hand of God but it is extended to us through disobedience, it is not blessing but curse.

Our situation parallels that of Israel. We have failed to heed God’s warning just as Israel of old did:

Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be satisfied, then watch yourself, lest you forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name. “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 6:10-15)

We have experienced good in this land. God in times past has blessed us with good things. However, we have been ‘riding on the sheep’s back’ for quite a while. We are beginning to realise and be recompensed for the failures of previous generation. If we continue in the misguided belief that all is well, we will only hasten the shipwreck of our nation and ourselves (Jeremiah 6:13-14; 2 Chronicles 18:6-7).¹ Thus, it is fundamentally important that we ask ourselves the tough questions. What will we sacrifice to bring our nation and its thoughts captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ?

• Will we give up a job that pays well, but which prospers evil?
• Will we remove our children from a convenient educational system that we may train them Biblically?
• Will we sacrifice an hour of TV for prayer?
• Will we sacrifice two lattes a week in order to propagate and disseminate the truth?
• Will we take a stand at work against worldly and errant policies?
• Will we stand with the preacher who proclaims Christ in His fullness?
• Will we drive as far to worship or to a good conference as we would for a sporting event?
• Will we speak into the silence?
• Will we give up our newest favourite sitcom, for a night of Bible study?
• Will we stop ‘clock watching’ during worship?
• Will we adopt the “Berean Attitude”?

Once more, these are but a few issues. Maybe they do not all apply to you. Maybe, we need to turn them around? Would you, for the sake of brining this nation and its people under the rule of Christ, sacrifice:

• $20,000 a year to take a righteous job?
• Time, convenience, chats with friends, and your own deficiencies, to Biblically educate your children?
• By putting your TV in a cupboard or selling it, so that you could pray more?
• A few delicacies, so that you could support a ministry or by books to give away?
• Employment in order to expose the corruption of the World?
• Freedom, wealth, or friends to stand with a Godly minister?
• Your time to worship God truthfully or be taught sound doctrine?
• Reputation in order to defend the Biblical?
• Recreation to the dominion of Jesus?
• Comfort, time, reputation, to demand that the public worship of God be a minimum 3 hours?
• Whatever it takes to know God better through the study of His word.

In Luke 14:25-35, Jesus gives very firm instructions to those who followed Him, including His disciples, on the cost of true discipleship. Jesus illustrated His point with two examples. The first was in regard to building a tower. Jesus pointed out that we do not set out to build something without first knowing the cost. If we do not count the cost, the likelihood is that we will run out of money and be left with a half built edifice. We will then, according to Jesus’ instruction, become objects of ridicule.

Jesus’ second example involved that of a king who was threatened by another. The king’s response was not to immediately summon the army to war, but to study his opponent. The king had to know whether he had any chance of victory when opposing an army twice the size of his own. If he did not, it was futile to begin a war that could end in a massacre.

In both these examples, there was a cost based in prudence. Jesus words, directed to me and you, demand that we show similar prudence. If we look at Jesus’ words carefully, we see that there is a logical progression between decision and outcome. With regard to the tower, the right calculations end with a functional building that will result in praise. Miscalculation or non-calculation results in the uncompleted building being a source of shame and ridicule. Similarly, the wise king weighs his ability to win a war against a larger opponent. He takes many things into account – the life of his people; his own prosperity and future; his glory or shame, and so on.

Consequently, we too must count the cost with regard to the end result. When we set out on a task, have we considered the consequences should we fail to complete that task? Importantly, we need to understand the task of which we speak. Our task is linked to the Kingdom. We might even say, ‘Our task is the Kingdom.’ When we talk of the final goal and completion of our task, therefore, we are speaking of nothing less than Heaven and Hell; Jesus Christ as Saviour or Judge; Eternal bliss or eternal damnation; Eternal glory or eternal shame! Consequently, we must ask pointedly, “Have we set out on the Kingdom task having failed to calculate the cost?” Maybe the question needs to be modified slightly. Have we, for selfish gain, embezzled from the project along the way causing a shortfall and thereby compromising the goal? Have we hired poorly qualified contractors who will save dollars but who will give us a dodgy result?  Have we hired good builders, but purchased substandard building materials from a “shonky” supplier? All these scenarios, and many beside, corrupt the goal. Each one impacts upon the venture’s final condition.

This “cost counting” is serious stuff. Three verses from the passage cited need to be embraced:

• If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
• Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
• So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

Please note the repetition of the phrase, “cannot be My disciple”! As stated, these are serious words and we would do very well to heed them. Jesus does not say that we will be poor disciples if we fail to count the cost. Jesus does not say that the one who compromises will be a mediocre disciple. Jesus does not even say that the double-minded disciple will receive a “P” on a pass / fail grading system. No! Jesus denies such a one the right to be His disciple.

These words are of immense importance. They are grave words. They are sober words. Most of all, at least to me, they are fearful words. If we are warned in such unwavering tones at the outset, what then of the one who compromises along the way? (Illustrated in Jesus’ example of cross bearing.)

My friends, this is why I have placed this category in an article on Christian Warfare. Jesus’ words are as relevant to us today as when He spoke them on earth. They are words that must, not should, but must, accompany us every day of our pilgrimage. They are words that should be at the forefront of our minds daily. Jesus’ words should help us to have clarity of purpose; to remember that we have been bought with a price; transferred to the Kingdom of His beloved Son; and consequently intent on gaining the crown.

Therefore, whenever we speak of Christian Warfare, we need to have a subjective element before us. That element comes in the form of a question: “Have I surrendered all to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?” Then we must ask, “Am I continuing to surrender all to Jesus Christ?” Now, we must answer, not from the subjective, but from the objective. That is to ask, “How do we measure up when bathed in the pure beam of God’s search light?” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Given our cultural decay and our disobedience to God, revival and reform can only come with sacrifice. What are we willing to give up?

Above, we focused on the fact that reform must be accompanied by, better still, preceded by, depravation. At this point, I would like to refine the focus of that statement. Instead of thinking dollars and lattes, let us think belief. What are you prepared to sacrifice in terms of false belief? What beliefs have you adopted because they allow you to be comfortable and to blend into the world? What beliefs have you not adopted that would equip you to perform your task as salt and light?

Whist the former questions ought to be addressed, they will remain unanswered until you make a decision to believe better things – sound doctrine, to feed your mind on better things – give up milk, and to act in accord with these better things – conformity to Jesus (Romans 8:29-30). This is the essence of Paul’s command in Romans 12:1-2. We should not, but often do, retain old ways of thinking once we have come to Christ. (Particularly when there is no challenge from the pulpits because the Church has lost Her way.) We retain old feeding grounds. We retain old desires. All of these inject into our new life an element of compromise or a ‘failure to count the cost’.

Therefore, in sincerity, I ask, “Are you willing to join in the Christian Warfare of Christ’s Kingdom by counting the cost and changing how you think, where you feed, and what you desire?”

Footnotes:

1. An example of this is the way in which many insist on labelling Australia as a Christian nation. I question whether Australia was every, truly, a Christian nation. Regardless of what Australia was or may have been, there is no way that we can consider this country to be Christian today!