The Price of Having God

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:24-25

Salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it. God gives it freely through his grace. But following Christ has a cost. Nobody has ever possessed God without paying a price.

Consider the rich young ruler. He was a good man, full of religious zeal and moral decency. He ran eagerly to Jesus, knelt before him with respect, and spoke with words of worship. He truly wanted eternal life. He had obeyed the commandments since youth. The Bible says Jesus looked at him and loved him. Yet he lacked one thing: a heart free from his wealth. His possessions possessed him. He went away sad, not because Jesus asked something wrong, but because he asked something hard: to trade visible security for invisible treasure. This reveals the condition for discipleship. We must be willing to forsake all. It is not merely about selling possessions, but about a heart that holds nothing back from God.

Jesus never asks what he has not done himself. Though equal with God, he emptied himself. His divine glory was something he released to do the Father’s will. This teaches us that even God-given blessings can become barriers. We must be ready to drop them instantly to know the Giver more deeply.

The bible gives us witnesses who paid this price.
Moses had Egypt’s riches, honour, and pleasure. Yet he refused them. He chose to stand with God’s people, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than Egypt’s treasures. He saw the invisible One and became mighty in God’s hands.

Abraham left his country, people, and home without questioning, journeying to unknown land. He risked everything. His life teaches us that possessing God is not one decision but a continuous journey of surrender. The ultimate test came when asked to offer Isaac, his promised son. He was willing to give back God’s greatest gift, trusting that promise conquers death. He died without seeing every promise fulfilled, proving our commitment must be total.

Ruth left her people, homeland, and gods to cling to Naomi and Israel’s God. She chose poverty over comfort. God provided, gave her a husband, and wove her into Christ’s very lineage. Her story shows that those who cling to worthless idols miss grace, while those who cling to God find true inheritance.

Elisha was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, a man of considerable wealth. When Elijah’s mantle fell, he did not look back. He sacrificed his oxen, burned his equipment, and followed. He forsook his livelihood to pursue God, and received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.

And how about, Paul the Apostle. He had every advantage the world could offer: solid religious credentials, an important family line, academic training, and a spotless record of obeying the law. By every human measure, he had it all. Yet he counted it all as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. He understood that having Christ was worth giving up every earthly achievement.

So we face a piercing question: what is stopping you from paying the price to possess the possessor of heaven and earth? The overcomers’ voices echo from beyond the Jordan, cheering us to labour and not give up. David, a man after God’s own heart, declared: “As the deer pants for water, so my soul pants for you, O God.“

What do you long for? What are you pursuing? The price is high. The reward, God himself, is immeasurably greater.

Kay Alli