Today’s Devotional: “The Cost of Christianity”

When will we stop thinking we can serve God without it costing us anything?

Somewhere in our not-too-distant past, Christians began thinking they could be saved but not serve. They began to think they could be Christians and just sit in the pews, or be like everyone else around them.

But this is incorrect thinking.

When David caused a plague that ravaged the land by numbering the people, a direct violation of God’s word, he went to offer a sacrifice to God to stop the plague. When he arrived at the place where the sacrifice was to be offered, the owner said, “Here, take whatever you need. It’ll cost you nothing.”

What a deal. David could offer God a sacrifice, and it wouldn’t cost him a dime. But David knew this wasn’t kosher. He knew it wasn’t right. He caused the problem; therefore, he should be the one to pay the price.

David said, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24)

This should resonate with each of us. We have all sinned, and through God’s grace and mercy, He sent His Son, Jesus, to take our place and die the death we all deserve. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).

We should therefore offer back to God obedience to His word. We should be living sacrifices, giving everything we are and everything we have to God.

The Apostle Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

In other words, when we consider what the Lord God has done for us, giving back to God in either our service or our possessions really isn’t too much to ask.