Must we literally sell everything and take an oath of poverty in order to be saved? No. Nor do parables (Matt. 13:44-50) teach that sinners must rid themselves of their sins before coming to Christ. They do mean that saving faith retains no privileges and makes no demands. It safeguards no cherished sins, treasures no earthly possessions more than Christ, clings to no secret self-indulgences. Instead, faith begets a heart that longs to surrender unconditionally to whatever the Lord demands.

Eternal life is indeed a free gift (Rom. 6:23). Salvation cannot be earned with good deeds or secured with giving. It has already been purchased by Christ, who paid the ransom with His blood. He has secured full atonement for all who believe and obey Him. There is nothing left to pay, no possibility that our own works can be meritorious. But that does not mean there is no cost in terms of salvation’s impact on the sinner’s life. Do not throw away this paradox just because it is difficult. Salvation is both free and costly. With eternal life comes immediate death of self: “Knowing this, that our old self was cruified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Rom. 6:6) If Christ died in our stead, then we are counted as dead with Him (2 Cor. 5:14) and we must so reckon ourselves — “dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11).

That is what Jesus meant when He spoke of taking up one’s cross to follow Him. And that is why he demanded that we count the cost carefully. He was calling for an exchange of all we are for all that He is. He was demanding implicit obedience — unconditional surrender to His Lordship. Geerhardus Vos articulated this principle when he wrote:

Jesus requires of his disciples the renunciation of all earthly bonds and possessions which would dispute God His supreme sway over their life, Matt. 10:39, Matt. 16:25, Luke 14:25-35…The idea is that the inward attachment of the soul to them as the highest good must be in principle destroyed, that God may take the place hitherto claimed by them.

“Faith” that scorns our Lord’s demands for such surrender can hardly qualify as saving faith. No one can rightfully lay claim to Him as Savior while refusing to own Him as Lord.