What Must Be Forsaken

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:33 (NKJV)

When a pagan converts, the feeling he experiences is comparable to a spring of living water gushing forth in his life. The joy that overwhelms him is immense, especially if it's a moment he has long awaited. He is eager to rid himself of his sins, particularly those he knew were destructive to his life. It's like a burden he was anxious to lay down, but he waited for the right moment so he wouldn't have to carry it again. When he manages to shed his most obvious sins, he wants to bear witness to it, as if his testimony were part of God's plan of salvation for others.

Then, as he becomes accustomed to this new life and begins to live the spiritual reality we all face, by studying the Bible and gaining greater clarity, he enters the world of hidden sin, the kind that no one dares to talk about, but which haunts us inwardly throughout our lives: jealousy, slander, envy, anger, laziness, lust, and greed, to name a few. He then discovers that the sin he wanted to get rid of was only the tip of the iceberg, for within him reside far more subtle, yet more dangerous sins. These are unfortunately the most difficult sins to abandon.

Some strive to fight them, while others become so complacent in their sin that they begin to drift away from God and seek excuses for not continuing to live in submission to God's word. It is also in this sense that Jesus warns us that if someone is not willing to give up what they possess, they cannot be his disciple. This passage is often interpreted as referring to material possessions, but it also applies to the sins we are unwilling to abandon. As long as no one sees them, everything is fine, we can keep them. But what we don't realize is that God sees them, and this sin prevents Him from accepting us. Often, what we need to give up is precisely the sin we cherish the most.

May the grace and peace of God be with you all.