only
      upon
      His
      discretion
      in
      choosing
      them.
      He
      never
     
    
   
   
    
     
      makes
      anv
      attempt
      to
      explain
      His
      choice,
      other
      than
     
     
      His
      sovereign
      prerogative.
      He
      then
      went
      on
      to
      tor-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mally
      establish
      them
      (the
      Israelites
      or
      Jews
      by
      this
     
     
      time),
      as
      His
      people
      through
      certain
      ceremonies
      by
     
     
      which
      He
      entered
      a
      relationship
      with
      them.
      He
      as-
     
     
      sured
      them
      that
      the
      ceremonies
      were
      not
      magically
     
     
      efficacious
      in
      themselves,
      but
      that
      they
      did
      work
      in
     
     
      removing
      sin
      and
      consecrating
      them
      because
      He
      had
     
     
      set
      it
      to
      be
      so.
      The
      relationship
      was
      maintained
      by
     
     
      conformity
      to
      His
      nature,
      which
      He
      described
      by
     
     
      setting
      down
      a
      code
      of
      laws
      for
      them
      to
      follow
      based
     
     
      on
      His
      unchanging
      nature.
      The
      Bible
      also
      records
      the
     
     
      fact
      that
      Jesus
      is
      the
      Messiah,
      the
      Christ,
      the
      fulfil-
     
     
      ment
      of
      the
      relationship
      God
      established
      with
      His
     
     
      people.
      In
      Jesus
      the
      relationship
      with
      God
      in
      its
     
     
      purest,
      highest
      form
      is
      now
      offered
      to
      all
      people,
      Jew.
     
     
      and
      Gentile,
      who
      become
      heirs
      ofall
      the
      promises.
     
     
      God
      made
      to
      His
      people
      in
      the
      past.
      Salvation
      by
     
     
      faith,
      then,
      is
      recognizing
      that
      you
      cannot
      save
      your-
     
     
      self
      from
      your
      sin;
      that
      there
      is
      nothing
      you
      can
      do
      to
     
     
      enter
      a
      relationship
      with
      God.
      It
      is
      realizing
      that
      God
     
     
      became
      a
      man,
      Jesus;
      and
      by
      dying
      and
      being
      raised
     
     
      to
      life
      made
      a
      way
      for
      us
      to
      be
      set
      free
      from
      sin
      so
     
     
      that
      we
      can
      enter
      a
      relationship
      with
      God
      --
      the
      rela-
     
     
      tionship
      He
      intended
      for
      us
      to
      have
      with
      Himall
     
     
      along.
      It
      is
      trusting
      that
      although
      saying
      ‘‘Jesus
      is
     
     
      the
      Christ,
      the
      Son
      of
      God’’
      and
      being
      immersed
      in
     
     
      water
      do
      not
      save
      you,
      God
      willsave
      you
      when
      you
     
     
      acknowledge
      Jesus
      as
      the
      Son
      of
      God
      and
      pledge
      your
     
     
      life
      to
      Him
      in
      the
      ceremony
      of
      immersion.
      It
      is
     
     
      committing
      yourself
      to
      God,
      even
      though
      you
      cannot
     
     
      understand
      how
      He
      can
      love
      you
      and
      forgive
      you
      and
     
     
      call
      you
      His
      child
      when
      you
      are
      so
      undeserving.
     
    

    
     
      Faith
      is
      not
      blind
      belief
      in
      the
      unreal,
      it
      is
      confident
     
     
      trust
      in
      the
      One
      Who
      has
      been
      doing
      the
      impossible
     
     
      from
      the
      beginning.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      IT’S
      IMPOSSIBLE
      TO
      BE
      A
      CHRISTIAN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      intended
      this
      to
      be
      express
      the
      seeming
      contradic-
     
     
      tion
      between
      the
      simplicity
      of
      Christianity
      and
      the
     
     
      impossibility
      of
      Christianity,
      but
      the
      problem
      is
      that
     
     
      precisely
      because
      Christianity
      is
      impossible,
      itis
      easy
     
     
      --
      because
      you
      aren’t
      accomplishing
      it,
      Godis.
      So
     
    
   
   
    
     
      these
      articles
      aren’t
      as
      contradictory
      as
      I'd
      noped
      they
     
     
      would
      appear.
      So
      much
      tor
      dramatic
      eftect.
      One
      ot
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      dangers
      of
      presenting
      the
      ease
      and
      availability
      of
     
     
      Christianity
      is
      the
      possible
      neglect
      of
      the
      cost
      of
     
     
      Christianity.
      Salvation
      is
      by
      faith,
      accomplished
     
     
      entirely
      by
      God
      on
      behalf
      of
      the
      one
      who
      is
      willing
      to
     
     
      accept
      it.
      But
      God
      demands
      that
      you
      count
      the
      cost
     
     
      before
      you
      take
      the
      gift.
      What
      is
      this
      cost
      that
      makes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      so
      hard
      to
      be
      a
      Christian?
      Simplv
      this:
      Every
      thing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
      aaa
      MATCH,
      doe
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Large
      crowds
      were
      traveling
      with
      Jesus,
      and
      turning
     
     
      to
      them
      he
      said:
      ‘‘If
      anyone
      comes
      to
      me
      and
      does
     
     
      not
      hate
      his
      father
      and
      mother,
      his
      wife
      and
      children
     
     
      his
      brothers
      and
      sisters--
      yes,
      even
      his
      own
      life
      --
      he
     
     
      cannot
      be
      my
      disciple.
      And
      anyone
      who
      does
      not
     
     
      carry
      his
      cross
      and
      follow
      me
      cannot
      be
      my
      disciple.”®
     
     
      (Luke
      14:25-27,
      NIV)
      God’s
      salvation
      is
      not
      for
      those
     
     
      whose
      priorities
      are
      divided.
      He
      commands
      us
      to
      lov
     
     
      Him
      so
      much
      that
      we
      would
      never
      consider
      placing
      ©
     
     
      anyone
      else
      ina
      place
      of
      greater
      importance
      than
      Hin
     
     
      --
      not
      even
      our
      own
      selves,
      our
      own
      lives.
      Our
      first:
     
     
      impulse
      is
      to
      care
      for
      ourselves
      --
      Maslow’s
      hierarch
     
     
      of
      needs
      only
      categorizes
      our
      selfishness.
      Jesus
      sa
     
     
      that
      God’s
      way
      is
      the
      unnatural
      action
      of
      denying
     
     
      oneself
      in
      devotion
      to
      God.
      ‘‘Suppose
      one
      of
      you
     
     
      wants
      to
      build
      a
      tower.
      Will
      he
      not
      first
      sit
      down
      a
     
     
      estimate
      the
      cost
      to
      see
      if
      he
      has
      enough
      money
      to
     
     
      complete
      it?
      Forif
      he
      lays
      the
      foundation
      and
      is
      not”
     
     
      able
      to
      finish
      it,
      everyone
      who
      sees
      it
      will
      ridicule
      4
     
     
      him,
      saying,
      This
      fellow
      began
      to
      build
      and
      was
      not
     
     
      able
      to
      finish.’’’
      (Luke
      14:28-30,
      NIV)
      God’s
      salva=
     
     
      tion
      isn’t
      for
      those
      who
      are
      busy
      saving
      themselves
      _
     
     
      by
      working
      hard
      and
      being
      religious
      and
      following
      all
     
     
      the
      rules.
      Those
      people
      will
      wind
      up
      short,
      their
     
     
      tower
      unfinished.
      Salvation
      isa
      gift,
      not
      wages.
      ‘‘OF
     
     
      suppose
      a
      king
      is
      about
      to
      go
      to
      war
      against
      another
     
     
      king.
      Will
      he
      not
      first
      sit
      down
      and
      consider
      wheth
     
     
      he
      is
      able
      with
      ten
      thousand
      men
      to
      oppose
      the
      one
     
     
      coming
      against
      him
      with
      twenty
      thousand?
      Ifhe
      is
     
     
      not
      able,
      he
      willsend
      a
      delegation
      while
      the
      other
      is"
     
     
      stilla
      long
      way
      off
      and
      will
      ask
      for
      terms
      of
      peace.
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      same
      way,
      any
      of
      you
      who
      does
      not
      give
      up
     
     
      everything
      he
      has
      cannot
      be
      my
      disciple.’’
      (Luke
     
     
      14:31-33,
      NIV)
      Salvation
      is
      not
      gained
      by
      our
      oe
     
     
      Salvation
      is
      by
      faith,
      which
      means
      we
      must
      go
      to
      Go
     
    

    
     
      and
      surrender
      everything
      to
      Him,
      recognizing
      that
      we
     
     
      do
      not
      have
      within
      us
      the
      ability
      to
      save
      ourselves.
     
     
      We
      surrender
      to
      Himeverything.
      Wecan’thold
      :
     
     
      anything
      back
      from
      Him.
      He
      warns
      us
      to
      count
      the
     
     
      cost
      before
      we
      ask
      for
      terms
      of
      peace
      with
      God.
      His
     
     
      price
      is
      total
      surrender,
      something
      few
      are
      willing
      t
      0
     
     
      pay.
      When
      the
      people
      of
      Jesus’
      day
      realized
      how
      toti
     
    

    
     
      a
      commitment
      God
      demands,
      they
      said,
      ‘*Who
      then
     
     
      can
      be
      saved?’’
      It?sa
      Sood
      anestion
      todav
      in
      an
      axe
     
     
      where
      Canadians
      preter
      to
      fragment
      theirreligiona
      :
     
    

    
     
      pick
      and
      choose
      elements
      they
      want.
      3