What is the cost of inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven and/or attaining salvation? Many are misled to believe it is free.

Costs our entire wealth

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Matt 13:44-46

In the first parable, the true cost is hidden while the purchase was made. Hence, the true value of the kingdom was not paid when the land which contains it was bought. In the second parable, the actual cost was paid. It is explained well in Pricey & Valuable Kingdom. Yet, in both the above parables, the cost of inheriting the kingdom of Heaven is our entire wealth.

So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke 18:22-25

Is Jesus asking us to give all our belongings to the poor and become poor ourselves and live in streets?

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matt 6:19-21

When Jesus is referring to riches, He is actually referring to treasures (Matt 6:19-21) as in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21), not the basic requirements to live.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it– lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:28-33

So, what is the cost and how do we pay for it to truly inheriting the kingdom of Heaven? When we decided to be His disciple and follow Him, we need to calculate the cost of becoming His disciple. We need to pay for everything that costs us to follow Christ. In other words,

• If TV causes us to sin, we need to throw it off.
• If Internet causes us to sin, we need to disconnect.
• If mobile causes us to sin, we need to throw it off.
• If books causes us to sin, we need to throw it off
• If job causes us to sin, we need to resign.
• We must forsake everything that causes us to sin.

How can anyone follow Christ without taking into account the cost of following Him?

Costs all our relationships

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Matt 10:37

Matthew writes that anyone who loves their spouse, parents and children more than Christ is not worthy of Him.

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:26

Luke writes the same that we cannot come to Christ without hating our own spouse, parents and children. In other words, we are to love them only through Christ and if they are a hindrance to our relationship with Christ, we must hate them. Hence, coming to Christ can cost all our relationships.

Costs even our body parts

If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

Matt 18:8-9

While we must forsake everything that causes us to sin, we must even cut off our own hands and feet, and pluck our own eyes if they causes us to sin. Christ taught zero tolerance to sin. Hence, for inheriting eternal life it can even cost our own body parts.

Costs even our own life

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Luke 9:23-24

If we desire to follow Christ, we first need to deny ourselves take our cross daily and follow Him. If we lose our life for His sake, we will save it. Hence, Eternal life can even cost their own life for some.

Conclusion

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom 6:23

Deceivers like Paul (Saul of Tarsus) and many churches today lie that eternal life is a free gift. However, Jesus taught eternal life is very costly. It can cost our entire wealth (Matt 13:44-46), all our relationships (Matt 10:37), our body parts (Mark 9:43-48) and even our own life (Mark 8:35).