Charles Spurgeon on the Pearl of the Great Price
The paradoxical truth is that salvation is free but it may cost you all you have. I was reminded of the time I read through the book titled "The Gospel According to Jesus" by Pastor John F. MacArthur to investigate the allegations that it supposedly taught works salvation or that Lordship salvation is adding works to simple faith. Just take note of this truth that Pastor MacArthur also wrote in the same book, "A person might be truly born again without explicitly counting the cost of following Christ, but no one can be saved who counts the cost and unwilling to pay for it. I am certain that no one understands the full implications of Christ's Lordship at the moment of conversion; in fact, none of us ever reach full knowledge of such spiritual realities in this life. But the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a true believer promotes some degree surrender to Christ's authority even at the inception of the new birth."
Not everyone who was newly saved had already explicitly counted the cost nor expected it but when it comes, they are willing to pay for it because they are truly saved. Every Christian has submitted (to some degree) to the Lordship of Christ during salvation then this submission to His Lordship like genuine repentance and faith continues to grow. Sometimes, a Christian can be afraid of paying for the cost of having already received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior at first but when the real trouble comes, one can witness the real manifestation of true conversion. Christians hid in the catacombs in fear of their lives but they became courageous in the face of real danger. The reason why they became courageous in the face of real danger is the grace of God. God's grace works the best when the trials and the Christians are not at rest.
See also: