Cup of Wisdom

Allow me to share a tiny cup of wisdom I have learned from my journey about the purpose of following Jesus when salvation is free.

Salvation through Jesus is very simple — it is a matter of whether you want it or not. Salvation is a gift from God, freely given and unearned by any of our deeds. Luke 23:40–43 captures this profound truth. As Jesus hung on the cross, one of the criminals crucified beside Him said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” This clearly shows that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works.

Then why bother following Jesus? Because following Jesus requires us to deny ourselves and to take up our cross (Matthew 16:24–26). But to fully understand this, we must remember that Jesus was speaking to Jewish people for whom becoming a disciple of a rabbi was a dream come true. Following Jesus was never a command — it is an invitation. It was supposed to be a privilege, not a burden.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28–30

Moreover, following Jesus reveals the true treasure — treasure you will keep even after you leave this earth. Jesus emptied Himself; He let go of the comfort of heaven, took the form of a servant, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross. What did He gain from all of that? You and me.

The true treasure in the Kingdom of God is a relationship with God and with one another (John 17:6–26). Jesus even said, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). For God, the true treasure is His people (John 3:16–17) — and I believe this should be our treasure as well.