A young woman recently shared something on Instagram that caught my attention: the Greek word translated “believe” in John 3:16 is πιστεύω (pisteuō).
It was something I’d already known, but had never really investigated very deeply. The word “believe,” here in the US, is rather passive. We believe it will rain. We believe the restaurant will be crowded. We believe something to be true.
But πιστεύω carries a much deeper idea. It speaks of trust, confidence, commitment – of placing yourself in what you believe.
That got me thinking.
John 3:16 is often presented as though eternal life begins with simply believing a set of facts about Jesus. And certainly, faith begins with believing who He is and what He has done. But biblical faith doesn’t end there. It calls us to follow Him.
And following Jesus has a cost.
Jesus didn’t hide that cost from the crowds who followed Him. In Luke 14, He told them plainly that anyone who would become His disciple must be willing to take up his cross and follow Him. He even told them to count the cost before they began.
That’s a challenging message in a culture where Christianity can sometimes be reduced to a decision, a prayer, or an affirmation.
Jesus calls us to something much more profound.
He calls us to Himself.
And when we understand what He has done for us, the question isn’t simply, “Do I believe?”
It’s this:
“Am I willing to follow Him – whatever the cost?”
That is what this video, Counting Costs, explores.
Steven Stoops -- TUCOR Five One Seven Productions 
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