Far too many professing believers claim to follow Christ without first counting the cost. What if Jesus asks you to give up certain luxuries? What if he asks you to forsake mansions, boats, or vacations to exotic locations? What if he asks you to give up preaching your self-help gospel that's harmed and deceived millions of people across the globe?

It's important to first consider what Jesus will ask us to repent of before we put our hand to the plow.

So I ask you, what does it profit a man if he gains salvation, but must forfeit his million-dollar book deal to do so? What good is it if you gain eternal life - your very soul! - but lose out on the chance to fleece millions with your man-made self-help gospel?

For if anyone would come after Christ, he must first deny his exploitation of the gospel for personal gain, his Word-Faith theology that's a lie from the pit of hell, and the lucrative book deals that line his pockets by tickling people's ears rather than preaching the gospel. He must take up his cross - and the cross means death!

That sounds like a pretty bad deal to me, so make sure you think long and hard before you decide to follow Jesus with your whole heart. I know I did.