New Relationships, Day 1

What right-thinking Christian would not want to strengthen the family? What right-thinking non-Christian would not want to strengthen it? It is therefore something of a shock to study Christ’s words about discipleship and find Him saying what on the surface appears to be the very opposite: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). In this verse Jesus seems to be tearing the home apart rather than building it up.
Counting the Cost, Scene 5

What must I pay to be a Christian? I must pay the price of my own self-righteousness, no longer counting myself a good person but rather as one who has transgressed God’s righteous law and is therefore under the sentence of His wrath and condemnation. But when I pay the price of my own self-righteousness, I gain Christ’s righteousness which is perfect and imperishable. In that righteousness I can stand before the very throne of God and be unafraid. 
Counting the Cost, Scene 4
It is not hard to be an outward Christian. A person can go to church once or twice on Sunday and pretend to be tolerably upright during the week. There is no self-denial, no sacrifice here. If this kind of mere outward Christianity is all it takes to gain heaven, then, as Ryle suggests, we must alter our Lord’s words to read: “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to heaven” (Matthew 7:13, emphasis added). We must imagine Jesus saying to the rich young man: “You lack nothing. Keep what you have, and you shall have treasure in heaven too.” We must suppose Him to be teaching, “You can serve God and Money.” 
 
Counting the Cost, Scene 3
 
Yesterday we looked at sola Scriptura.  Today we look at sola fide and sola gratia.
 
2. Sola fide. The second great distinctive is sola fide. It teaches that salvation is by the work of Christ received through faith alone. It is to protect this truth particularly that some teachers repudiate any thought of cost in obtaining salvation. But saving faith is not mere intellectual belief, as we have seen several times already. It is a living union with Christ, who is both Savior and Lord. It involves commitment to Him. No one can be a follower of Jesus who clings to lesser loyalties.
Counting the Cost, Scene 2

Jesus also said many specific things about the cost of salvation. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or supposing a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:28–33).