MARK 8:35
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
In a world filled with self-preservation and mindless recreation, the Christian sees things very differently: there is no cost too high and no risk too great for the sake of Christ and his gospel.
THE COST
Is Jesus and the gospel worth risking everything for?
This is the question every believer must ask. Regardless of the answer we provide with our mouth, the only answer that ultimately matters is the one we give with our lives. Those who have faith in Christ are made his disciples. What this means is very simple: We go where he goes, and we love like he loves, even if it comes at great cost to ourselves (Luke 9:23-26). For those who follow Christ, it will not be easy: Matthew 10:22 says we will be hated for the sake of Christ; Matthew 16:24 likens following Christ to taking up a cross for our own execution; and Luke 9:24 tells us clearly that the only way we can save our life is if we lose it for Christ’s sake. The cost of discipleship is not ambiguous in the Gospels.
Therefore, unsurprisingly, it isn’t absent from the rest of the New Testament either. In Acts, we see widespread persecution, imprisonment, and death for those who have placed their faith in Christ. In fact, it is considered by Paul in Acts 14:22 that this should be an expectation for all disciples when he wrote, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” And while it is clear from Scripture that we should not actively pursue conflict (Hebrews 12:14), we cannot allow fear of shame or loss, including the loss of our own lives, to govern whether or not we obey Christ. Though obedience to this command may look different from person to person—whether serving locally or abroad, whether sending or being sent—it should never manifest in a mouth unwilling to declare the gospel and a body unwilling to help those who are suffering.
FIGHTING AGAINST ALL SUFFERING
Risen Hope’s mission is guided by one principle: everything we do is for King and kingdom. We are a people driven by the overwhelming beauty of Jesus Christ, and we are passionate about bringing the joy found only in his kingdom to wherever we live. Governed by the love of Christ, our hearts agree with the Apostle Paul when he said: “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). There is no risk great enough or cost high enough for us to avoid sacrificially loving the world in both word and deed, fighting back all forms of suffering, especially the prospect of eternal suffering.
How does this work at Risen Hope? In several different ways. At the most fundamental level, our heart is to reach those people whom God, in his sovereignty, has brought near to us, whether across our street or in the workplace. Risen Hope’s ministry is focused primarily where the church exists: the community of Kingsgate, in the northeastern corner of Kirkland, Washington. We are committed to loving and serving the people of Kingsgate in any way that we are able—whether through physical service, financial means, or simply through prayer. In addition to these, we partner with other organizations like Rescue:Freedom International, Care Net, Desiring God, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, and Radical’s Urgent Fund all who fight for joy in the lives of people who desperately need it.
This is the heart of our people: to live for King and kingdom.