Confusion in Christianity often stems from misunderstanding what it means that Jesus paid the price for our deliverance. While there is truth in this idea—without Him, we could not access the truth or find deliverance—many overlook what Jesus said in Luke 14:27–28, as well as His challenge to the rich young man who sought entry into God’s kingdom. Jesus made it clear: the man should sell his possessions and give to the poor, a cost he was unwilling to pay (Matthew 19:16–24).
When Jesus spoke of the small gate and narrow road leading to life, He suggested that most people, in their sinful state, would prefer an easy path. This stems from the false belief that little is required beyond declaring Jesus as one’s personal Savior. As a result, many spend their lives praying for prosperity and blessings—which Satan may then readily provide—making it harder for them to see the truth. The prosperity gospel, including its promises of good health, is the easiest way to sell Christianity.
Many fail to recognize that this broad path leads to ruin and is crowded with wolves disguised as sheep, echoing Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:13–16. Trying to help someone who believes they need no assistance can feel nearly impossible. In my experience, nothing is more stressful than supporting a relative with mental illness, as they often view well-meaning efforts with suspicion—the more you try to help, the more guarded they become. It may be akin to the challenge God encounters with humanity.
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8–9 NIV).
Peter speaks to those who feel God’s promises are slow in coming. Clearly, the world urgently needs deliverance, and without grasping God’s mercy, as Peter suggests, the delay in establishing His Kingdom can be disheartening. Yet God’s love extends even to the worst sinners, with patience far beyond human understanding—demonstrated by His unwavering tolerance toward humanity since Adam, for nearly six thousand years.
The wicked are allowed long lives in the hope they might eventually repent and accept God’s favor. Satan exploits this to spread the lie that God blesses sinners more than the righteous. For the righteous, the simplest path to salvation is physical death, which is why God takes joy in the death of His saints rather than that of sinners. God holds hope that the sinner will come to their senses, but when a saint dies, He rejoices, marking their deliverance.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants” (Psalm 116:15 NIV).
This can be puzzling for those who believe this life is all there is. People often grieve the loss of good individuals, wishing they had more time here, yet their passing is seen as achieving salvation, which then pleases God. Remaining in this world would leave them vulnerable to Satan’s deceptions, so God takes joy in their transition from physical life. In contrast, God allows wicked people to live longer, hoping they might abandon their evil ways.
“In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness and the wicked living long in their wickedness” (Ecclesiastes 7:15 NIV).
This Scripture seems to contradict God’s instruction to the Israelites, who were expected to live righteously in order to enjoy longer lives. They were a special group, promised physical blessings if they obeyed God’s commandments. Yet these blessings were as temporary as everything in this world. Ultimately, God values the spiritual over the physical.
“This is what the wicked are like—always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies” (Psalm 73:12–20 NIV).
In His endless mercy, God lets wicked people live longer, hoping they might turn to Him and find redemption. There are times when such people eventually seek God, and in some cases, they become even better than those thought to be righteous. Life can be tricky like that—someone can stumble while thinking they are secure.
“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:11–12 NIV).
The possibility of falling should be seen as one of the worst experiences anyone can face. It is no surprise that God delights in the passing of His saints. The purest mind recognizes there is nothing truly valuable in this life, as everything treasured eventually ends. One may achieve remarkable feats and gain iconic recognition, but as long as they belong to this world, such accomplishments mean nothing.
I know of esteemed professors who died with nothing to show but their laminated academic certificates. Liberation fighters, once revered, have been reduced to objects of ridicule. Like a book, their story describes the hardships of fighting in the bush and escaping dangerous war trenches, but without anything to show for it. These people dreamed of a better Zimbabwe than the one that exists today.
Many died in conditions far worse than before joining the armed struggle. Those from Midlands and Matabeleland could not fathom witnessing the slaughter of the very people they sought to free. What greater tragedy can there be than what this reveals about what this world values? The eternal question remains: What was the real reason for engaging in that senseless liberation struggle? This underscores the complexities of human deliverance.
Sometimes people become passionate about things that end up leading to their downfall, convinced they are moving toward survival. Many Zimbabwean youths believe today’s conditions are better than those before independence, largely because propaganda has persuaded them this is the best possible situation. Serving humanity is not just about physical effort. The energy and passion of charismatic preachers can make it seem like God’s work is happening, but how different is that from the charisma once shown by liberation war fighters?
We should remember that even those on the opposing side can show similar charisma. It comes down to whether one agrees or disagrees with what someone stands for. A person believes they are on the winning side based on their agreeable viewpoint. But how different is that from Simon Peter’s confrontation with Jesus? Peter was zealous—to the point of irritating Jesus rather than impressing Him. The key question is whether God values zeal in carrying out His work, in all our endeavors as Christians.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:21–25 NIV).
Simon Peter showed courage in standing by the Lord, yet faced immediate disapproval from Jesus. Similarly, the criminal on the cross with Jesus did nothing to earn salvation except admit his wrongdoing. A preacher might attract a big crowd with charisma, but that does not ensure deliverance. What truly matters is grasping and embracing Jesus’ teachings. Even someone used by Christ to achieve great things is not guaranteed a place of honor when He returns.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:21–23 NIV).
What is the cost of deliverance? Jesus told a parable about hired workers who did not receive the rewards they expected (Matthew 20:1–16), showing that the first will be last and the last will be first. From a human standpoint, this can feel discouraging. So, what must someone do to be approved and receive a meaningful reward when Christ returns?
God is a God of justice, so good works matter. Are Christians supposed to be more good than bad in fulfilling their duties? Is it about staying loyal to a church organization until death? How does ethical conduct compare to the corrupt people around us? Can humans truly be justified for deliverance?
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:10–14 NIV).
These Scriptures reveal the need to fully surrender everything we hold valuable in life. As humans, we tend to believe we have worth apart from Jesus, but the only path to deliverance is to humble ourselves completely. While this may seem like the hardest thing to do, humility is the sole requirement for a Christian. The focus should not be on the work accomplished, but on reducing oneself to nothing, and allowing Jesus to use one.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8–10 NIV).
Paul says he finds joy in weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties, aligning with what Jesus taught during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:10–12). A Christian rejoices even in the toughest situations—which may not be exciting, but clearly shows that the cost of following Jesus Christ includes accepting being ridiculed in this world.
Many people lose heart, despite their need for God’s Kingdom. The challenge faced by the young man asked to give up his wealth for the poor is something anyone could experience. Sweet-sounding promises from popular pastors, marketed as a path to physical deliverance, are often deceptive. Yet there is truth in the observation that advising someone to surrender everything to receive Jesus also sounds deceptive in a world ruled by mammon.
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
‘Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
‘Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he 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, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:25–33 NIV).
Looking at what has been promoted through the gospel, it becomes clear that the root of many problems lies in deception. Caught in sin, people often cling to it instead of letting it go. True deliverance is not as appealing as it has been made out to be, and being a Christian requires giving up one’s own life. Until this changes, the challenges faced by Christianity—tied to our national struggles—will have no hope of improving.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, which lays out standards for lifting Zimbabwe out of its current economic depression and into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, offering relief to those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
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