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Matthew 16;4 is not applicable in the least.

Indeed. I wrote it down wrong - the cost of discipleship is laid out in Luke 14. Had I included the passages themselves, I would have noticed my error. Sorry about that.

It is also true that the “Great Commission” refers only to Matthew 28:19-20. But my comments to you were related to “everything entailed in the Great Commission” and not the Great Commission alone. In context, here is the Great Commission starting at verse 16 (emphasis mine):

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

Here is what I was trying to point out - what it costs to be a disciple:

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me. – Matthew 19:21

And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; [but] men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. – Luke 14:25-35

In my experience, most believers do not walk away from all that is within their area of influence whether it be possessions, family, friends, job or whatever – and go into all nations, baptizing, teaching. Rather, most believers known to me take the attitude of surrender and give up their personal attachments to all other people and possessions and view all of it (children, spouse, home, job, everything) as God’s and themselves as merely stewards working in His vineyard. Within that vineyard, these believers witness not only with their words and deeds but moreover by their very being, magnifying the Light by treating everyone with unconditional love, etc.

Do you believe one can be saved without faith in the Christ of the bible ?

I have already answered this in post 271. But I shall repeat it again for absolute clarity:

If anyone could be good enough to get to heaven, then Christ died for nothing.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. - Galatians 2:21

On the other hand, God says He will be merciful and compassionate according to His own will. (Romans) Certainly Abraham, Noah, Enoch, David etc. – who all preceded Christ on earth - are saved according to His will. Likewise, if God chooses to save aborted children, young children, severely handicapped people or anyone who has not heard and rejected Christ – who am I to question it?!

For additional clarity, I assert that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Nobody comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6) But getting “through Him” isn’t a simple matter of believing that God is:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? - James 2:19-20

And it isn’t a simple matter of reciting the right words off a tract or doing the right things. Faith must come from within; the seeker must be born again (John 3), i.e. Christ must “know” the one who receives Him (John 10) – this “knowing” is the indwelling of the Spirit. (Romans 8, I Corinthians 2)

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. – John 1:12-13

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit….

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, [even] the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. – excerpted from John 3

Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand. I and [my] Father are one. – John 10:25-30

I have to leave tomorrow for several days again on a family health emergency, but will reply as appropriate as soon as possible.

I am focusing on the command to give the gospel ...period . That is the traditional meaning of the great commission.
I am not dealing with the cost.But with people that are afraid to proclaim it because some may not like to hear it. We have too many ear tickling people that think they are obedient to God but deny Him by their silence

There is a cost to preaching the gospel .Jesus frankly told us we would be hated by men that same way He was . That is why I do not expect, desire or work to have men like me .
So I do not try to post words that will get me the applause of men.

I believe that without believing and trusting the Jesus Christ of the Bible , men are condemned to hell for eternity.

I do not expect men to like to hear that , it is offensive.
But if the gospel given does not offend it is not the gospel. It is a message most do not want to hear. I am not ashamed of the Gospel or to affirm my faith out loud .When is the last time any of us were told it is a hard teaching who can accept it?

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.“ (Jn. 15:18-19).

The cross and faith are offensive because they take meritorious works and send them packing. Repentance and the call to holiness are offensive because man prefers to run from the light. The narrowness of the door is offensive because it sours people on God’s open-mindedness. God’s sovereignty is offensive because humans like to call the shots. No wonder Paul was straight with Timothy from the outset and said, “...join me in suffering for the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:8b). It makes sense now why he said, concerning faithful gospel expression, that “it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him...” (Phil. 1:29). If you are looking for a challenge, join up. Giving the true gospel in its pure form is like feeding liver to a preschooler—no way!

Ellffin