“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” (Luke 14:26).
“And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matthew 19:29).
The following is from Jonathan Edwards (this is not an endorsement of Edwards as a true Christian).
"And particularly inquire whether or no you are a man that is of a spirit to prefer the interests of religion above your own private interest. How often and how plainly has Christ told us that this is necessary, that we should love him above father or mother wife or children, brethren or sisters, and our own lives also, yea, should hate father and mother, wife and children, brethren and sisters, and our own lives also, should sell all that we have? These sayings of Christ signify something. They are neither false nor mere insignificant sentences, words without a meaning, or carrying no such thing in them as they seem to signify. One would wonder how it is possible for men that have a vastly greater regard for their private, temporal interest, for the flourishing of their efforts for the upholding and advancing their reputation, for maintaining their interest among men and gaining these and those worldly designs, than they have for the flourishing of the kingdom of Christ or the credit and interest of religion -- I say one would wonder how such make it out to maintain their hope and opinion of themselves as true Christians with such scriptures as these just now mentioned staring at them in the face" (Jonathan Edwards).
"But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:32-39).
“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw [he was] a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward” (Hebrews 11:23-26).
