Lyrics
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've gotta know that the price
Is the one you can afford
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've got to go all the way
If you really love the Lord
He never said it'd be easy
He never promised a free ride
There's a costly fee
If you wanna be on His side
Oh, but the Father knows the cost
His only Son was the price
When He says, "Follow Me"
He's asking of a man His life
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've gotta know that the price
Is the one you can afford
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've got to go all the way
If you really love the Lord
The modern-day disciple
He still has a price to pay
There's a war within and a war with sin
And he fights it everyday
So be sure and understand
The voice behind the call
You can't come with half a heart
When He's asking for it all
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've gotta know that the price
Is the one you can afford
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've got to go all the way
If you really love the Lord
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've gotta know that the price
Is the one you can afford
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've got to go all the way
If you really love the Lord
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've gotta know that the price
Is the one you can afford
You've got to count the cost
If you wanna be a believer
You've got to go all the way
If you really love the Lord
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Count the Cost focuses on the seriousness of Christian discipleship. Its repeated refrain draws directly from the language of Jesus, who taught prospective disciples to consider the cost before beginning. The song rejects a halfhearted response to the call of Christ. Following the Lord is presented as a whole-life commitment that includes sacrifice, perseverance, and resistance to sin rather than an easy path without struggle.
The verses balance that demand with the cost already borne by the Father through the giving of the Son. This keeps discipleship from becoming a claim of self-earned salvation; the call to surrender follows the costly gift of Christ. The description of an inner war also reflects the New Testament picture of conflict between sinful impulses and faithful obedience. By returning several times to the same question, the song presses its central point: love for the Lord must shape the direction of an entire life, not merely a partial or convenient response.
Related Scripture
- Luke 14:28 Jesus uses the example of counting the cost before building when teaching about discipleship.
- Luke 9:23 Jesus calls a disciple to deny self, take up the cross daily, and follow him.
- Romans 7:23 Paul describes an inner war connected with sin, echoing the songs second verse.