Most Christians Make Following Jesus Look Easy… Are They Right?
Many people make is look as though following Jesus is easy. While the act of being saved by Christ is easy, “Truly, truly, I say to you,whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24) However, to truely follow him daily takes more effort, “[...]If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35)
So as a Bible believing follower of Christ Jesus, what should we expect it to be like? Is it supposed to be easy to follow him? Is it supposed to be easy to just do what the main stream is doing and just cruise into heaven?
[bibleblock]Matthew 7:13-14[/bibleblock]
I want you to understand the “few” here. It is the Greek word ὀλίγοι (oligoi) which appears 6 other times in the Greek texts of the New Testament.(Matthew 9:37, Matthew 22:14, Luke 10:2, Luke 13:23, Acts 17:12, 1 Peter 3:20) It means “few, little, small, or even puny”. I think it is important to understand the scale of small we are talking about here. In 1 Peter 3:20 we see a reference to the “few, that is, eight persons” which God saved during the flood. I’m not saying only 8 will be saved, because he has already stated it will be more than that by a decent number, but at the time there weren’t a lot of people around, and he still used the same few for 8 people that he uses here in reference to the number of people who will find the narrow gate. This should emphasize to you the fact that by acting like almost every other self proclaimed “Christian” in the world you may be cruising down the path to the nice wide gate that leads to destruction.
This is not what God wants.
[bibleblock]1 Timothy 1:16[/bibleblock]
[bibleblock]John 10:27-29[/bibleblock]
God’s people should not be heading down that path to destruction. What should following Jesus really be like to us? Well here’s a some examples of the dedication he demands.
[bibleblock]Matthew 8:19-22[/bibleblock]
This sounds harsh! While Jesus clearly upholds the biblical command to honor father and mother, the call to follow him rises above all other allegiances. Anything that hinders unqualified commitment to him and to the new covenant family of faith must be set aside. You must be radical and uncompromising in your faith to Christ.
[bibleblock]Matthew 10:16-17[/bibleblock]
This may sound like something out of a bad horror film to some, but it is necessary to understand this, you will know suffering. You should know suffering. Being sent out as a “sheep in the midst of wolves” is not a pleasant experience to be certain. The serpent was the symbol of shrewdness and intellectual cunning (Gen 3:1; Ps 58:4-5), while the dove was emblematic of simple innocence (Hos. 7:11). So be sharp, focussed, and cunning in representing Him, but remain in a state of simple innocence no matter what wolves may want to devour you.
[bibleblock]Matthew 10:21-22[/bibleblock]
We have the privilege of carrying His name to all the world, but the antagonism and hatred that is directed toward Him will naturally be reciprocated onto us. No matter who you think should remain loyal, family and friends, they are below the call to serve Christ and will be just as likely to despise you and turn you over for persecution as anyone else.
[bibleblock]Matthew 10:24-25[/bibleblock]
The ultimate goal of a disciple is to be like our Master, we are called to emulate Him. Beelzebul means “master of the house” and refers to Satan. The accusation that Jesus (the real “master of all”) was really Satan is shockingly perverse; “how much more”, then, should Jesus’ own disciples expect to be falsely accused and maligned.
[bibleblock]Matthew 10:34-39[/bibleblock]
Sword is a metaphor for the inevitable separation between those who believe in Christ and those who do not, even within a family (i.e., faith in Christ may set a man against his father). Jesus’ own family opposed him before they came to recognize his true identity (Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 3:21; John 7:3-5). Thus, whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Jesus asked for unqualified allegiance, something even the most esteemed rabbi did not demand. The central point of Matthew 10:34-37 is that love of God and his kingdom must take precedence over every other human relationship. Now, crucifixion is a shocking metaphor for discipleship. A disciple must deny themselves (die to self-will), take up His cross (embrace God’s will, no matter the cost), and follow Jesus Christ.
To those that do not know Jesus this looks like a horrible existence of servitude and punishment that Jesus is calling for. Pain, death, family that hates you, crucifying yourself, placing him above all else on this planet. However, to those that hear His voice, He knows them, and they follow Him.
What are the marks of a true Christian? The apostle Paul answers this very clearly.
[bibleblock]Romans 12:9-21[/bibleblock]
So after all this sacrifice and hard work, what is it we gain? Life. Pure and simple.
[bibleblock]Matthew 10:32-33[/bibleblock]
A Christian can easily avoid persecution by denying that he or she is Jesus’ disciple. But the true disciple does not fear death (Matthew 10:28) and will publicly acknowledge and confess Jesus. The eternal consequences for those who deny Christ, in fact, will be far worse than the persecution that they sought to avoid.
[bibleblock]Matthew 10:40-42[/bibleblock]
By helping the prophet in his mission, we are to gain part of that reward. By helping the righteous ones, we gain a part of their reward. As for the little ones, that is, anyone in need, especially those of “little” standing, who may be overlooked as leaders focus on those more prominent in the community (James 2:1-7), they garner a similar reward.
Do not expect your rewards to be in this world for we are not residents here. We are only visitors. Our citizenship is in God’s kingdom. So act like it. Stop playing at being a follower and truly follow Jesus. If you truly believe what he did for you, how can you not do what he asks? He died for you, and raised from the grave to cover your sins. What have you done for Him?
