Wednesday, July 10, 2013
FOLLOW THE LEADER: HOW?
While Jesus does not demand works for us in order to gain salvation, following Him is very demanding. Discipleship is not for wimps. Luke 9:23: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."
First of all, deny yourself. This runs counter to just about every instinct that we have. I'm all about me. You're all about you. We don't like to give up for each other by nature. It is counterintuitive to our sense of survival. We like to know in every situation, "What's in it for me?" But this is required of those who wish to follow Jesus. You cannot be the number one concern in your heart and still have Jesus as your Leader.
Don't be concerned about your life. Be willing to give it up for Jesus. Here again that doesn't sound like that would work to get ahead spiritually. It's like feeling panic out in the water when you feel like you're going under and someone tells you to relax. If you want to save your life, lose it? That's like saying if you want to be rich, don't focus on accumulating. If you want to get in shape, don't exercise. Yet here again, Jesus wants our full focus to be on Him. It's for our own good because straying from Him in concern for ourselves ends in destruction.
Take up your own cross. This happens when you have an unpopular opinion about sex outside of marriage or homosexuality. It occurs when you stand up for the teachings of Jesus that are "hard sayings." Persecution will occur when you emulate Christ. Look how they treated Him. They rejected and killed Him! You may not be killed, but you will feel hatred from those in the world when you show that your loyalty lies first and always with Jesus.
So why follow? It's hard. It impacts every area of your life. Why? Because it's worth it. Jesus leads us from temporary suffering into eternal glory. Observe the path that He blazed. Not just being rejected by men, but being accepted by the Father. Not just the cross, but also the crown. Not just death, but also a resurrection. This is your path when you follow Jesus as your Leader.
