We have talked about how a Christian is not only a believer, but also a follower of Christ. This is the only way to experience more and more of the Abundant Life Jesus came to grant us here, before we go on to our Eternal Life hereafter. But this week, I want us to focus on WHY we would follow Jesus. Some might be consumed with following Jesus because they are afraid that, if they don’t, they will be punished. While we certainly can open doors of trouble if we do not follow Him, God is not sitting on His Throne, just waiting for us to mess up so that He can zap us with His lightning bolts. He is a patient God who understands we are growing into who we will be and so, we will mess up from time to time. Fear of getting penalized is not the right motivator.
Some others, sadly, are motivated to follow Jesus because they think they will be given riches and prominence in this world…and while God can certainly bless us materially, especially if we are willing to share our treasures, this is most definitely not the right attitude. Also if we are blessed, the enemy will try to tempt us to focus on those things, rather than on God. So if the heart is focused on the treasures instead of on the One who gave them, it’s obviously a problem.
Still some others might try to follow Jesus because they think it is the only way to earn their way to Heaven…we call this “works of the Flesh,” and since these are based on what we can do, or not do, and has nothing to do with the Grace of God, it will never give us entry into Paradise. Again, MMI is the problem so we need God’s Love to open the door for Salvation. Nothing we can do, or not do, is sufficient to take away our sinful nature. Only Jesus can do this…but once we do surrender to Him as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit begins to readjust our motives for wanting to follow Jesus. Listen to our “verse to remember” this week from the Gospel of John 14:15:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jn 14:15 ESV
Can it get any simpler than that?
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
February: 5- Jn 10:10; 6- Ro 6:23; 7- Rev 21:4; 8- Php 4:13
March: 9- 1Pe 5:7; 10- Jn 8:32; 11- Dt 30:19; 12- Jn 3:30; 13- 2Chron 20:3
April: 14- 2Chron 20:12; 15- 2Chron 20:15b; 16- 2Chron 20:17
May: 17- Ro 8:28; 18- 1Co 13:13; 19- Php 2:12; 20- Mt 5:4
June: 21- Lk 23:42; 22- Jas 4:7; 23- Pr 22:6; 24- Mt 5:3; 25- Jn 14:6
26- Jas 2:19
27- Dt 31:8
28- Jn 14:15
<>< Peace, Diane
