Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Not Every Believer Is A Follower

I am really into learning and confessing the Word of God. The way to apply God's powerful Word to your life is to learn it and confess it. Why would one want to apply the Word of God to their life? Because the Word works. I really wish more believers would embrace this. This is one of the keys to becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. 

The truth is, not every believer is a follower of Christ. A follower of Jesus is what the Bible calls a disciple. A disciple is a person who learns and applies the Word to their life in prayer and in daily confession. They say what Jesus said. They pray the way Jesus prayed. As a result, they do what Jesus did! "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8: 31 - 32) Certainly it is God's truth that sets us free. But you won't know God's truth (and be free) until you continue in the Word of God as Jesus said. Only followers of Jesus (disciples) are truly free to be continuously and powerfully used of God.

Take the 12 disciples. Jesus poured His life and His teaching into these guys for 3 and a half years. Not only that, they sat willingly at His feet, feeding on His Word for the entire duration of His ministry. He demonstrated the Word to and for them. He even authorized them to go out and apply what they learned, before He returned to the right hand of the Father. You are a disciple only if you continue in His Word. Then you will know the very truth that frees you to do the "greater works" He said you would do. (See John 14: 12)

God didn't send Jesus to the earth just to save you so you would go to heaven. If that were the case He would have arranged it so that whenever one accepts Jesus, they would just drop dead and go to heaven. Listen to this very carefully. The Gospel is not based just on the point at which we die, but also on the point at which we come to life as new creatures in Christ Jesus! From the point we begin to live in Christ it must be emphasized that we begin, and continue in His Word. Then we learn the truth (by experiment), and the truth sets us free.

If you are a disciple (follower) of Jesus, you are surely saved, and your eternal destination has been settled and secured. But you are also qualified and authorized to be a world-changer. Jesus returned to the Father. He sent forth the Holy Spirit to enable His disciples to carry on the same ministry He started when He was here.

God sent Jesus to save you so that you would make a difference on this earth...before you leave (just as He did.) Heaven is a very significant and wonderful part of the deal. Yes, I know that eternity is way longer than our time on this planet. However, the life you live on this planet will extremely affect the eternity you will spend in heaven. And not only that, but the life you live for Jesus (here) will extremely affect the lives of others who also reside on the planet!

Are you ready to be a world-changer? Be a disciple of Jesus. Be a follower of Jesus. Become a student and a devourer of His Word. Through His Word, get to know the truth. Let Him make you free to change the world you live in! Don't just be a believer...be a follower of Jesus.