Are you truly a disciple? That is a question all of us who confess to be Christians must ask ourselves. We live in a world full of Jesus fans. Many admire the idea of Christ, not the Savior that He is. They applaud Him for His sacrifice but refuse to surrender to Him as Lord. However, Jesus is clear when He speaks about being His follower, stating in John 14, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”
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Do We Follow Jesus?
Preparing for His departure, Jesus prepares the minds and hearts of His disciples. For three years, they walked with Him. They were discipled by Him. They trusted Him, and they knew His commands. The command to love God with all of their minds, hearts, and souls; to love their neighbor; to repent; to forgive; to follow Him. Over 2,000 years later, we sit and read these same commands. Yet, do we follow them? Do we follow the Word, His Word, the Word that became flesh and dwelt among His creation? Are we followers of Christ or just fans?
True surrender produces an obedience in us that is not absent from sacrifice. Jesus tells us that a life spent following Him entails a daily picking up of our own cross. A burden that could never compare to the cross that He carried and died on. A cross that He stayed on because of love. Our rightful response should be submission. And we don’t have to do it alone. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit, a gift, again given in love, to the faithful followers of Christ. When we align our lives with the commands of Christ, we demonstrate our love for Him. Obedience is an act of love, an act He is more than worthy of. So the question is, do you love Him? Do you love Him enough to keep His commands?
With Love,
Tamara
Scripture To Meditate On
‘ “If you love me, you will keep my commands. ‘
‘Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. ‘
‘Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. ‘
‘If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” ‘
‘From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ‘
‘“Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”’
‘Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. ‘
‘And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.”
‘He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. ‘
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References:
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
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