Wanting To Follow Jesus

People who really know Jesus want to follow him. That may seem like a bold statement, but I think it’s really just logic. I mean, people who really truly know him want to follow him. They love him. How can you not? Unless you don’t really know him that well.

What I’m getting at is the difference between thinking you should follow Jesus, or knowing it’s the right thing to do, and really just having that deep down gut wrenching desire to be in his presence because you know it’s the very best place in the universe. It’s the difference between saying you’re a Christian because you believe in the Bible and because you think the Church just has got it right and not caring what anyone thinks about your faith in Jesus because you love him from your heart.

There’s nothing wrong with believing in the Bible and thinking that despite all its flaws the Church just has got it right. In fact if you are headed where I’m suggesting, I think those things will follow. But what I’m trying to pinpoint is something that if you miss, the other things that people say really may not get you as far as you think. What I’m trying to get at is that being a “Christian” is less about following something you know is right and more about following someone who you have come to truly love. Being a Christian really is about you and Jesus. Anything past that is missing the mark.
Now a case can be made for Christianity having also to do with affecting the world; showing love to others, reaching out to the poor and needy, and sharing the message of God’s love. But the foundation is actually not those things. The foundation is a changed heart through Christ. Uh – oh. That sounded a lot like Christianese jargon. What in the world do we mean when we say things like that?

What a changed heart is all about is the fact that without Christ our hearts are bad. Real bad. Actually more like wicked. But what happens is when we get a glimpse into who really God is by getting to know the person of Jesus Christ, and we begin to really understand God’s love for us, our hearts can’t help but be touched by how great his love truly is.

There are a lot of forces and systems at work trying to prevent you from truly understanding that fact. Systems that want to keep your mind dull, your heart numb and your attitude cynical so that it is very difficult for you to grasp how truly remarkable it is that God loves you. But when the Spirit of God truly breaks through into our dark hearts – a change takes place. A transformation.
That’s the difference between knowing or thinking that the Gospel is true, and really following God from a heart of love and gratitude for who He is and how much He loves you. It’s not that the two are mutually exclusive. It’s that so many Christians choose to live from somewhere they believe they are right versus a deeper version of faith, living from somewhere they are free to really love God.

Do you struggle with wanting to be a Christian? Do you sometimes feel like people who aren’t Christians have it easy or better than Christians? Are you a Christian just because you know it’s the right thing to do? You may be missing out on really knowing someone you are following.

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Matthew 7:21-23; 1 John 4:16-19; Revelation 3:14-22

Wisdom: Looking At Life From God's Perspective

Wisdom is looking at life from God's eternal perspective. It's like Jim Eliot, the now famous baptist missionary during the 1950's who, at the age of 28 along with 4 other men, was killed by an indiginous tribe in South America. Eliot and his colleagues were attempting to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ when they were speared near on the banks of the Curaray River in Ecuador. Eliot is often quoted as having said, "he is no fool who trades what he cannot keep for what he cannot lose." Eliot was, of course, refering to trading this life, which none of us can keep, for eternal life with Christ, which can only be attained by letting go control of this life and trusting it to Jesus.

That is what wisdom is all about. It is recognizing that there is a God - not equal with me, but greater than me - who rules and reigns over me and over all of creation. It is acknowledging His sovereignty and yeilding willingly to His plan. It is believing that He is inherently good and trusting that He has my best interest at heart.

Wisdom is believing these things, but not just believing them. it si acting on your beliefs. Living them out, regardless of cost to yourself or uncertainty of reward. It is trading what you cannot keep, for what you cannot lose.

Read: Psalm 14:1; Psalm 19:9; Psalm 27:1; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 29:25; James 1:5

Jesus Reveals A Deeper Righteousness

I just finished reading the words of the Lord in Matthew chapter 5. What a powerful message! I love this chapter and often find myself drawn to it when I'm reading the Bible and don't have a planned place to read. Matthew 5 is only part of what theologians call "The Sermon on the Mount," when Jesus addressed a crowd of followers from Galilee or Capernum who had congregated to listen to what this new teacher had to say.

Interestingly enough, Jesus begins his discourse (which may have actually been things he taught on many occasions, to many crowds, not just this one time) with some statements about the condition of his audience. "Blessed are the poor in spirit...blessed are the meek...blessed are the peacemakers...blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness!" Jesus was addressing a crowd of very common people - people some cultures may view as peasants, or in our society the blue collar people. They were not the heads of state, or nobility of the land. They were common Palestinian people. People who knew oppression at the hand of the Roman government. People who also knew exploitation at the hands of their own religious leaders, the Pharisees. And Jesus looks at them and says, "Blessed are you when you are persecuted for righteousness sake."

Blessed for being persecuted? Blessed for being spiritually destitute? What is this teaching that sounds nothing like the typical message of religion? This is Jesus. Jesus looked at people and saw their needs. He saw their heart. He saw their sins. And He loved them so much that He wanted them to be free.

In this chapter Jesus goes on to point out several of the Jewish teachings on moral issues, such as divorce and adultery, anger at others, making promises that you cannot keep, how to treat your enemies. And He makes the point that the teachings the people had followed do not go deep enough to foster true righteousness. He said it is not enough to just be sexually faithful to your spouse, you must be faithful in your heart also. It is not enough to just keep from murdering others, you must be patient and loving toward others also. It is not enough just to keep the law of God, you must love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.

The incredible thing about Jesus is that He comes along and reveals to everyone who will listen that it is not just enough to do what people think you are supposed to do. If you want to be holy you must live it from your heart. Just think about the following statement that Jesus made, and keep in mind that the Pharisees in their day were the respected religious leaders. We know the term now to represent hypocrisy, which Jesus did reveal. But at the time people did not see it that way. They thought these guys were really doing it right. But listen to what Jesus had to say to everyone who was following the leaders: "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

How is it that today we do the same thing, thinking that we can simply follow the religious leaders of our day and time and not give attention to what is really going on in our own hearts? Do you think it is enough to just do what you are taught by someone else you respect?