“And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Then He said to another, Follow Me.” (vs58-59)
The Lord Jesus Christ has given us a command. We are to follow Him, and this is not optional. We must be doing His will, and not our own, as the essence of Christian living. The Lord is not a savior who says, “Do as you please, and I'll pay for it”. He is the One who redeems us by the Spirit to obey Him, and by this, we live. He gives the grace, forgives the sin, and encourages us. He takes the filthy, the weak, and the frail. He is the FRIEND of sinners (Luke 15:1-3). Yet, His relationship to us is as Lord. If you obey the beautiful gospel, then you'll see that it isn't wrong to love Him by faith, receiving all that He gives continually, though hell-worthy in yourself. It isn't wrong to love others and point them to so great a Savior. It is right, joyful, and helped by God. It is rewarded by the Spirit, and anyone can do it. Impossible as it is with men, the vilest and weakest human who TRUSTS Christ, for that's what salvation is, will be helped by God and enabled to follow the Savior. Without obedience, however, it is death. He must be followed, and He will be followed, if you TRUST Him.
Secondly, we are urgent followers on a mission (Luke 10:1-4). He says, “Greet no one along the road”. We are to live for Christ at all times, beginning at home, and telling others what great things He's done for us, having compassion. We don't have Christian friends, and then behave differently among the ungodly. We are the same person always on the same mission to honor God by loving people. The gospel has made us missionaries of Jesus Christ, and that's what makes life worth living. It sanctifies the marriage, gives joy to the job, and gives meaning to every aspect of life - to live that others be saved.
Thirdly, we are right to pay for the needs of our teachers, and we mustn't neglect it (Luke 10:5-9). He says, “If a son of peace is there... remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house”. The fruitful ministry allows men to put their money where their mouth is. They receive God's gospel, say they love God, and by their ACTIONS - their uniting in the cause of Christ sacrificially - they show their faith by their works, evidencing they love God BY what they do (James 2:21). This gospel produces gospel obedience. Everyone God saves becomes an ambassador, a co-laborer, and we give of ourselves to see Christ conquer sinners, establishing His rule. If you're loved of God, you love your teachers, and you love the church and the mission of Christ.
Finally, don't be misled. Follow Him, reap the fruit of newness of life, and make others CONCRETELY obedient to God.
No comments:
Post a Comment