Following Jesus Pt. II

#Discipleship #BasicsOfFaith #Christianity #ChristAlone

Following Jesus means we follow the risen Savior, who is more than enough for whatever we face today. There are other facets to following Jesus that we will look into in future posts. Today I think a very important part of being a Christian, which is often neglected, if not downplayed, is that of being actors and not spectators of the Kingdom already at work.

Jesus is closing the Sermon on the Mount and dedicates an emphasis on personal and intrapersonal relationships as far as the Gospel is concerned. Jesus also highlights that there will be people whose presentation may appear to be godly, but the intentions are far more devilish in their aim. Then Jesus provides the similitude of building a home.

“‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.’ When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” (Matthew 7:24-29, NASB)

Building a home is a big deal now, and it was a big deal back in Jesus’ day. There is time, resources, and effort that goes into erecting a dwelling place for a family. The picture of a house immediately evokes the correlation to a community (a.k.a. family). Jesus is making a loaded statement about what it means to be called His disciple. Here are a few take-aways:

1. Being a disciple of Jesus is a call to be active agents of His Kingdom. Lately, there are many adjectives to the Gospel. Social Gospel, Full Gospel, Feminist Gospel, Social Justice Gospel, etc. The list of adjectives that impact the way the Gospel is interpreted, or how it is read into the Scriptures, leads to building a different Kingdom from that of Jesus’ Kingdom. A reflection of the Gospel of Grace is that we become aware of the strain of sin, and the beauty of God’s mercy and grace available to all who will accept such a precious gift. We are all called to learn, be transformed, and then to show a reflection of God’s holiness and grace to the world around us.

2. Following Jesus means to be rooted in Scripture alone. The beauty and danger of the modern Christian faith is the presence of so many writings and resources that present an inkling of understanding about the Gospel. The beauty is found in resources that encourage people to encounter God as part of the little things of life, as well as in the memorable moments. The danger comes from exposing pseudo-Christian literature that sounds great but does not hold the weight of Scriptural examination. The calling to follow Jesus Christ is to be found in the teachings of Scripture alone, as the only source for authority, as the inspired and inerrant word of God.

3. Following Jesus means to be on guard against worthless spiritual soil. Taking it directly from the text above, the wise man builds on the Rock (The Gospel of Jesus Christ), and not on sand (worthless spiritual soil/teachings). Something most Christians are not aware of is the presence of attacks upon Christianity from its beginning. Some denied the Godly nature of Jesus Christ. Others denied the humanity of Jesus Christ thus He was an apparition of a spirit. Yet, others denied salvation as a free gift and emphasized the need of works for salvation. Attacks on Biblical Christianity are not something new. Today these are very present, including the trends called deconstruction or deconversion. Usually, the end result is the abolition of Christianity leading to a pseudo-Christianity (designing your own Gospel). Be mindful of the worthless spiritual soil and teachings that are so prevalent today.

4. Following Jesus means being honest about adversity. Notice the image given in the story quoted above is one of facing difficulty and strenuous circumstances. Today, some may have a difficult time with the certainty that waves will occur after a conversion experience takes place. This may be even more prevalent in the lives of those who hold a hyper-charismatic view of God, where He is intent on blessing and keeping believers healthy (Yes, I am referring to Name-It-And-Claim-It folks). Jesus does not hide it from His followers, even from His first sermon (Sermon on the Mount—Matthew 5-7), that difficulties will come and that the only way to survive the downfall is to be built upon the solid rock and not the faulty sand.

5. Following Jesus means to be in awe of His divine authority. Whether you and I are long-standing believers or brand new to the Christian faith, we are compelled to remain in awe of the Savior. Like those hearers, we too must hold the truth that Jesus is and His Word (The Scriptures) remain the authoritative test over anything or anyone else. This is difficult to exercise if a relationship is absent between the believer and the Scriptures (personal devotion/study). It is not the man writing this to encourage and be a benefit to you; nor the pastor(s) that you may follow on social media. It is not the trendy new “Christianity,” or the individual who may have some new secret “insight” into Christianity. The last word is that of Jesus Christ and for that, we have the Bible--The compiled revelation of God for humanity to know Him.

Dear Reader, my prayer for you is that you may be found building your home on the solid rock, with worthy utensils and the help of those who point you to the best foundation. I pray that you may become a Berean and not a modern editor, who blots out parts of the Gospel that are difficult to grasp, or hard to swallow because of our imperfect nature. May you continue to grow in the One who has the ultimate authority and your best interests at heart.