Following Christ…Not an Assumption

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV)

As one who has confessed Jesus Christ as Savior, the following assumption is true: “I will follow Him.” However true the assumption may be, is it being completed?

The desire of every believer is to ‘follow Christ’ to the best of abilities. And this is the point at which each of is wrong. The ability to follow Him does not come from our desires or strengths (weaknesses). This ability is not ours because this does not come from within. We do not possess this…ability.

There are many abilities that each of us is born with and somewhere in our physical and emotional processes of maturing these abilities are demonstrated. Some folks can sing, write, draw, express themselves articulately, etc. and these are truly gifts from God that help us in social environments and in the workplace.

But what we are not born with is an ability to follow the Christ.

The key to following Christ is His teachings and these are only found in Scripture. Jesus said to these Jewish believers, “IF you abide (follow) my word, you are truly my disciples…” Simply stated, we must not only read the Scriptures, but we must also put them into practice. This is what the word ‘abide’ means…to put those things of God into practice.

One might argue that, “I cannot do that…put His word into practice”. The only answer to that objection is that person is not a believer. Remember that the ability to follow Christ does not come from within….this ability comes from knowing Him. If we know Him we will follow Him. Jesus said that if we put His teaching into practice, that is abide in His word, “you are truly my disciples.”

And this is not all. By living His word in daily living and being His disciples (followers), we will know (understand) His truth and by His truth we will be set free.

Without His word we cannot understand His truth and without His word we cannot be free from the power that temptation has over our lives. Without His word the temptation will almost always become the sin that so easily causes us to fall short of His glory.

Remember that you are to follow Christ and not your assumption that everything is going to be okay only because I confess Him. Follow the assumption and your life will be crazy….Follow the Christ and His word and your life will know truth and freedom from the assumption.