Following Christ, Part 2

“Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.” Matthew 4:18-23

Five major requirements come to mind when considering the issue of following Christ. Each one builds upon the exercise of the rest, and all unite to lead a person into the pathway of true discipleship.

- Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Develop your sensitivity to the leading and guiding ways which the Holy Spirit used to direct you. Sensitivity is reduced quickly by disobedience. We are admonished: “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19).

- Service. The natural response of a child of God to known needs is to take on the role of a servant and use talent, time, and resources to meet that need under the direction of the Spirit of God.

- Sacrifice. In many cases, little will be done for the cause of Christ without the need for some type of sacrifice on our part. Our willingness here is an indicator of our surrender to God’s will.

- Self-denial. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34).

- Suffering. Are you willing to follow Christ up to the point where it may cause you discomfort or the loss of the approval of friends? “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).

God is not so much concerned about your ability as with your availability.