WHAT IS MEANT BY FOLLOWING JESUS?
Following Jesus resembles coming to Jesus, just as a long journey resembles the first stage of it. The two are similar, for every act of following is a fresh coming. They also coexist, for all who truly come, follow. Yet they can be distinguished in our minds, just as following a guide can be thought of as something more than first applying to him. When the tract of country through which we travel is difficult, dangerous, and unknown, it is essential that we secure the services of a competent person to show us the road and assist us in it. We put confidence in him and act on his instructions. We keep our eye on him, watch his steps, and tread where he treads. We do not venture from the path he takes, nor lag behind so as to lose sight of him; but we do our best to keep near him, and willingly rid ourselves of any unnecessary luggage rather than be left behind.
We have lost our way in a world of sin. There is a road through it to a world of perfect holiness and joy; but we cannot find this road, nor keep it when found, without a guide. God Himself undertakes to be our leader. In the Bible, loving and obeying Him is spoken of as following Him. Caleb and Joshua are commended because they "wholly followed the Lord." We are told that David "followed God with all his heart"; and Elijah appealed to the Israelites, saying, "If the Lord be God, follow Him." When Jesus called His chosen disciples, He said, "Follow Me," and the sons of Zebedee left their nets, and Matthew rose up from the receipt of custom. They not only went to Him, but remained with Him. Their conduct while He was visibly on the earth was an emblem of what the disciples of Christ should do always after a spiritual manner. As the sinner earnestly seeking salvation is said to "come to Jesus," in like manner the afterlife of those who are truly converted is spoken of as "following Jesus." The disciples, grateful for the benefits they had received, delighting in His company, and conscious of their continued need of His help, followed Him bodily, journeying when He journeyed, rested when He rested, listened to His teachings, and rendered Him any service He might require. Just so they who have come to Him for salvation continue to trust in Him, and out of love to Him keep near Him in their thoughts, study His Word, imitate His example, and obey His commands. This is what is meant by the exhortation, "Follow Jesus."
WE MUST FOLLOW JESUS, AS WELL AS COME TO HIM, IN ORDER TO BE SAVED.
There are some people who fancy they have come to Jesus and are Christians, who nevertheless plainly show that they do not follow Him. They think they are converted because they remember a time when their religious feelings were much excited. A sermon, or sickness, or the death of a friend, aroused them to pray for mercy. They soon felt comforted in the hope of pardon, made a public profession by coming to the Lord's Supper, and then gradually settled down into their former state of indifference. They are, perhaps, now attentive to the outward duties of religion; but they have no more real love to God, earnestness in prayer, striving against sin, or diligent endeavor to glorify Christ, than before. Their only evidence of being Christians is an act of memory; not what they now are, but what they think they once experienced. A very common notion prevails that salvation means nothing more than obtaining pardon, finding peace, and getting to heaven. It is much more. It is deliverance from sin itself, an increasing conformity to God, and habitual enjoyment of communion with Him. Salvation is not secured once for all, after which nothing remains to be done, by undergoing a certain process called conversion, any more than by submitting to a certain ceremony called baptism. We do not get to heaven as we travel by railway, having only to seat ourselves in the train, which then whirls us along without any further effort of our own. It is rather like a journey on foot which requires continued exertion.
Who would dream that he had walked from London to Edinburgh if he stopped at the end of the first mile? Or that he had climbed a mountain by merely standing at its base with one foot only on its craggy side? When Christ says, "Come unto Me," He is not standing still, but leading sinners up to God. If, then, we go to Him, but refuse to go forward with Him, we are left behind. True conversion is the first link, but not the chain; the title page, but not the book; without the sequel it is worthless, ridiculous. Salvation involves a constant reliance on Christ, and a patient continuance in well-doing. We must keep near Him as He leads His people onward to purity and bliss. We must follow Him, as well as come to Him; and we may be sure we have not truly come to Him, unless we do truly follow Him. We come to Him for salvation; but salvation is following Jesus! They are two names for the same thing, and cannot be separated. If we do not follow Jesus, we are not disciples of Jesus, we are not saved. He said: "If any man serve Me, let him FOLLOW ME." "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and FOLLOW ME." "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they FOLLOW ME." "If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed."
IMPELLED BY LOVE, FOLLOW JESUS
The followers of Plato, Aristotle, or Bacon, are not supposed to be influenced by any personal attachment to those philosophers. But the followers of Jesus are not merely admirers of His teaching, but lovers of Himself. Christianity is not a creed, but a devotion; not a mere approval of a theology, but intense affection for Christ. The assent of the intellect may suffice for the adoption of an intellectual system; but much more is required to secure a persevering course of sacrifice and toil. There must be heart impulses, as well as logical convictions. The gospel may be theoretically understood, defended, applauded, and yet fail of curbing our unholy propensities. The path by which Jesus leads may evidently be that of wisdom, yet without love to the Guide we shall be unwilling to encounter its toils. It was to secure this attachment that the Son of God became incarnate. His life among men, His toils, sufferings, and death, are calculated to secure that love which is the only adequate counteraction to the power of sin. He still exists. He still, in spirit, is among us. He is still what He was, and equally deserves our warmest affection. Unless in answer to the vital question, "Do you love Me?" we can reply, "You know all things, You know that I love You," we shall be satisfied with viewing through the eyeglass of the intellect the road by which His people travel but we shall ourselves refuse to walk in it farther than we can go without inconvenience. Love alone will prompt us to climb its rugged precipices, and wade its deep torrents; to surmount its toils, endure its privations, and conquer the many foes by whom its whole course is infested. Multitudes turn back because, though admiring Christianity, they do not love Christ, and therefore have not a sufficient motive for following Him in rough and dangerous places. The motto on the banner of these pilgrims who do press forward, is, "The love of Christ constrains us." This is the motive of all true obedience: "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Among the English troops embarking for the East, a soldier's wife was detected clothed in military uniform. It was love that urged her to accompany her husband in all the perils and privations of the war. So the soul, wedded to Christ in holy affection, is prepared to follow Him "wherever He goes."
BY THE AID OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, LOVE AND FOLLOW JESUS
If I cannot follow Jesus unless I first love Him, how can this powerful principle, this energy of Divine love, be produced and maintained in my heart? The apostle Paul, by inspiration of the Spirit, tells us that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given unto us." Salvation is a work done in us as well as for us. When we come to Jesus, He not only pardons our sins, but puts into our hearts His Holy Spirit, who kindly works within us to subdue our corruptions, by filling us with love to God. We never do a holy act, or think a good thought, but by the aid of the Holy Spirit. When we pray, "the Spirit helps our infirmities." It is He by whom "we are sealed unto the day of redemption." He resides in believers as an ever-present divinity in a holy, consecrated shrine, which He hallows and purifies, and where He is ever uttering oracular instructions, encouragements, and warnings. "What, know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" We are therefore exhorted not to defile that temple by any act displeasing to the indwelling Spirit. "Quench not the Spirit." He keeps alive the flame of divine love in the heart, which would otherwise soon die out. He feeds it with fresh fuel; He pours oil on it to counteract Satan's efforts to extinguish it. He is always fanning the heavenly flame, that it may give more heat and light, that we may increase in love and holiness. Quench it not by sin, by vanity, by neglect of prayer, by disobedience to the promptings of holy desire. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God." He is a tender, loving Friend, anxious to do us good. He strives daily within us to increase our love to Jesus, knowing that thus alone shall we be prompted to follow Him. Let us not grieve this divine friend by opposing His kind efforts, by neglecting His considerate counsels. When He leads us nearer to Christ, let us never hold back reluctantly. When He whispers that any act is sinful, or at least dangerous, and likely to hinder us in following Jesus, let us at once abstain from it. We grieve Him if we do not value and rely on Him. Let us, then, earnestly implore His assistance in resisting all that is evil, and in practicing all that is good. Especially let us daily implore Him to fill our hearts with the love of Christ.
"O You to whom all desires are known, cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love You. O Holy Spirit of God, my Counselor, my Sanctifier, my Comforter, my kind, my wise, my powerful Friend, make my heart more and more Your temple. Sanctify it by Your presence, and drive out of it all sin. Make the holy flame of love to Jesus burn brighter and brighter, until I glow with its heat and am radiant with its light. Take of the things of Jesus and show them unto me. Reveal to me more and more His beauty. Show to me more and more how much I owe Him. Fill me with admiration and gratitude towards Him until love to Him is the law of my being, urging me daily to follow Him more and more closely, and enabling me to say, 'The love of Christ constrains me to live not to myself, but to Him that died for me and rose again."'
BY CONSTANT RELIANCE ON HIM, LOVE AND FOLLOW JESUS
Personal religion has two aspects, dependence and obedience. We rely on God and we glorify Him; we come to Him for all things, and we render back the fruits of His own gifts. We follow Jesus by keeping in constant exercise both these duties. If we would love Jesus in order to follow Him, we must renew every day the act of coming to Him. We have fresh sins every day to be forgiven; fresh temptations every day to be overcome. We need constantly to have our hearts purified, the work of the Spirit of Christ within us carried forward. We need an ever renewed assurance of our pardon, our adoption, our complete salvation. We can only obtain this by coming again and again to Christ. Cherishing an increasing conviction of our own utter worthlessness, let us daily bring our heavy burden of sin to Jesus; let us daily seek to be afresh sprinkled with His atoning blood; let us daily present our prayers to Him as the great High Priest by whom alone they are rendered acceptable with God. Thus will He, who in Himself is "altogether lovely," be constantly before our minds, stirring up our admiration; while the new benefits unceasingly received from Him will feed the flame of gratitude.
When Bartimeus was restored to sight, he felt such love to his Benefactor, that he followed Jesus in His journey. So, in proportion as we obtain from Christ those spiritual blessings which far exceed any bodily cure, we shall feel that we cannot be happy unless we are near Him. If, then, we would be animated by the love which will impel us to follow Jesus in the path of obedience, let a sense of our deep necessity prompt us to follow Him in the path of dependence. Shall we not love Him from whom we daily receive inestimable benefits? Let us by faith draw near to Him, and gaze on those features in which divine majesty and human sympathy so marvelously meet. Let us contemplate daily His holiness and tenderness, His perfect obedience and His sacrificial death. Let us feel each day "Jesus is my Savior, my Friend, my Brother. For me He toiled, and groaned, and died; for me He rose, for me He intercedes. He has with His own blood washed away my stains. He has again said to me, 'Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven.' He still clothes me in His own white robe; He bids me rest upon Him in all difficulties; He assures me He will never forsake me; He promises that He will hereafter take me to dwell with Him forever. If thus we habitually follow Him by a renewed act of coming to Him for the supply of our needs, may we not expect that, in answer to prayer, the Holy Spirit will shed abroad His love in our hearts? Shall we not "love Him because He first loved us"? Thus loving Him, we shall be eager to follow Him in the way of obedience as well as of dependence, saying, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits towards me?"
FOLLOW JESUS AS YOUR TEACHER
The followers of Christ are designated in the New Testament as disciples, or learners. If diligence is shown by the followers of the great leaders of human thought, who are personally unknown and liable to error, much more earnest should we be in learning of Him "whom having not seen we love," and whose instructions are never mingled with error, for He is divine and infallible. He instructs His followers by the Scriptures which "holy men of God wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," and is "able to make us wise unto salvation." He has commanded us to "search the Scriptures." The Bible then should be the constant companion of all who follow Jesus. A day should never pass without our reading some portion of it; not as a task to be hurried over, but as a letter from a dear Friend, to tell us about Himself, assuring us of His affection, and directing us how to please Him. Let us come to it, not to confirm our own opinions, but to make our opinions bend to its teaching. Let us value not only what agrees with, but what is opposed to our wishes; our earnest desire being to know the will of Jesus in all things. He also teaches by His Spirit influencing our minds not to supersede or add to the Bible, but to enable us to understand and love what it reveals. To know it in the heart as well as in the intellect, we need divine teaching. Let us, then, earnestly pray that He would "open our eyes to behold wondrous things out of His law." We may gain assistance from the sermons, books, and conversations of good men; but we must only follow CHRIST. All men may err. Every church is only a collection of men capable of mistakes. We must, then, follow Jesus. How much more union would there be among His disciples, if, instead of making men their leaders, saying, "I am of Paul and I of Apollos," they would all be more anxious to follow Jesus.
Gracious Teacher, help me to follow You, as a humble and diligent learner of the truth. May Your Word be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Make me to understand the way of Your precepts. Incline my heart unto Your testimonies.
FOLLOW JESUS AS YOUR RULER
A chieftain's followers are those who obey his commands. Jesus, in like manner, requires from all who follow Him, unquestioning and cheerful obedience. "If you love Me, keep My commandments." "Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say?" If I have come to Christ as the Captain of my salvation, I am no longer my own master. I dare not do as I please. I dare not exercise my own discretion as to whether or not I will perform His bidding. As the soldiers of an army promptly obey the general, though they may not understand the reason of his orders, and even when they fancy he may be in error; so must I do whatever my Commander requires, without questioning His reasons, and even when my foolish, unbelieving heart may suggest that it would be better to do something else. Moreover, whatever I possess is His more truly than it is mine. I dare not use my time, property, talents, just as I like. I am "not my own, but bought with a price." I must no longer ask what will be most easy, pleasant, profitable, or respectable; but what will be most in harmony with the will of Jesus. I must be willing to make any sacrifice, and to displease my friends, rather than disobey Him. I must endeavor to act according to His commands, not only on great occasions, but in all the little circumstances of daily life. I must remember that if He is always near me to do me good, He is also watching my conduct, and looking for proofs of my fidelity and love.
The language of my heart should therefore continually be, "Lord, what will YOU have me to do? Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good, lead me into the way of uprightness. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law, yes, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of Your commandments, for therein do I delight." To assist us in thus obeying Him, Jesus has given us His own example. To this the reader's attention will now be directed.
FOLLOW JESUS AS YOUR EXAMPLE
An artist's followers are those who imitate his style. Jesus "has set us an example that we should follow His steps." As all rules are better understood when accompanied with examples, He visited this world to furnish an illustration of the perfect law of God. In the human life of Christ we see the holiness of Deity developed in the relationships, duties, and trials of humanity. Let that life be our study. A painter will place before him some fine production of his master's skill, gazing at it from day to day, until its forms and tints are transferred to his own canvas. His first efforts may be very rude, and so inferior to the original that it would be difficult to trace any resemblance. But he is in earnest, and by persevering efforts he daily makes some advance towards the perfection at which he aims. So let us place before us the life of Christ, and endeavor to produce something like it. The more our mind is fixed on Him, the more successful we shall be.
We must not look too much even to the example of good men. Their excellence is only an imperfect copy of the divine Original. When men are our models, we are in danger of imitating their blemishes as well as their beauties. Let us, then, copy direct from the Master Himself. Let us act as He acted; and in case of doubt, let us consider how He would have been likely to act, had He been in our circumstances. It is a lofty standard; but the higher the mark, the higher the arrow will fly, though it may not reach so far as we desire.
Our first efforts in copying after Christ may be very clumsy, and our fellow men may see nothing in our poor daub resembling the perfect copy before us. But Jesus will kindly encourage every sincere attempt; not condemning our work because done in a bungling manner but assisting us daily to make some progress, until at last "we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."
Blessed Savior, help me to imitate the perfect pattern of Your holy life. Diligently watching Your footsteps as my Guide, may I tread in the same, fearing to venture where You have not trod, and never hesitating to go where You have led. Thus enable me, not in profession merely, but in daily conformity to Your own example, to be Your follower.
By: Newman Hall
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Billy Witt
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