What Does It Mean To Follow Christ?

What does it mean to be a follower of Christ? What does it mean to be a Christian? What is the cost of being a Christian? These questions will be answered by the Holy Scriptures and will give insight for those who wish to grow in their relationship to Christ, and for those who may have never become a Christian yet.

Acts 11:19-26 NASB "19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. 23 Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. 25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch."

When Christ was resurrected from the dead the first followers were the Apostles, and also other brethren which was about 120 in total. (Acts 1:15) The Church grew in numbers after Peter's first sermon in Acts 2 which some 3000 people became followers of Jesus Christ. And the Church grew more and more as the Word of God was shared, and in Antioch the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. This is the call of the Church as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19-20 where He said go and make disciples of all nations and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. A disciple is a student of a teacher or master, and those who are Christians are students of Jesus Christ our Master. (Jude 4)

Mark 8:34-38 NASB "34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 "For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.""

 

Luke 14:25-35 NASB "25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, `This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. 34 "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35 "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ will cost you your life. If one desires to follow Jesus they must be willing to give Him everything no matter what the cost. Jesus loves us so much that He gave His life for us that we might live and have life more abundantly. (John 10:10-11) Will you give Jesus you whole heart, your whole life? Consider the cost and know that there is a wonderful reward to those who choose Christ! Read what Jesus said, "23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 27 Then Peter said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?" 28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 "But many who are first will be last; and the last, first." Jesus promised that those who follow Him will be rewarded for their faith. (Matthew 19:23-30 NASB)

2 Corinthians 5:14-21 NASB "14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Paul teaches that those who are in Christ are a wonderful new creation. It is like a Caterpillar that turns into a Butterfly. In other words God gives us a completely new life, and we are free in Christ where our sins are no longer against us, but we are reconciled to God through the atonement of Christ. (Colossians 1:19-22)

1 Peter 1:3-12 NASB "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look."

These words are beautiful and a believer in Christ should thank God as much as he or she can. We have been born again and we are going to receive an inheritance in heaven one day reserved for us. Our lives have been changed by our faith in Christ and one day we will be in heaven with our Lord. Peter says we are protected by the power of God through our faith for salvation, that is awesome! It is not by our works, or how much Bible study we do, but by our faith in Christ that we are given complete assurance to one day be in heaven. In this life we will have trials, but they are for our benefit. It is through them we grow and our faith is proven. Though we have never seen Jesus we believe in Him, and that is a blessing of faith. Remember Jesus said in John 20:29 to Thomas that those who have not see Him and believe are more blessed than those who have seen Him.

1 Peter 3:13-17 NASB "13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong."

We will be persecuted for our faith in Jesus. Suffering for Christ will is to be expected, but the results for those who persecute you can turned for the good and put those to shame by your Christ-like behavior. We are to live for Christ and be zealous for what is good. Jesus said if they persecuted Me they will persecute you. (John 15:18-25) To those who ask you for an account of the hope that is in you, share in gentleness and reverence. Do not return evil for evil, but let Christ shine in your lives by deeds and words. And be ready to share your faith with others who ask you that they may see the Word of God active in your life, and let your life demonstrate your faith.

Philippians 3:1-17 NASB "1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you. 16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us."

If there is any person who fits the example of being a Christian Biblically, it is the Apostle Paul. Reading his life, who he was, what he did, and his example, it is Paul who gives us the picture of truly living for the Lord Jesus. Paul was the man with it all, and he came to know Christ personally and he said that all was rubbish compared to knowing Christ. Paul wanted to know Jesus by being found in Him, to know the power of His resurrection, the experience the fellowship of His sufferings, be conformed to His death, that he may attain the resurrection of the dead. And in all that Paul did he never said he was perfect, or that he had it all, but openly acknowledged that he was pressing forward in Christ to real the goal. Paul encouraged others to live by his example, and to be mature Christians, and to have the same mind in Christ. (Philippians 2:1-5)

Some suggestions for growing into a more mature walk. One, take time to pray more. Two, take time to study more. Three, take time to fellowship with other believers around you either by home fellowships or at Church. Forth, take time to share your faith with others who are not Christian. Five, be available to what God would have you to do to either minister somewhere, or help someone with a need.