I was explaining to my Sunday school class what a carnal Christian was. Basically a carnal Christian is one who is a babe in Christ and still has the tendency to walk and think after the flesh instead of walking in the spirit. Now this is an important discussion because Paul tells us in Romans 8:6 that “to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”. So it makes sense that when Paul found the Christians at Corinth acting carnally, he immediately addressed it.
“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [am] of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who [is] Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” (1Co 3:3-6 AV)
I went on to explain to the class that I have witnessed Christians who idolized preachers or Christian musicians. It is carnal, or fleshly minded to idolize people. People of the world idolize movie stars, sports figures, and music stars, but Christians should not idolize anyone, as Paul so aptly points out. We as Christians, walking after the Spirit, are followers of Christ. We honor those men who are ministers of the gospel, but it is Christ we are following as we conform to the teachings of Christ.
I even went on to explain that there is a great difference between idolizing someone or following them. For even after Paul scolds them for idolizing him he tells them to follow him. Of course following a man comes with an important stipulation.
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ.” (1Co 11:1 AV)
If we idolize a person, we put them on a pedestal in our mind. They are the performer, we are the spectators. But if we are following a person then we are doing what we observe them doing. This is what Christ wants us to do. To observe what He does and then do it ourselves. This is truly what it means to follow Christ, to be a participant, to live as He lived, to minister as He ministered, to pray as He prayed.
The lesson content had taken a unexpected turn this Sunday as I had not anticipated talking about following Jesus. But I was pleased that we had been directed to this most fundamental aspect of Christianity. Following Jesus is what it is all about. Being Christian is about being Christ like. The Great Commission is to declare the good news about salvation through Jesus Christ, but also includes making disciples of those who accept God provision. Making disciples is simply teaching others how to follow Jesus.
As I left Church that day I was pondering the concept of following Jesus. It struck me of how easy it is to say, follow Jesus, and how much harder it is to follow Jesus. I thought again of the difference between idolizing someone and following them. It is the difference between being a spectator or being a participant. I thought of the sports heroes who lead their team to victory, or military leaders who lead their troops to victory. I was reminded of a recent video I acquired; “The Yoni Netanyahu Story”, entitled; “FOLLOW ME”. Great leaders lead by example and inspire confidence and courage so that others follow. There is no greater example than Jesus. The results seen through the disciples that followed Him has never been surpassed.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” (Joh 10:27 AV)
As I have been pointing out, following Jesus in more than just rhetoric. This is where we sometimes have problems, for literally following Jesus can seem to be an unattainable goal. After all He was the sinless son of God. And this is the response I usually get when I suggest that our behavior should reflect His. Or if I suggest that we do or say some of the things that Jesus did and said, I am also confronted with this statement: But He was God and we are sinful humans, we can’t say and do those things.
Sometimes we forget all that is said about Jesus in the Scripture. It tells us that He emptied himself and became a man. The term Jesus most used in reference to himself was; the son of man. Why? Because that is what He was. He had to eat, sleep, pray, and weep, just like ourselves. And the Scriptures tell us that he was tempted in all points just like us.
But wasn’t He God? Yes He was, but He had emptied himself. He was reliant upon the Holy Spirit for power and insight just like we are. And He was filled with the spirit. But he lived as a man experiencing pain and grief just like we do, and yet he was without sin.
How do we follow that? I was born a sinner. How can I follow Him and who He is? It seems more impossible than it would be to following Russell Wilson onto the football field, or following Yoni Netanyahu onto the battlefield. If we look at things in this light then we will be more discouraged than encouraged when we are told to follow Jesus. I am afraid many people are left right here, they feel that they can’t, so they don’t, and they are comforted by those who tell them not to worry about it because we are covered by grace.
As I was driving home this Sunday after church and all these thoughts were going through my mind, many of the things that I had been teaching on recently seemed to be coming together. I thought what we really need is a better perspective of what God expects of us when He says, “follow me”. We have come to Christ and seen his crucifixion and resurrection. But we don’t start by emulating Christ at this point in His life, we can’t.
I remember when I was seven years old and we were hit with a snow storm. Our power was out and without a water pump we had no running water. I remember the next morning as my dad took a bucket and went down to the river to fetch some water to flush the toilet. I went outside and started to follow him through the deep snow. I followed for a while by stepping into his footprints, but his steps were too long and the snow kept falling down the tops of my boots, so I turned around and went back. You know I wasn’t expected at seven years old to go to the river to get water, nor could I have done so. But I did observe the path my father took and how he provided for us. From a spiritual perspective I am still not sure if I can walk in my father’s footsteps, but I followed his path and it leads me to follow Jesus.
I give this homey illustration to bring us back to what Jesus intends when he asks us to follow Him. There is a proper starting place, and it is the same for every one of us. You must be born again. This concept astounded Nicodemus. Without a new birth we cannot follow Jesus. If we are to look at the path that He laid out for us to follow we find that He, in a very physical way, illustrated it with His life here on earth. He entered this world as a baby. I know that the Christmas Carol says, “No crying He makes”, but I don’t believe it. Crying is how babies communicate and even Jesus as a baby had to communicate: I am hungry, I am wet, or I am cold. Spiritually it is much the same for us we enter the kingdom of God as a baby, and then we grow, develop, and learn from those who have gone on before us.
“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” (Lu 2:40 AV)
Are you beginning to see what I am getting at? To follow Jesus we must follow the path He took. Having been born into the family of God we are blessed and we grow in the grace and wisdom of God. Following Jesus from this perspective becomes doable. We take it one step at a time, one day at a time, with that goal in mind that if we continue on the path that he laid out for us we will attain to the mature image of Christ in due time. Doesn’t this make much more sense than sending a seven year old out on the field to play football with Russell Wilson?, or following Yoni Netanyahu into battle?
I think we would be amazed at the results if we would do Christianity correctly (following Jesus). We are given a glimpse into the progress of Jesus when He was but twelve years old.
“And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.” (Lu 2:46-47 AV)
This is the pattern that should be followed by those who have been born again. If we have been following Jesus for twelve years in submission to his teaching, I believe that people would also be astonished at the understanding and answers we would have gained from the word of God. But don’t forget to notice that Jesus at this point was still listening and asking questions, and so should we be doing, for we have not yet attained that which we are destined to. An when questioned by his parents, who had search for Him for three days, He answered them:
How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Lu 2:49 AV)
Or in other words; You should have known where to look for me. You were told my destiny. Where else would I have been? This is my path. We must also be about our fathers business. We have been told our destiny. For us personally our path entails learning His business and practicing what we are learning. That would be following Jesus.
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” (Lu 2:52 AV)
Many who call themselves Christians seem to have given up on the concept of living a holy Christ like life. I wonder how much of this is due to the fact that they try to envision themselves immediately trying to emulate the mature Christ, rather than attaining that by following the path that Christ took? Faith has to start by believing what God said is true. We must start with a new birth. That experience in which we are made clean and pure before God, that encounter with God should inspire us to cry for more. We need more teachers who understand the process, that will help babies out of the cribs and inspire and help them to begin to walk and talk. It is not a painless process, but an extremely rewarding process that inspires faith, build faith and propels us toward maturity.
There is much more that could be said for we have not touched on the many ways in which He helps us as we follow. Such as how He has promised to be with us, guide us, empower us, etc. All this will be experienced if we will just simply follow.
Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gives the increase. Jesus call his disciples to be fishermen of men. But they did not start out that way.
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mt 4:19 AV)
- We’ve considered high and noble things
- That become those who do declare
- Their allegiance to God’s Holy Son
- And His pleasure their highest care.
- But now our task has just begun
- For knowing is just part.
- It’s action, doing, living, now,
- That must spring forth from our heart.
- For if we His disciples be
- And would follow as He said,
- We’ll not just cast these things aside
- But take heed to what we’ve read.
- For unless these words He gave abide
- And shine forth in word and deed.
- There’s no way to grow or go from here
- No matter how much we read.
- Don’t work on the blossom, the bud must come first;
- And before the bud comes the stem;
- Just live by the words that proceed from God’s mouth
- And leave the miracle of life up to Him.
- Follow me, He commanded His disciples that day,
- And fishers of men, I’ll make you to be
- So they followed obediently just as He said
- And make them, He did, don’t you see?
Joel G. Gunderson
Bob Gunderson