Follow Me

1. Following Jesus Demands Death to Self, Not Superficial Religion

Disciples like Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Ayan show us that the call to follow Jesus is not simply an invitation to pray a prayer; it’s a summons to lose our lives.

The true cost. Jesus' initial call to his first disciples was an inevitable summons to die—to abandon professions, possessions, dreams, and security. This radical call, exemplified by figures like Ayan who risked her life, stands in stark contrast to modern "easy believism" that minimizes total abandonment. Many churches are filled with "unconverted believers" who associate casually with Christ without truly counting the cost.

Beyond mere words. The idea that becoming a Christian simply involves acknowledging facts or repeating a prayer is a dangerous deception. The Bible never mentions "asking Jesus into your heart" as a path to salvation. Jesus warned that "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven," highlighting the probability of spiritual deception even among religious people who perform works in His name.

The hard road. Jesus explicitly stated, "the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." This "hard" path is associated with pain, pressure, tribulation, and persecution, as seen in the lives of early disciples who were beaten, betrayed, and killed. True following means denying oneself, taking up one's cross, and losing one's life to find it in Christ, a concept often deemed "mad" by worldly common sense.

2. Salvation Begins with God's Initiative, Not Our Invitation

Christianity does not begin with our pursuit of Christ, but with Christ’s pursuit of us.

Divine pursuit. Just as adoption begins with a parent's initiative, not a child's, salvation is God's gracious pursuit of us. We, dead in sin and hostile towards God, are utterly unable to initiate this call. The biblical narrative, from Noah to Abraham and Moses, consistently shows God taking the first step, choosing and calling people not based on their merit but on His mercy.

Dead in sin. Our sinfulness is not merely making bad decisions; it's a core rebellion against God, rendering us "dead in sin." This spiritual death makes it impossible for us to invite Jesus into our hearts. We need someone outside of us to call us to life, as God did for the Ephesians who "were dead in your transgressions and sins."

Gracious initiative. Jesus' invitation to the fishermen, "Follow me," was not based on their qualities but on His sovereign choice. He later affirmed, "You did not choose me, but I chose you." This truth humbles our pride and magnifies God's grace, reminding us that salvation is entirely His work, overcoming our resistance and rebellion to draw us to Himself.

3. True Faith Leads to Supernatural Regeneration, Not Just Outward Practices

Superficial religion involves a counterfeit "Christian" life that consists of nothing more than truths to believe and things to do, and it misses the essence of what it means to follow Jesus.

Beyond rituals. Unlike other religions that prescribe paths and rituals, Jesus simply said, "Follow me," inviting disciples into a personal relationship, not just a prescribed religion. Modern Christianity often devolves into superficial practices—baptisms, Sunday worship, Bible reading, charity—that can be performed "completely apart from Jesus," leading to a faith of duty without delight.

A new heart. Jesus told Nicodemus, a religious leader, that he "must be born again" of water and the Spirit. This refers to God's promise in Ezekiel 36 to give a "new heart" and "new spirit," cleansing from impurities and replacing a heart of stone with one of flesh. This supernatural regeneration is a gift of God's mercy, not earned by works, but received through faith alone in Christ alone.

Christ lives in us. When we come to Jesus, He not only forgives our sin but fills us with His Spirit. This means "Christ is alive in you," transforming our minds, desires, wills, and relationships. The Christian life becomes "nothing less than the outliving of the indwelling Christ," leading to a supernatural compulsion to make disciples, not just a superficial adherence to religious duties.

4. Jesus is Cosmic Lord, Not a Customizable Personal Savior

Jesus is not customizable. He has not left himself open to interpretation, adaptation, innovation, or alteration.

Lordship inherent. The phrase "I decided to make Jesus my personal Lord and Savior" subtly minimizes Jesus' inherent authority. Jesus is Lord regardless of our decision; the question is whether we will submit to His lordship. This phrase often fosters a "customized Christianity" where we redefine Jesus to fit our preferences, diluting His teachings on cost, materialism, and mission.

Believing His Word. To follow Jesus is to believe Jesus, embracing His truth even when it contradicts our cultural norms or personal assumptions. The Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of truth," teaches and reminds us of His words. Disregarding or disbelieving His Word, as many "Christians" do regarding God's nature or the Bible's truthfulness, makes true discipleship impossible.

Resurrection validates. The authority of Jesus' words is inextricably linked to His resurrection. If He did not rise, Christianity is a hoax, and His teachings are merely opinions. But if He conquered death, as evidenced by historical accounts and the willingness of hundreds of witnesses to die for their belief, then we must orient our entire lives around everything He said, recognizing Him as the all-sovereign Lord.

5. Believing Jesus' Words on Eternity Compels Us to Proclaim Him

If Jesus actually rose from the dead, then we absolutely must listen to everything he said.

The reality of hell. Jesus spoke clearly and frequently about hell as a place of "fiery agony," "conscious torment," and "eternal duration." He contrasted eternal punishment with eternal life, emphasizing that "whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him." To dismiss hell as merely symbolic or non-eternal is to twist God's Word, a dangerous path reminiscent of Satan's temptation in Genesis 3.

The hope of heaven. Just as clearly, Jesus promised heaven—a "new heaven and a new earth" where "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." This hope, exemplified by Casey who faced death with joy, radically changes how we live. True belief in both heaven and hell compels us to live with urgency, knowing that every person faces an eternal destiny.

Compelled to proclaim. A privatized faith in a resurrected Christ is inconceivable. If we truly believe that Jesus saves from hell for heaven, then we are compelled to spend our lives making that salvation known. It is not arrogant but loving to proclaim Jesus as the "cosmic Lord and Savior" to billions who have never heard, knowing that He alone deserves eternal praise and offers the only way to salvation.

6. As God's Children, Our Deepest Desire is Found in Him

To come to Jesus is to taste and see that he is good and to find in him the end of all your desires.

Father's delight. As adopted children of God, we have the distinct privilege of relating to Him as "Our Father." This fatherhood is central to Christian life, prompting worship and shaping our outlook. God delights in forgiving, providing, and caring for us, His children, not because of our merit but because He "wanted you, and I came to get you."

Faith fuels feeling. True discipleship involves both intellectual faith and emotional affection for Christ. Jonathan Edwards argued that genuine knowledge of God naturally leads to deep emotional desire. Jesus, as the "bread of life," capitalizes on our innate cravings, designed to be satisfied by our Creator. Sin, however, diverts these cravings to worldly things, leading to emptiness.

Overcoming sin with satisfaction. Many Christians try to conquer sin through outward actions, but the true way is by trusting Christ to change our affections. When Jesus fulfills our souls, we find Him "better than all the pleasures, pursuits, plaudits, and possessions of this world combined." This transforms our desires, making us love God's things and hate worldly things, leading to joyful obedience in all spiritual disciplines.

7. God's Revealed Will for Every Disciple is to Make Disciples of All Nations

God’s will for us as disciples of Jesus is to make disciples of Jesus in all nations.

Will not hidden. The common question "What is God's will for my life?" often assumes God's will is hidden, leading to various "methods" like random finger or striking coincidence. However, God's will is not lost; it's revealed. His ultimate concern is not to guide us along the easiest path, but for us to know Him more deeply as we trust Him more completely.

A global purpose. From Genesis to Revelation, God's consistent will is to redeem men and women from "every nation, tribe, language, and people" for His glory. Jesus' first words to His disciples were "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men," and His last were "Go and make disciples of all nations." This is the overarching purpose for which God created, called, and saved His people.

Spirit-empowered witness. The Holy Spirit, given to every follower of Christ, has the explicit purpose of empowering us to be His "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This means verbal proclamation of the gospel. We don't wait for a special leading; if we have the Spirit, we are already led to share Christ, transforming our daily interactions into opportunities for God's will.

8. Commitment to the Local Church is Essential for Authentic Discipleship

It’s biblically impossible to follow Christ apart from joining his church.

Beyond individualism. Many professing Christians claim to love Jesus but "can't stand the church," yet the church is Christ's bride and body. To identify with Christ is to join His people. Modern churches often focus on buildings and programs, catering to consumerism, which is foreign to the New Testament's portrayal of the church as a body of members and a family of brothers and sisters.

Mutual accountability. Jesus' instructions on church discipline (Matthew 18) highlight the necessity of confronting sin within the community. This is not legalism but a loving reflection of God's grace, where members are responsible for each other's spiritual growth. God grows His church through holiness, not by making it easy or hiding the seriousness of sin, as seen in Acts 5 where Ananias and Sapphira's deaths led to growth.

Members of a body. The New Testament consistently refers to Christians as "members" of a local body, not just the universal church. This implies active, accountable membership under biblical leadership. Obeying leaders who faithfully teach God's Word and model His character is essential. This commitment expresses Christ's love to the world, as "all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

9. Every Disciple is Born to Spiritually Reproduce

More than any married couple longs to see a baby naturally born, every Christian longs to see sinners supernaturally saved.

Spiritual DNA. Just as parents naturally reproduce children, God has wired His children for spiritual reproduction. Dawson Trotman's "Born to Reproduce" argues that every Christian should be multiplying, leading others to Christ. If a Christian's relationship with Christ is not resulting in reproduction, "something is spiritually wrong at the core."

The early church model. The early church spread the gospel rapidly not through extravagant buildings or programs, but through "ordinary people empowered by an extraordinary presence" proclaiming the gospel everywhere. Anonymous Christians, not just apostles, made disciples and multiplied churches, going "from house to house and in marketplaces and shops."

A vision of the possible. Imagine a church where every member, without buildings or programs, scatters to make the gospel known, then gathers to share, encourage, and worship before scattering again. This self-denying, Spirit-empowered, disciple-making movement is God's design. It's a call for all of us to gladly sacrifice worldly pleasures for eternal aspiration: to see disciples made and churches multiplied globally.

10. An Intentional Plan is Crucial for Being and Making Disciples

If the end result of reading this book is only a slightly clearer understanding of what it means to be a disciple, then these pages will have been for the most part wasted.

Examine your heart. If you don't desire to reproduce and long to see people come to Christ through your life, "examine [yourself] to see whether you are in the faith." True followers of Christ bear the fruit of transformed hearts, minds, and wills, driven by the forgiveness of sins and the filling of His Spirit. If not, the call is to die to sin and self and come to life in Christ today.

Fill your mind with truth. An intentional disciple-making plan starts with filling your mind with God's truth. This involves:

• Reading God's Word: A chapter a day, or a full Bible plan.
• Memorizing God's Word: Significant verses or chapters.
• Learning from others: Consistently engaging with pastors and fellow believers.
  The goal is not just information, but transformation and obedience to the one who is Truth.

Fuel affections and share love. Fueling affection for God involves intentional worship, prayer, fasting, and generous giving, as these disciplines deepen our desire for Him. Sharing God's love as a witness means identifying unbelievers, purposefully "sewing gospel threads" into daily conversations, and creating opportunities to invite them to Christ. This also includes committing to a local church, actively serving, and spreading God's glory among all unreached peoples through prayer, giving, and going.

Last updated: September 15, 2025