(NOTE: This article is scheduled to appear in the April 15, 2009 edition of the Linn County News.)
“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’” (Luke 9:23 NASB)
Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? To answer that question, some may point to a specific time in their life when they made a “decision” to become a Christian. Others might point to the fact that they are members of a particular church. Still others might cling to a past event, such as baptism, to prove their Christianity. Making a decision, becoming a church member, and getting baptized are all good things that people should do. But the ultimate test of whether or not you are truly a follower of Christ is to examine your heart and to look at your daily life. The Bible says to: “make your calling and election sure.” (2 Peter 1:10 KJV) And the only way to do this is to honestly examine yourself and be willing to accept what your life says about you.
Jesus never called sinners to make a one-time “decision” for Him. Nor did He ever call sinners to repeat a “sinner’s prayer” after Him. Too many people try to downsize Christianity into a one-time event. When in fact, Jesus called sinners to make a lifetime commitment to Him. Jesus called sinners to deny themselves and to take up their cross “daily” and follow Him.
When Jesus calls us to take up our cross, He doesn’t mean that we are to try and earn our way to Heaven by paying for our own sins. His cross paid for our sins. By taking up our cross daily, we are identifying ourselves with Him. We are telling the world that He is our Lord and Master. And we are living lives whereby the world can see that Jesus is more important to us than anything the world has to offer.
So are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Are you really a follower of His? Search the Scriptures. Seek the Lord. Examine your life. And see where the evidence leads you.
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