Following Christ (Part 2)

The Whole Bible for Whole Christian 

The theology of the apostle Paul, the entire theology of the Pauline Epistle is exchanged for a lie in a self-centered reading which has become detrimental endemic in the twentieth-century evangelical theology. The gospel we have preached has had a self-defeating effect on churches. 

Luke 14:25-35 Jesus speaks of the “Cost of Discipleship” where he speaks to the multitude and mentions whoever doesn’t hate his mother or father were not worthy of being a disciple. We are comfortable with a discipleship that does not call one to total allegiance to Christ and make it all organic. In that passage, Jesus says to the crowds that no one can be His disciple unless they first hate their family. 

To sum it all up, believers are called to be the salt of the earth, giving the flavor of Christ’s life and mission to the world. If that’s not how Christians are characterized by taste, the lost, dying, and perishing world will never catch the flavor. Disciples are not counted on catching the flavor after people start the journey. 

Being salty like Christ is a prerequisite for the journey. If the 21st-century evangelical churches around the world do not have the salt flavor now, do not try to be a dedicated disciple of Christ. Christ’s letter says that those who call themselves disciples yet do not have flavor are not even fit for the manure pile. Their religion as James says is useless rubbish, to Christ, and to everybody else. In other words, the life is a piece of trash.

Now as a follower of Christ, there are parts of the Bible I personally dislike and want to remove it all together. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) It is hard to follow after Jesus, but a radical approach to reading difficult passages can be simply to understand their plain meaning. 

As A. W. Tozer said it well, “And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.” Basing an understanding of a disciple solely based on the Roman road could be missing the point as well. This shift from gospel culture to salvation culture has weakened the church, diminished the lives of Christians, and make disciple-making difficult.

Are You Walking in the Footsteps of Christ?

If we want to walk in Christ’s footsteps, it means we begin to do what he has intended in the first place for us! 

The notion of, “Christians are not followers of Chris!” is absurd. 

Paul made the statement, “Be imitators of me, as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1) This is the following language. In another translation literally says, “Follow me, as I follow Christ,” Christ gave up his freedom and honor, humbling himself to the point of death on a cross, in order to save others (Phil. 2:5–8). 

Paul encouraged the Corinthians to remember Christ’s great sacrifice as the perfect model of love and concern for others. The Greek word here we see is μιμηταί). Lit., imitators of me; where we get the English word mimic. Paul is commanding the believers in Corinth to follow herein my example, as I follow Christ’s. What Christ’s example was, in that he too “pleased not himself,” he sets forth in Rom. 15:1–3.

“Those who aren’t following Jesus aren’t his followers. It’s that simple. Followers follow, and those who don’t follow aren’t followers. To follow Jesus means to follow Jesus into a society where justice rules, where love shapes everything. To follow Jesus means to take up his dream and work for it.” ― Scot McKnight 

The word “Christian” does not mean “one who admires Christ,” nor “the recipient of Christ’s blessings,” nor even “one who believes in Christ.”

“Christian” what it really means “a follower of Christ.”

So, let me ask you; are you following Christ? Are you really a follower of Christ according to the Bible? 

Ask yourself; Am I really walking in the footsteps of Christ? Probably worth asking those questions. 

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