ARE YOU REALLY A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST JESUS?

by Tammy Phillips
October 3, 2022

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”-Jesus Christ [John 10:27 NKJV]

Do you hear God’s voice?  Does He know you? Do you follow Him? Many people in the world claim to be Christians. What does that mean? The word Christian(s) is only used three times in the entire Bible.

“And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”[Act 11:26 NKJV].

“Christians”  in this verse is the Greek word, christianos, simply meaning follower of Christ.  As you can see in Acts 11:26, Christians are what the disciples were call because they followed Christ.  Jesus did not say in Mathew 28:19, “Go make Christians of all the nations…” He said,

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [Mat 28:19 CSB].  

What is a disciple? The Greek word for disciple is mathēteuō,  which means to be the disciple of one; to follow his precepts and instruction; a learner; a follower who is  adherent to the doctrines of Jesus. 

So, I ask you again, are you a follower of Christ?

FOLLOW means to :

• Accompany Him
• Adhere to Him
• Attend on a journey with Him
• Be led by Him
• Be in the same way with Him
• Become a disciple of His
• Chase Him
• Cleave steadfastly to Him
• Come after another Him
• Conform wholly to His example
• Continue to pursue Him
• Copy Him
• Go behind Him in same direction
• Guided by Him
• Have like opinions with Him
• Imitate Him
• Join Him on the road
• Keep your eyes fixed on Him
• Make Him your chief business
• Move behind, but in the same direction.
• Move in the same course or direction as Him
• Obey Him
• Persevere with Him
• Practice His ways
• Pursue Him
• Ride with Him
• Side with Him
• Think or believe like Him
• Track with Him
• United with Him on the road
• Walk the same way as Him

To be a follower of Jesus is not a simple click and like on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, when something about Jesus is posted. It is not just saying, “Jesus is my Savior and Lord.”    Being a follower of Christ is being a disciple.  It is learning what He said and did, and then doing the same thing.  It is following in His footsteps.  It is NOT a “one-and-done” decision.  Becoming a follower of Christ  is a process. We have to learn to be like Him and to follow His instructions.   I wish it was a snap and we were just like Jesus. 

“The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them.” [Mat 21:6 CSB]. 

Do we go and do as Jesus directs?  I hate to admit that I try, but I do not always follow His directions. Do we look at the Bible, the instruction book, He left us.  Do we listen to the Instructor or the worlds voice?  Jesus said:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life (zoe), and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”  [John 10:28 NKJV]

I enCOURAGE you to stop in your tracks and follow Jesus.  It is a life or death decision, really!   If we want to spend eternity with Jesus, we must follow Him. 

  “If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name. For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?  And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”  [1Pe 4:16-18 CSB]

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” [Philippians  2:12 NKJV]