BY PASTOR T. O. BANSO
“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it’” (Luke 9:23-24 New King James Version).
A dictionary defines a stroll as a slow relaxed walk. It, however, defines follow as (1) To come or go after or behind somebody or something (2) Copy, to accept somebody or something as a guide, a leader, or an example.
When somebody wants to lead you somewhere you have never been to before, do you stroll (walk leisurely) after him or do you follow him closely? Do you stop to greet people on your way as the person leads you or you focus on the person leading you to ensure you don’t miss the direction of the place he is leading you to? If you are driving, do you stop over to exchange pleasantries with people or do you drive after the person so that no vehicle comes between you and him? The scenario I have just painted depicts the difference between strolling and following.
Luke 9:23-24 says, “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it’” (New King James Version). These were the words of Jesus.
The Amplified Bible puts it this way: “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].’”
Note how the Amplified Bible explains the phrase “follow me” that Jesus said in that scripture, Luke 9:23-24. It says “follow me” means “believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me.” That is if such death would bring glory to God. For instance, in John 21:18-19, Jesus referred to such death when He was talking about Peter’s death. Hear Him: “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.’ This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me’” (New King James Version).
Following Jesus requires denial of self. The Amplified Bible explains “deny himself” as “set aside selfish interests.” Being His disciple means allowing Jesus to be your guide. It means you allow Him to be your leader and give up yourself to follow Him. It means you don’t have your agenda but make His agenda yours.
If you’ve given your life to Jesus and say you are following Him, but what I have just shown you in the Word of God does not describe your situation, you must be taking a stroll; you have not yet started following Him. You need to know what it means to follow Jesus and start following Him. The followers of Jesus have not been called to take a stroll; they have been called to follow Him.
What following Jesus entails
1. Accepting His invitation to give your life to Him and be saved. This means being born again. “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’” (Matthew 11:28 New Living Translation). And in John 6:37, Jesus says that whosoever comes unto Him, He shall in no wise cast out. Therefore, accepting the invitation of Christ is the beginning of following Him.
2. Making yourself available for Him to teach you. Discipleship and discipline are related words. You can’t be a disciple, a follower of someone, without receiving his discipline. Jesus says in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (New Living Translation).
Jesus spent much time teaching His disciples. His teachings, which they received, helped them to stand strong and continue in His ministry after the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For example, Mark 9:30-31 says Jesus wanted to spend time alone to teach His disciples. If you’re following Jesus, you’ll receive His teachings.
3. Giving up what you’re doing for what He wants you to do. This is another thing that following Jesus involves. In Matthew 4:18-20, Peter and Andrew left their fishing business to follow Jesus. They were not idle; they were already engaged, doing something, but they left it to follow Jesus, who made them fishers of men. The same thing is true of Levi son of Alphaeus; he left his tax collection business to follow Jesus. “As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him” (Mark 2:14 New Living Translation). Luke 5:27 also records how Jesus called Levi to follow Him.
That doesn’t always mean that you must resign from your employment or close down your business to preach the gospel before you can follow Jesus unless you are convinced that God wants you to do so. However, that was the demand Jesus made on His twelve disciples. Jesus still demands the same today from some of those He calls into the ministry but not all.
4. Continuing in His word or obeying His word. You cannot be disobeying the Word of God and claim that you are following Him. True followers obey and continue in His Word. “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings’” (John 8:31 New Living Translation). Following Jesus equals walking in the light that leads to life, not walking in darkness (John 8:12). If you follow Jesus, it is not going to be by the words of your mouth alone; you must hold fast to His teachings and live by them.
4. Quitting traditions and culture that will not help you to follow Him. You cannot follow negative traditions and culture and follow Jesus at the same time. You must leave one for the other. You either follow Jesus or traditions and culture that are against the Word of God. Jesus had to tell two people this. They wanted to follow Him but they still wanted to follow their traditions and culture that hindered their immediate obedience to follow Him.
Luke 9:59-62 says, “He said to another person, ‘Come, follow me.’ The man agreed, but he said, ‘Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God’” (New Living Translation).
Matthew 8:21-22 also tells the same story of the man who asked Jesus to allow him to go and bury his father before coming to follow Him. Some traditional and cultural practices could hinder people from following the Lord. So you have to make up your mind whether you want to follow Jesus or your traditional and cultural practices that are contrary to the Word of God.
5. Giving up emotional ties to follow Him. This is similar to the hindrance that traditions and culture constitute. Emotional ties can be so strong that they will not let go of a person to serve the will of God. Emotional ties to family and other relationships can hold a person back from following the Master. Until a man allows such emotional ties to die, he won’t be able to go forward with God. “Then He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:59-60 New King James Version). It wasn’t that Jesus was against this man fulfilling his responsibility to his father. The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, shows that the man’s father had not even died. Instead of considering the subject of the Kingdom of God as urgent, this man was taking his time.
According to the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, the man replied, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury (await the death of) my father.” That was the real problem. Did the man know how long his father would still live at the time Jesus gave him that invitation? Suppose the father didn’t die six years later, would he continue to await his death? Jesus’ ministry only lasted three and a half years. That meant the man would never come back till Jesus finished his earthly ministry. Following Jesus is urgent; it is not something anyone should do when it is convenient for him. And the truth is that there will always be other things that will call for our attention. Every man must sacrifice other things to follow Jesus. No room for procrastination.
Luke 9:61-62 says, “And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God’” (New King James Version). This man was also postponing following Jesus. Following Jesus is not something to be postponed. It should not be subordinated to family relationships or any other consideration. Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Jesus is not against the family, but He taught that we should not give priority to family ties above the Kingdom of God. We must first seek the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). He says, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37 New King James Version).
James and John left their father to follow Jesus, right there where they were fishing. They didn’t defer following Jesus. “Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Matthew 4:21-22 New King James Version).
7. Giving up your comfort and earthly security to follow Him. Any man who values comfort and earthly security above obedience to God will not follow Jesus. But as somebody has rightly said, there is no security here on earth; there are only opportunities.
What is it that gives you a sense of security that you feel you can’t exchange for anything? Is it your work, your career, your business, your accomplishment, etc.? That is your idol and it will keep you from following Jesus. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’” (Matthew 16:24-26 New King James Version).
8. Giving up your possession and position, if necessary or requested of you, to follow Him. Sometimes following Jesus will demand that you give up your possession or position to follow Him. This is not the case for everybody; He may not ask you to give up your possession or position, but you should never give Him any condition to follow Him. If He demands that you give anything up for Him, it can only be the best decision you have ever made if you do so. It will lead to your promotion and advancement; you will get something better in exchange. The case of Abraham who answered God’s call is apt here (Genesis 12).
But the rich young ruler could not give up what Jesus asked of him; he found what Jesus asked him to do too much of a sacrifice. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:21-22 New King James Version). Mark 10:21-22 and Luke 18:22-23 also record this.
The man must have concluded that what Jesus asked him to do was a way of plunging himself into poverty! Is there any possession you have considered too precious to give away should God ask you to do so? That is your idol. You can’t follow Jesus if you create a no-go area for Him in your life. You can’t follow Him if you are going to be choosing which of His instructions you will obey and the ones you will not obey. None of God’s instructions are to be debated; all are to be obeyed.
9. Recognizing His voice and following it. Those who follow Jesus know His voice. Following Jesus entails recognizing His voice and following it. Jesus says it all in John 10:4-5: “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (New King James Version). He says further in John 10:26-27: “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (New King James Version).
From these two scriptures, we can see two categories of people – those who hear His voice and follow Him, and those who do not know His voice and, therefore, cannot follow Him.
10. Not being ashamed of Him and His Word. There are different reasons somebody can be ashamed of Jesus. He can feel that associating himself with Jesus can make others look down on him. He can think that he is in the midst of people whose validation and approval he needs, which he can be denied if he calls himself a follower of Jesus. He can think being a disciple of Christ may not earn him people’s respect and acceptance. But all this is vanity. Jesus says, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26 New King James Version).
Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:12: “If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us” (New Living Translation). A true disciple is never ashamed of his Master; he never denies Him. You can now understand why Peter wept bitterly after he denied his Master (Luke 22:62). You can see why Judas Iscariot committed suicide after he betrayed the Master (Matthew 27:5). A true disciple is never ashamed of Jesus and His Word in the private and the public.
11. Carrying your cross daily and following Him despite your problems. Matthew 10:38 says, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine” (New Living Translation). Carrying one’s cross daily and following Jesus refers to self-denial.
Some people are looking for a perfect condition, a life devoid of personal problems or challenges before they follow Jesus. This will remain an illusion. Problems or challenges are a reality of human existence; you should carry your cross daily and follow Him. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you will not give Him any condition to follow Him. You will also not wait for your condition to change before you follow Him. “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 Living Bible).
12. Not looking back. Following Jesus entails not looking back. “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:62 New King James Version). A follower of Christ should not look back once he decides to follow Jesus. He should continue with Him no matter the circumstances. Backsliding is proof that a Christian is not moving forward but backward in his walk with Christ; he is growing cold in his relationship with Christ; he is not following Him but taking a stroll. Such a person needs to repent, return to Jesus, ask for forgiveness, and continue following Him.
Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). Make an irrevocable, irreversible decision to follow Jesus no matter what you face, no matter the challenges.
13. Serving Him. Following Jesus is beyond just talking about it. You must demonstrate it practically. If you are following Jesus, you’ll serve Him. You can’t claim to be His follower and be idle; you can’t be idle and say you’re following Him.
If you’re following Him, you will do His work. He will engage your services, but you will determine if you want to serve Him. If you accept to be His servant and you serve Him, God will honour you and reward you. “Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me” (John 12:26 New Living Translation). The Father does not honour someone who does not serve the Son. Do you want honour from God? The answer is: begin to serve Jesus today.
14. Being focused and not comparing yourself with another person. Each person must do his individual following. Nobody can follow Jesus on behalf of another person. It is individualistic; it’s not a community affair. Therefore, you ought to focus on yourself and not be comparing yourself with other people. The fact that others are not following Him does not mean you should not follow Him. There is no room for comparison.
Jesus warned Peter about this. “Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, ‘Lord, who is the one who betrays You?’ Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, ‘But Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me’” (John 21:20-22 New King James Version).
Follow Jesus. You should not compare yourself with others. Just make sure you obey the Word and the Spirit of God as you follow Him. Let nobody’s life make you hold back on what you should do.
15. Bearing much fruit. Fruit bearing is an essential component of following Jesus. If you’re merely taking a stroll, it is not an issue. Jesus expects His disciples, those who are following Him, to bear fruits. A life of spiritual barrenness is not consistent and compatible with following Jesus, and it does not glorify God. “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8 New King James Version).
The fruit being referred to is the quality of your behaviour, the quality of your deeds. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (New Living Translation). Someone’s behaviour will show whether one is a disciple of Jesus or not. For instance, walking in love or not walking in love is a behaviour; they are both fruits, but the former is good while the latter is bad. “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 New Living Translation).
Paul also stressed this truth about fruit bearing and righteous character expected of a disciple of Christ: “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ — for this will bring much glory and praise to God” (Philippians 1:9-11 New Living Translation).
Christianity is about fruitfulness. And if you are following Jesus, it will show in the quality of the fruits you are bearing, the quality of your character, and the quality of your behaviour. The Bible says by their fruits you shall know them. That is by their behaviour, by their actions, they shall be known (Matthew 7:20). According to Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of those following Christ includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Significantly, nine virtues are listed, yet they are described in the singular as fruit, and not in the plural as fruits, in Bible translations, including the New King James Version. I like to refer to the fruit of the Spirit as one fruit contaning nine juices! The juices are not optional; they are all in one fruit.
These virtues are the character of God that the Holy Spirit works out in our lives as we co-operate with the Holy Spirit. How many of these virtues are in your life now? How much of each has been produced in your life in cooperation with the Holy Spirit? If you’re just taking a stroll, you don’t have to bother about the fruit. But if you’re following Jesus, it is expected of you, and your life will manifest the fruit. The more you cooperate with the Holy Spirit, the more of the manifestation of this fruit shall be produced in your life.
Conclusion: May I ask you again: Are you following Jesus or taking a stroll? Are you a true disciple of Jesus or just associated with His name? There is still an opportunity for you today to come after Him, deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him. “Jesus said to all of them, ‘If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to give up their lives daily to follow me. Those who want to save their lives will give up true life. But those who give up their lives for me will have true life’” (Luke 9:23-24 New Century Version).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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