Salvation is a free gift of God. It comes to us through faith in His Son Jesus, who did everything necessary to accomplish our forgiveness and reconciliation with the Father. We can add nothing to this transaction, our job is simply to believe. But from that point on, each one of us must make a choice. Shall we follow Jesus or just coast along doing what we want? If we limit our Christianity to merely sitting in a pew on Sunday mornings, we will miss the greatest adventure of our life. Being a disciple of Christ requires that we be actively engaged in our relationship with Him and in service to others.
Jesus never painted a rosy picture when He called us to follow Him. He stated quite plainly that becoming His followers would require self-denial, sacrifice and suffering. With this kind of job description, it is no wonder so many believers have tried to make Christianity a spectator sport. Following Jesus means that we allow Him to direct our lives- that is what dying to self is all about. We give up our rights to do what we want and instead submit to His will, even when it is difficult or does not align with our preferences. Sometimes walking in God's way may seem scary or even foolish, but if we deny our selves to follow Him we shall discover we lose nothing but gain everything. Are we following Jesus or our selves? Our lifestyles, words and attitudes will reveal who truly rules our lives. Let us boldly confess Christ and show love to Him in all things! ~Matthew 19:38-39.