Believers Or Followers?

Believers or Followers?

Read: John 12:23-26

“Whoever serves me must follow me.”

John 12:26

“You must be willing to follow if you want God to lead.”

—Anonymous

IN WORD Much of the emphasis of modern evangelism is to create believers in Jesus. Faith is the overriding concern. Considering the overwhelming emphasis on faith in the Bible, this is an appropriate focus. But what kind of faith do we promote? What kind of faith does Jesus expect?

Jesus makes it clear that faith in Him does not mean simply an intellectual agreement with His claims. No, to believe in Jesus is to serve Him and follow Him. It is absolutely meaningless to claim faith in Jesus and then live contrary to His teachings with no apparent interest in aligning ourselves with them. Faith means hanging the entire balance of our lives on His claims and His commands. It means not only accepting Him as our Savior, but following Him as our Lord. To separate these two roles of Jesus is to make Him into something He is not, and it is to make our beliefs almost meaningless. Whoever believes Him, loves Him, serves Him—that person will follow Him. Whoever does not follow Him does not serve Him, love Him, or really even believe in Him.

So what does it mean to follow Jesus? It means that wherever He is, that’s where we’ll be. Is He at the right hand of the Father? Then we who follow are seated there with Him (Ephesians 2:6). Is He on the Cross? Then we who follow Him are there also (Galatians 2:20). Is He in prisons and slums? Then we will be there too. Wherever God is reconciling this vile world in Christ, that’s where Jesus’ true followers will be.

IN DEED Ask yourself the hard questions about your discipleship. Are you a believer or a follower? In modern English, there’s a difference. But in Jesus’ vocabulary, each of those words implies the other. To believe in Him means to serve Him, as He commanded; and to serve means to follow.

Where are you willing to follow Jesus? Many will follow Him as long as He does not rearrange their lives. But this isn’t true following; it’s self-deception. Jesus will often take us where we are reluctant to go. If we serve Him, we will go anyway.