Following Just One - Turning Points with God
Following Just One
Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
John 21:22
There is a disconnect between the results of national polls concerning religion and religious reality. For instance, according to one poll, upwards of 90 percent of Americans claim to believe in God, and a large majority of those claim to be Christians. If that’s true, where are all these followers of Christ? It would seem that many people believe it’s possible to follow Christ and follow other religions or the ways of the world at the same time.
Jesus made it clear in His teachings that His “religion” is an exclusive one: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). In a modern, pluralistic culture, that doesn’t sit well. And it didn’t sit well with Peter, who was momentarily confused about “followership.” To Peter, Jesus said (paraphrase), “Don’t worry about what others are doing. You follow Me.” When someone asks you what you are, religiously speaking, do you say, “I’m a (name of your denomination)”? Or do you say, “I’m a follower of Jesus Christ—a Christian”?
In an age that values tolerance and rejects absolutes, it will never be popular to say, “I follow only One.”
Christianity can be condensed into four words: admit, submit, commit, and transmit.
SAMUEL WILBERFORCE
