Then said Jesus unto His Disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. - Matthew 16:24
If ye love Me, keep My commandments. - John 14:15
Once being saved, then what? Jesus said to follow Him and obey His commandments.
Are you following Him? Are you obeying His commandments?
What does it Mean to Follow Him?
What are His commandments?
JESUS' CALLING OF HIS DISCIPLES
Matthew 4:18 - And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. Matthew 4:19 - And He said unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:20 - And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him. Matthew 4:21 - And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Matthew 4:22 - And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him.
Matthew 9:9 - And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He said unto him, Follow Me. And he arose, and followed Him.
Mark 2:14 - And as He passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow Me. And he arose and followed Him.
John 1:43 - The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and found Philip, and said unto him, Follow Me.
What a privilege to be so chosen of the Son of God. They left their all and followed Him. They all, with the exception of John, eventually gave their lives in martyrdom for Him.
HOW TO FOLLOW JESUS
As Sheep:
John 10:7 - Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the Door of the sheep.
John 10:27 - My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:
The Sheep follow their Shepherd. Their eyes must be on Him. Their ears must be open to His voice. They must follow His Way. Jesus put it this way - "Enter in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in:" "Because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13,14)
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knew what all His Sheep/Disciples would face in the centuries ahead and gave this warning. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matthew 7:15) (Also check Matthew 24:24)
As Disciples:
Romans 14:19 - Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
1 Corinthians 14:1 - Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy.
1 Thessalonians 5:15 - See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
1 Timothy 6:11 - But you, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
2 Timothy 2:22 - Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Hebrews 12:14 - Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
1 Peter 2:21 - For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
3 John 1:11 - Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God.
Jesus' Disciples followed in His footsteps in spite of the persecution that they faced. Here is what they practiced in their daily lives and they have passed it on to us, thru God's Word, as the Holy Spirit inspired them.
Take a reality check. Make a check list to follow.
JESUS SAYS: KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS
If ye love Me, keep my commandments. - John 14:15
He that has My commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. - John 14:21
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. - John 15:10
WHAT ARE THEY?
Matthew 5:19 - Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 22:37 - Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Matthew 22:38 - This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:39 - And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:40 - On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Mark 10:19 - You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honor your father and mother.
Here Are Some Commandments As Taught By Jesus.
Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 6:1 - "Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your Father Who is in heaven." Matthew 7:1 - "Judge not, that you be not judged." Matthew 22:21 - "They say unto Him, Caesar's. Then He said to them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." Matthew 24:42 - "Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come." Mark 11:22: "And Jesus answering said unto them, Have faith in God." John 14:11 - "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake."
Here Are Some Commandments As Taught By The Disciples, Inspired By The Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 4:2 - For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
Romans 12:1 - "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 13:8 - "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law." Romans 14:19 - "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." 1 Corinthians 16:13 - "Watch, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." Philippians 1:27 - "Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;" Philippians 4:6 - "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Colossians 2:6 - "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him:"
Colossians 3:1 - "If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God." 1 Thessalonians 5:6 - "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." Titus 2:2 - "That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience." James 4:7 - "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 1 Peter 1:13 - "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" 1 Peter 2:11 - "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;" 1 Peter 3:8 - "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:" 2 Peter 1:5 - "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;" 1 John 2:15 - "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
The following song is in dedication to
Lawrence K. Dunkirk aka Larrie Dee, in the loss of his Daughter, Laurie Kay Dunkirk,
on May 24, 2003.
There's a Lighthouse on the hillside, that overlooks life's sea.
When I'm tossed it sends out a light, light that I might see.
And the light that shines in darkness, now will safely lead me home,
And if it wasn't for the lighthouse, my ship would sail no more.
And I thank God for The Lighthouse, I owe my life to Him.
Jesus is The Lighthouse and from the rocks of sin,
He has shown the light around me, so that I might clearly see.
And if it wasn't for The Lighthouse, where would this ship be?
Everyone that lives around us, says tear that old lighthouse down,
The big ships don't sail this way anymore, ain't no use in it standing round.
But then my mind goes back to that stormy night, when just in time I saw the light
With the light from that old lighthouse, that stands there on the hill.
And I thank God for The Lighthouse, I owe my life to Him.
Jesus is The Lighthouse and from the rocks of sin,
He has shown the light around me, so that I might clearly see.
And if it wasn't for The Lighthouse, Where would this ship be?
