Follow Jesus And Beware Who You Follow
Why do we follow Jesus? First because as believers we are His disciples, and second, because Jesus called His disciples to, “Follow me.”
Jesus is our model. He lived the model life, a sinless life. Knowing that Jesus was fully man and fully God may make us feel that He is too high of a bar for us to reach.
So, with that being said, “let’s say, “Jesus is Jesus. He is perfect. We are not.” And let’s look to someone who wasn’t perfect like Jesus but was much closer to our imperfect selves. Let’s look at Paul.
Paul said:
Therefore I urge you, imitate me.1 Corinthians 4:16
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.1 Corinthians 11:1
The word imitate in the original Greek language can be understood as an imitator or a follower. The Strong’s explanation of the word goes on to say that the word is used in a way that denotes a continuous happening. When I see this, I realize that who we follow, we imitate. Or maybe I should say, “As we follow, we imitate more and more.”
Our best understanding of Paul’s message to the Corinthian believers comes when we see his words from his and his audience’s perspective. The young Corinthian church was surrounded with a corrupt culture which influenced them and led them into serious problems of division and immorality in the church.
Paul wrote to them as their spiritual father. Paul was not a spiritual father who led his spiritual children to live one way while he lived another. Paul lived out his faith. He followed Jesus and led those he influenced to follow him as he was following Christ.
You see, who we follow is hugely important.
Of course, we first and foremost follow Jesus.
In following Jesus, we often follow others who are also following Jesus. I have women who follow me and my ministry, and I am very thankful for that opportunity to lead and speak into the lives of other women following Jesus. I count the calling and the leadership God has given me a privilege and responsibility for which I am also accountable.
In my ministry and business, I myself also follow others. I understand that as I follow them, and to the degree that I follow them, has an impact in my own life, ministry, and business. As I follow another ministry or business, I must determine who I allow to speak into my life, because as I follow and they speak, I am influenced.
So, I have to hold them to the high standard that Christ set for us in His word. So, let’s look again at Paul’s words.
“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Ephesians 1:4
Did you see the purpose statement imbedded in Ephesians 1:4?
“That we should be holy and without blame”
Paul understood the importance and necessity to lead believers under his spiritual care to imitate him. He also understood that those chosen had a specific purpose to live and be holy.
What does it mean to be holy and without blame”
I love the explanation my Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament gives about holy as used in Ephesians 1:4. It says, “sharing in God’s purity and abstaining from earth’s defilement.”
Ultimately to be holy speaks of a life that is set apart and separated from this world’s defilement and devoted to God, His will, His word, and His ways. Without blame parallels the term holy meaning without blemishespecially from a moral assessment.
Which brings me back to my original point.
Follow Jesus And Beware Who You Follow
Recently I received an email from someone who I once followed in relation to my business and ministry. The email was the last one I will receive because after reading most of the email, I clicked the Unsubscribe button.
The email convinced me that this person was no longer someone I wanted to follow.
What convinced me?
The email showed me a person with a lifestyle and language defiled by the culture of this world. What I saw in this email was exactly what had happened in the Corinthian church. This person followed the wrong people and the corrupt culture of this world influenced and led her in a direction that didn’t reflect someone sharing in God’s purity.
What I saw in the email, I did not want to imitate in my own life. In fact, the lifestyle and language that I saw, was once how I myself lived. But once I met Jesus and got to know Him through His Word, my life and language changed. The life I saw in this person was an unholy life. A life that Jesus had delivered me from. I knew without a doubt, I didn’t want to go back.
God’s word repeatedly teaches us to be holy.
But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:15-16
Three important things to remember when you click a follow or subscribe button:
First and Foremost, Follow Jesus!
Second, beware who you follow!
Third, know God’s word!
Know God’s word so that you have a true knowledge and understanding of our God who is holy, and his calling for you to also be holy. How can we protect ourselves from being led down a defiled path, if we don’t know what God says for ourselves? Pure and simple, we can’t!
The author of Hebrews gives us a word of warning and encouragement.
That you do not become sluggish,
but imitate those who through faith
and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:12
Maybe it is time to do some clean up. Who are you following? As you have read this today, has anyone you follow come to mind, that you know you need to unfollow?
Let us imitate Paul and Follow Jesus!
Be imitators of God as dear children.
Ephesians 5:1
