“You are My friends if you do what I command you.”
Fasten your seatbelts…this morning might get a little rough. Jesus was never vague about the requirements of discipleship. This verse sounds harsh today because it has become unfashionable to discuss the cost of following Christ. But the Bible is clear. Christians are to live differently.
We are saved by faith alone, but the validation of our faith- is that it changes us. James 1:22 says we are fooling ourselves if we only listen to the Word of God, and don’t live it out.
God never offered cheap “fire insurance faith.” He offers life changing redemption through the gospel.
But as Christians we have focused on His mercy, to the exclusion of His Holiness. Our perception has been skewed by paintings depicting God as a feeble Grandfather, and Jesus as a victim. That could not be further from the truth. Exodus says “The Lord is a Warrior”…and Jesus’ occupation was a construction worker…There has never been anything weak or feeble about our King. He does not make requests, He gives commands.
Fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the cost of following Christ is everything. When Jesus healed people, He said go your way and sin no more…that means change.
Preaching repentance can make people uncomfortable, but it is better to offend people with God’s Word and point them to Heaven - than ignore His truths and leave them comfortably on their way to Hell.
So, we all need to look in the mirror this morning. Is God changing us?
Jesus didn’t die to make us comfortable…He died to make us warriors against forces of darkness …Are we fighting those forces, or are we contributing to them?
If church is just a comfortable place to drink coffee and be entertained… it is not church. Church is challenging…it is motivating. Church is a pit stop intended to get you fueled up, talk strategy, and get you back out on the track to run the race God has commanded.
Christ’s definition of discipleship includes obedience… make sure yours does too…Actively obey the commands of the King who died to save your soul.
“Stale godliness is ungodliness. Let our religion be as warm, and constant, and natural as the flow of the blood in our veins. A living God must be served in a living way.”
―Charles Spurgeon
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