Following Jesus
Table of Contents and Article 1- I Will Follow Jesus
Introducing Jesus Landing Page
We have all heard the admonition in the form of a rhetorical question: “What would Jesus do?” Indeed, Christians are required to follow Jesus’ examples for our lives (John 13:15; 1 Peter 2:21). But what does this entail? Just doing what we imagine He would want us to do? Or following the example that we have given to us in the bible? There is no record of Jesus’ life or teachings outside of the bible. In this series of articles we will learn what the bible states about what Jesus taught and its clear illustration in Jesus’ life. If you have any questions or comments, please Contact Us.
Article 1 - I Will Follow Jesus - on this page below ...
Article 2 - What it Means to Follow Jesus
Article 3 - The Commitment Involved in Following
Article 4 - Following Wherever He Goes
Article 5 - To Where His Followers are Gathered
Article 6 - Following Jesus to His Church
Following Jesus – 1
I Will Follow Jesus by Bryan Gibson
Let me tell you about the invitation Jesus has extended to me. It’s the same one He issued to Peter and Andrew (Matthew 4:19), to James and John (Matthew 4:21), to Matthew (Matthew 9:9), Philip (John 1:43), and the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:21). The invitation, simply put, is follow Me!
I’m not ashamed to say that I have decided to follow Jesus, and here are just a few reasons why.
I follow Him, because I believe in Him—that He is everything He claims to be. I believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31), because the evidence is just too strong to believe otherwise. And because I believe that He is the Son of God, I believe every other claim He makes about Himself. I believe that...
- He is eternal—the One “who is and who was and who is to come,” the “First and the Last,” the “Beginning and the End,” the “Alpha and Omega” (Revelation 1:4, 8; 2:8).
- He is the “Lord of lords and King of kings” (1 Timothy 6:15).
- He is “Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11).
- He is the “Light of the world,” the “Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 8:12; 14:6).
- He is the “Lamb of God,” the Savior of my soul (John 1:29, 36; 4:42)
- He is “the Judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
I follow Him, because I believe that He “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). No one took His life (John 10:18), for as the song says, “He could have called ten thousand angels” (see Matthew 26:53). I was one of His sheep who had gone astray (1 Peter 2:25), and so as the good shepherd, He laid down His life for me (John 10:17-18). He did this, despite my unworthiness (Romans 5:6-8). After all, it was my sins that nailed Him to the cross. How can I refuse someone who did that for me? “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”
I follow Him, because I believe His promises, promises described as “exceedingly great and precious” (2 Peter 1:4). If I commit to following Him...
- He will take away my sins, or save me from my sins (John 1:29; Matthew 1:21).
- He will give me rest for my soul (Matthew 11:28-30).
- He will give me a new life, an abundant life, a life as a child of God (John 3:3-5; 10:10; 1:12).
- He will give me food for my soul, food that endures to everlasting life (John 6:27).
- He will be with Me, and He will never cast me out (John 14:23; 6:38; 10:27).
- He will give me peace in a world full of tribulation (John 16:33; 14:27).
- He will give me joy that no one can take from me (John 16:22; 15:11).
- He will come again, and give me eternal life—in a place He has prepared for me (John 6:54; 14:1-3).
If I’m foolish and choose not to follow—He will give me none of these things, and in the end, He will take vengeance on me and punish me with everlasting destruction from His presence (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). How could I possibly choose a fate such as that?
I have decided to follow Jesus. Have you?
Go To Article 2 - What it Means to Follow Jesus
What are the conditions of salvation given by Jesus?