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Following Christ
Who is God?
“Many people visualize a God who sits comfortably on a distant throne, remote, aloof, uninterested, and indifferent to the needs of mortals, until, it may be, they can badger him into taking action on their behalf. Such a view is wholly false. The Bible reveals a God who, long before it even occurs to man to turn to him, while man is still lost in darkness and sunk in sin, takes the initiative, rises from his throne, lays aside his glory, and stoops to seek until he finds him.”—John R. Stott, Basic Christianity
Christianity teaches that God is a Person (He has personality). He is personal in that He has a will (able to make decisions, plans, etc.), has emotions, communicates and creates. He is distinct and separate from His creation and is personally involved and sustains that which He has made.
Made in His Image
Since God made man and woman in His image, they are different from all the other creatures in the world and have greater value. Man and woman were designed to be in a relationship with their Creator and enjoy Him forever, but chose not to honor God as God and obey Him. As a result, man and woman were sent out of His presence and alienated from their Creator. Man’s disobedience is considered serious because it is committed by the one who is made in the very image of God. God seeks man out through the person of Jesus Christ in order to reconcile the broken relationship caused by man’s disobedience.
Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus is a man, but not an ordinary man. He is a man who is fully God and fully human. He provided a window into what the Father is like. Jesus makes God truly accessible. Jesus Christ is without blemish or imperfections and there is no virtue that He does not possess. His compassion flowed out to people of all nationalities and walks of life. He maintained that all people matter to God.
When Jesus spoke, He spoke and taught with authority like no one else. Jesus did only the things that God could do. Who could speak to a storm as if it were a living thing and tell it to cease its raging and it responds? Who can change water into wine or restore someone’s sight? The miracles of Jesus reveal a God who cares; a God who is full of compassion who becomes involved in the affairs of men and women. His miracles reveal who He really is – the Son of God. His miracles authenticated His message and the One who gave it. Jesus’ life was one of selfless, sacrificial giving to all He came in contact with; be it enemy, stranger or friend.
The Human Dilemma
Jesus came to restore the honor and injury that was done to the Father by man’s disobedience (sin). Jesus was not just a moral teacher, religious leader, philosopher, or an example of a good man. He was our substitute. When He died, God placed your sins and mine on Jesus, and He paid the penalty for our sins by His death on the cross. His death resulted in the barrier between us and God being removed. This is called forgiveness and now we can know God personally, experience His love and forgiveness, and understand the purpose for which we were created. The fact that Jesus rose physically from the dead is proof that God accepted His sacrifice for us.
What it Means to Follow
To follow Christ means to believe or place your faith (trust) in Him as your Lord and Savior who died as a substitute for you for your sin. My acceptance into God’s family is not in what I have done, but in what He has done. Jesus said, “Come to Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Rest is found in a Person, not in a set of rules or philosophy to live by. If you are going to follow Him, it means giving Him priority over family, friends, and career.