A devotional excerpt from today’s message
The evangelical and revivalist traditions of the American Protestant churches over the last hundred years have strongly emphasized making a decision to follow Christ. That is a good thing because until we make a decision, most of us drift in indecision and ultimately drift away. Better to decisively answer the call of Jesus.
But there has been one downside to this emphasis. Some have emphasized the decision to the detriment of the walk with Jesus. Like a hypothetical person who buys a car and then inexplicably keeps walking, riding the bus, or hiring a taxi everywhere they go, some so-called Christians think that having a “decision” in their records is all that is needed. More liturgical types might substitute becoming a member or being baptized as their moment of decision. But anytime our Christianity is only a decision of the past and not a present pursuit, there is a big misunderstanding.
Jesus calls us to continuing discipleship
However, if we remember that Jesus calls us using the word “follow” we will easily avoid this error. Following is by nature a continuing activity. It’s something you do every day. The word “follow” reflects the true nature of our relationship to Jesus. We are continually modeling after him. We are continually listening for his voice. We are continually understanding and appropriating more of his instructions. We are continually seeking to walk in his footsteps. Another way to say this is that Jesus doesn’t just call us to a one-time decision, he calls us to a day by day, week by week, year after year discipleship. Think about it this way, nearly all professions I know of require continuing education for continued competence. Anyone who is successful in their field is already doing continuing education whether or not it is required.
Your future is built on the improvements you are making today.
This is true of your Christian walk. This is true of your marriage. This is true of your relationship to your children. This is true in your professional life. This is true in your hobby. Continued learning is part of our basic commitment to Jesus. As Peter put it.
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 NIV 2011
So the corollary is that following Jesus is a life-long learning process. And there is a wonderful promise that goes with this.
“He who pursues righteousness and love finds life prosperity and honor.” Prov. 21:21