Following Judah's Lion

Walking In and With Him

The gospel is the good news that Jesus the Christ, the Incarnate God, has died and paid for our sins and resurrected from the dead. And purely by faith in His work alone, without any of our own good works or religious ceremonies, we can be born again. That is the gospel which we are to preach to every creature throughout the entire world.

But along with that mission, we are commanded to “walk in His steps” and be imitators of the Lord Jesus as well. But what does it mean to imitate Christ in a culture such as this? What are the observable and distinguishing features of a dedicated and crucified believer? And are the principles of being like Jesus dramatic enough to appear counter to the culture, and are they powerful enough to be exhibited practically within the lifestyle of professing believers so that those same believers not only appear somewhat different, but absolutely remarkable?

As we live and breathe upon this earth, we have been called to a sacrificial life. We are not supposed to continually gather up things for our consumption and pleasure, and if we are to substantiate our claim to an eternity with Christ, we must not reveal a thirst for the things of this world. But we were born with a fallen interest, or a lust, or even a passion for the things of this world. And everything we learned and almost everyone we watched not only exhibited that lust, but taught us by word and deed that this is the way God would have it. We were brainwashed inside and outside of the church.

But shouldn’t a lifestyle that professes to love and obey the Lord Jesus be remarkable as it walks through a fallen culture? Or are we to assume that the life of Jesus is now so homogenized as to not only blend in with the unbelievers, but in reality live just as they do? We can now go to war, save up money, go into debt, exceed the speed limit, gossip, watch unwholesome entertainment, criticize others, participate in a fallen political system, pledge allegiance to a fallen nation, and all while still professing to “live for Jesus”. It is unseemly and spiritually disingenuous.

But oh to be like Jesus. To think like He and to desire what He desires and to love the Father with such contentment and completeness that your entire being seems to exist unaffected by anything here and now - that, my friends would be something. That would startle the world around you and cause people to reexamine their own meager lives. What would happen in our churches if we were so loving and so prayerful and so completely fixated upon the Redeemer and His redemption, that we saw the lost with a broken heart? Perhaps the lost world would respond to that instead of slick evangelistic programs and Sunday morning give-a-ways.

We as believing followers of Christ should immediately reject all demands of our own flesh, not with self righteous legalism, but as a sweet smelling sacrifice that wafts upward to our Wonderful Lord. How easy it is to succumb to religious rituals and live with a redundant expression of Christianity but without the tangible and recognizable presence of Jesus. And when the church at large incorporates and even endorsed such lifestyles, then we become nothing more than the neighborhood meeting place where unremarkable people from the community have some weekly gatherings. And after such gatherings, the people leave just as they came. Is that what Christ died for and is that what Christ lives for?

The gospel is a factual message of redemption, but is should always be poured out through vessels that clearly and conspicuously reflect that same gospel and its Divine Author. Verbal ascents without visible evidence are often counterproductive and lead lost people to reject the gospel claims.

But what if there were no lost people to evangelize? Is Jesus so worthy of our love, adoration, and obedience that we would pursue a living relationship with Him without any evangelistic repercussions? Our salvation should not be the end; it should be the beginning of a sacred love affair with the Creator whose name is Jesus. Oh the blessed privilege; oh the sacred gift; oh the unfathomable birthright; and oh the depth of such grace! To be redeemed by the immeasurable labor upon that bloody tree is beyond human understanding and reasoning, but to be called a “son” and a “brother” to that same Savior shakes the very core of our being.

It is time we lengthen the cords and deepen the stakes of our spiritual tent and not only represent Him, but dwell with Him moment by moment. Are we just wandering around in the wilderness or are we following the cloud of smoke and fire that is found in the presence of Jesus Christ? He is a real Person, and He desires to fellowship with us as well as change us. And Jesus should have all the preeminence in everything we do and say, and we should continually pursue a life that walks in His presence.

Does that sound a little mystical? Oh it is far beyond mystical. It is the mystery of the Spirit that dwells within every born again believer. Christ in us the hope of glory. We must worship Him not only as the Author of our faith, but as our Finisher as well!