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Ultimately the call to follow Jesus is a call to die—to die to ourselves and to die to the things of this world. But at the same time, it is a call to live—to experience unbridled joy as we follow Jesus wherever he leads in this world. The four fishermen knew this, and they gave their lives to follow him. Have you answered the call?
Yet the penalty for sin is not determined by our measure of it. Instead, the penalty for sin is determined by the magnitude of the one sinned against.
Jesus came to live the life we could not live (that is, a life without sin) and to die the death that we, as sinners, deserve to die.
(John 3:16: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”)
(John 3:36): “Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
Does God hate sinners? Absolutely. Look at the cross. Jesus is enduring the punishment we are due. But does God love sinners? Absolutely. Look at the cross. Jesus is saving us from the punishment we are due.
The clear message of the Bible is that there is nothing we can do to make our hearts clean before a holy God. We can work constantly, pray fervently, give extravagantly, and love sacrificially, but our hearts will still be stained by sin.
Faith is the realization that God’s pleasure in you will never be based upon your performance for him. Instead, God’s pleasure in you will always be based upon Christ’s performance for you.
Repentance is a rich biblical term that signifies an elemental transformation in someone’s mind, heart, and life. When people repent, they turn from walking in one direction to running in the opposite direction. From that point forward, they think differently, believe differently, feel differently, love differently, and live differently.
When you come to Jesus, he puts the source of his life in the center of your life.
Disciples like Peter, Andrew, James, and John show us that the call to follow Jesus is not simply an invitation to pray a prayer; it is a summons to lose our lives.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
The way of Jesus is hard to follow, and it’s hated by many.
Jesus said to the crowds, “If you want to be fulfilled, put your faith in me.”
God has given us so many things to enjoy in this world. Our taste buds are formed to find pleasure in good food. Our eyes are made to find pleasure in magnificent scenery. Our ears are fashioned to find pleasure in beautiful music. Our bodies are designed to find pleasure in physical intimacy with a spouse.
Instead of trying to conquer sin by working hard to change our actions, we can conquer sin by trusting Christ to change our affections.
The way to conquer sin is not by working hard to change our deeds but by trusting Jesus to change our desires.
If you knew without a doubt that at a specific time and date you were going to die and stand before God, the obvious question you would face is this: Am I secure in Christ, and will I be welcomed into eternity with him? Is it possible to be sure?
When we understand and admit our sinfulness and inability to satisfy the standard of God’s holiness, we have no option but to appeal to Christ for his mercy. We can’t count on anything else—not our own goodness or hard work or good intentions. Our only hope is in Christ alone.
Confess your need for Jesus and surrender your life to him.
So now that you have found new life in Jesus, who around you needs to hear about him? And how can you give your life (praying, giving, and going) to the spread of the gospel around the world?
