Showing posts with label followers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label followers. Show all posts

Sunday, February 17, 2019

690. Christian Catch Phrase Alert: Identifying Ourselves as Followers of Jesus

One of the things that we often focus on here at Growing in Grace is built around helping believers in Christ to understand the identity we now have in Him as a new creation. Sadly, people are seldom taught they are righteous, holy, complete, forgiven, perfected, saints, etc.

But a catch phrase that is often used to identify us as believers: We are “followers of Jesus.” Just exactly what is a follower of Jesus today? Get ready for a wide variety of different answers because it’s one of those talking points within Christianity which people don’t think too much about. Typically, we might think it has to do with following the teachings of Jesus. But as previous programs have revealed, Jesus often taught things related to the Old Covenant which targeted Jewish people who were under the law - impossible demands - now made obsolete since the cross.

Almost all references to those who were followers of Jesus are found in the four books of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)… people who literally and physically followed Jesus from one place to the next. But their following ceased at the cross as they were relocated to a New Covenant where they would be led by God’s Spirit. You’re not merely a follower, you are a child of God, living in union with Him.



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Sunday, February 21, 2016

536. Religious Talking Points: Followers and Disciples of Jesus?

As Christians, we often like to describe ourselves as followers and disciples of Jesus. But is this really how we are identified in Him? Did Jesus really encourage people to follow him as a disciple or was He attempting to show that nobody could successfully accomplish this? Jesus carefully described the list of rigid requirements needed to be like Him in order to be His disciple. He cautioned those people under the law to carefully count the cost in order to help them realize they would not be able to pay the price that would be needed. Thankfully, our faithfulness to God is not what is on display, but it was God's love and dedication towards us that would be the centerpiece of the gospel.



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