Many people today claiming to have a personal relationship with Christ simply think of Jesus to be their friend who follows them around wherever they go to help them when they are in need. However, this is a very backward way of thinking. It is Jesus who calls us to follow Him. He calls us from our comfortable lives with all of our worldly plans and pleasures into a life of servanthood and hardships. This is a life that is not only in direct conflict with the ways of this world, but it demands a full surrender of our lives each and every day for the rest of our earthly time.
Therefore, we cannot claim to have a personal relationship with Christ if we are not 100% sold out to serving His kingdom forevermore. However, far too many falsely claim to know Christ and compromise a true relationship for a religious life filled with Sunday services (or Saturday if that is your choice), bible studies, social gatherings, and “do-good” volunteer work to warm ones soul. This is not the life Christ has called us to, it is a counterfeit claiming the name of Christ guised as what is commonly known as the local church system.
We must detach ourselves from this world and be ready to leave everything we value here in this world behind to follow Jesus. “Truly I tell you, Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age— houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions— and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” Matthew 19:29-31 Thus, we are called to follow Him wherever He takes us and not think we are taking Him wherever we wish to go. This is called doing the will of the Father.
Right from the very beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry He preached, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 Jesus told His followers, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? or ‘What shall we drink? or ‘What shall we wear? For the Gentiles (those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ) strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you (those who do have a personal relationship with Christ) need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34
Therefore, we cannot claim to have a personal relationship with Christ if we are not 100% sold out to serving His kingdom forevermore. However, far too many falsely claim to know Christ and compromise a true relationship for a religious life filled with Sunday services (or Saturday if that is your choice), bible studies, social gatherings, and “do-good” volunteer work to warm ones soul. This is not the life Christ has called us to, it is a counterfeit claiming the name of Christ guised as what is commonly known as the local church system.
We must detach ourselves from this world and be ready to leave everything we value here in this world behind to follow Jesus. “Truly I tell you, Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age— houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions— and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” Matthew 19:29-31 Thus, we are called to follow Him wherever He takes us and not think we are taking Him wherever we wish to go. This is called doing the will of the Father.
Right from the very beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry He preached, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 Jesus told His followers, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? or ‘What shall we drink? or ‘What shall we wear? For the Gentiles (those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ) strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you (those who do have a personal relationship with Christ) need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34
