Are You Following Jesus… or Just Agreeing With Him?

[David]

A lot of people say they believe in Jesus.

They agree He died.
They agree He rose again.
They agree the Bible is true.

But agreement is not the same as submission.

Jesus did not ask for agreement. He called for obedience.

“Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” ~Luke 6:46

That question cuts straight through surface-level Christianity. It exposes something deeper. You can say the right words and still be walking in the wrong direction.

Scripture does not describe saving faith as mere acknowledgment. It describes a changed life.

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” ~James 2:17

That does not mean works save you. It means real faith does something. It moves. It obeys. It follows.

Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” ~Luke 9:23

That is not casual. That is not comfortable. That is not just agreeing with doctrine on a screen.

That is death to self.

So here is the question every one of us has to answer honestly:

Are you following Christ… or just agreeing with Him while continuing to live your own way?

Because Scripture is clear, not everyone who claims Him actually belongs to Him.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” ~Matthew 7:21

This is not about perfection. It is about direction.

Are you being led by Him… or are you still leading yourself?

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” ~2 Corinthians 13:5

That is not a suggestion. That is a command.


So take a real look.


Not at what you say.
Not at what you post.
Not at what you claim.


Look at how you live.


Because the difference between agreeing with Jesus and following Him is the difference between a false assurance and a real relationship.

 

[bobinfaith]

Good morning, David;

Well said thank you for sharing this important topic to ponder.

In my heart I strive each day to follow Jesus, in submission. I made my choice from the “early going” to agree with Him, e.g., Genesis 1:1, in this very first passage if I agree then I will follow the other 65 books of God’s Word. My freewill.

In my capacity as a disciple, I’ve become more of an applications man of God and rather spend more time reading (listening) and enjoying what my brother or sister are posting, and what God ultimately says about the verb of the topic. After all, isn’t this why we’re here, to enjoy the fellowship, to bond and grow more from God’s teaching and with each other?

Of course, there are many other areas in our daily lives besides fellowship at BTF.

With that said, it’s vitally important to do a self check in our daily life. Are we really following in submission to God, or just merely agreeing with Him?

Concerning Self-Deception, am I lying to myself?​

In Matthew 7:21-23, 21 “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’ - RSV

I shudder at the thought of Jesus going to the Father and saying, “I never knew him!” God empowers us to catch ourselves, confess when we fall short - those times we let down the guard of our tongue, lash out when a person has an unlearned view of Scripture, when a stranger is publicly rude to my spouse, I’m talking about when crossing paths with other people, there exists countless situations. Praise God! His Word will guide us through it all.

As a Christian, our priority ministry is the people business. Alas, in this life I will continue to fall short with people. The Good News is God’s Word provides a way in every circumstance that will bring Him glorify. The discipline takes work, but God empowers us to submit to Him in every step we take daily.

So, do I submit to Jesus and His commands, daily, besides just agreeing with Him? I pray that I am and He covers and helps me in this vital area because I can’t do this on my own.

This is what I call a growing relationship with our Lord and Savior.

God bless everyone.

Bob