19 October 2007
Rhema Inspiration
Are You Really Devoted to
Following Jesus Christ?
“There is a great need for
Christians to give themselves afresh and anew to prayer
and the study of the whole Word of God. These two
disciplines will awaken and divide.”
I recently heard that over 85
percent of Americans profess a belief in God, but only
some 30 odd percent are committed Christians. Many
people in our country profess to be Christians even
though they have never been born again. They do so
because they live in America and/or their family
attends or has attended church services. They might be
called “cultural Christians.” There are
many others who have been born again, love Jesus, are
very faithful in church attendance, and are dedicated
workers in their church and community. They are not
“cultural Christians”; they are
“Christians of good works.” Neither
“cultural Christians” nor “Christians
of good works” are really devoted to following
Jesus Christ.
I hope everyone who is reading
this is saying Amen! If so, it shows discernment. It
shows that you have had your senses trained to discern
and are, therefore, ahead of me in what I am writing.
There may be other people who would agree about
cultural Christians but not understand about the second
group. They would already have their defenses up! Why?
It is obvious even to the natural eye that the first
group is not committed to following Christ, but to the
natural eye, the second group looks like mature,
committed, devoted Christians.
The bottom line of what I am
saying is that all professing Christians need to
examine themselves to see if they are really devoted to
following Jesus. It is better to do so now than to weep
at the future judgment seat of Christ! To make a point,
I have for years been saying that the disciples were
first called Christians at Antioch, but today we need
Christians who can be called disciples. The truth is
that the two should be synonymous and interchangeable,
but, in actuality, not all who are called Christians
are Christians. The truth is also that not all who are
born again, love Jesus, are faithful in church
attendance, and are dedicated workers in their church
and community have denied self, forsaken all, and taken
up their cross to follow Jesus. Jesus Himself said that
only those who do these things are His true disciples
(Luke 9:23; 14:27, 33).
Presently, “cultural
Christians” and “Christians of good
works” outnumber devoted Christians in the United
States and hinder the Church from being united in faith
and from being salt and light to the world. The Spirit
of God is calling the Church to return to God and to
become faithful to two God-given disciplines. Those
disciplines are prayer and the study of the Word of
truth. A faithful return to these two disciplines will
help the Church to judge herself and identify those
disciples who are really devoted to following Jesus
Christ.
There is a great need for
Christians to give themselves afresh and anew to prayer
and the study of the whole Word of God. These two
disciplines will awaken and divide. They will awaken
Christians to becoming devoted followers of Christ.
They will divide those who are devoted from those who
just want to be “cultural Christians” or
“Christians of good works.” The flesh
enjoys cultural acceptance, and the flesh enjoys doing
good works. Doing good works just takes good ol’
American ingenuity, determination, and hard work. True
earnest prayer and diligently study of the whole Word
of God takes devoted disciples. The Holy Spirit uses
the truth of God to convict and bring repentance. When
Christians begin to earnestly seek God in prayer and
diligently study His Word of truth, the Spirit of God
will begin to convict those who have ears to hear.
Those who respond will forsake all to follow Christ!
Let the truth of being a disciple
(follower) of Christ be proclaimed throughout the
earth. Let those who are “cultural
Christians” hear truth, repent, be born again,
and begin to follow Christ. Let the Christians of works
receive revelation of true discipleship, repent, and
begin following Christ according to His Word. Let the
Church become filled with true and mature disciples who
are really devoted to following Christ and will work
together in the harvest fields that are already white
for harvest. Amen!
_____________________________
BIBLICAL APPLICATION:
We know that we have come to know
him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I
know him," but does not do what he commands is a
liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys
his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.
This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to
live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6 NIV
Pastor Wayne Wilson
New Covenant Church of Jesus
Christ
3147 Klondike Road, SW, Conyers,
GA 30094 USA
770-760-1101
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© 2007 New Covenant Church of
Jesus Christ, Conyers, GA USA
www.JesusAndHisWord.org
