Come follow?
Part 3
V24 n9
In this present day world, people are quick to imitate or follow the example of athletes, musicians, actors or any other person that appears to be at the forefront of a fad at the present time. People are also quick to imitate popular phrases or ideas that float around society. How often do people even buy a certain thing, just because they saw someone else do it?
Jesus Christ told the disciples, as well as the people around Him, to come, and follow Him. Yet, people were hesitant to do so, because of that which He asked of them. Are you hesitant to follow Him also, because of the things He may ask of you?
John
People follow examples a great part of the time, and this is true whether one is aware of it or not. As children, we followed and imitated the example of our parents, for better or for the worse. One also learned things from their brothers and sisters (for those that had brothers and or sisters). One also followed the example of the teachers that they had as they started to progress down the path of education. One followed the examples or patterns that one considered to be normal (whatever normal may be).
Ephesians
5:1, Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; KJV
Paul the apostles tells us that we should be followers of God as dear or loving children. Jesus Christ in the gospel of Luke tells us that we have to receive the kingdom of God as a little child, or else one would not be able to enter in to His kingdom.
As we can see in the above verse from Ephesians, that we are to be followers of God. What most people miss, is that this verse is a carryover from the previous chapter, and so to see and understand the example Paul is talking about, we have to go back and look at the few verses that are preceding this verse.
Ephesians 4:29-32, 29 Let no corrupt communication
proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that
it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of
God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness,
and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking,
be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath
forgiven you. KJV
Let
no corrupt (worthless or putrefied) communications proceed out of your mouth.
If what one is going to speak, is not going to minister grace to the hearer,
then one should learn to be slow to speak. It is by one’s words they will be
justified, or by their own words they will be condemned. (Mt 12:36-37) To be a
follower of Jesus Christ, one must learn to only speak those things they hear
the Father speak. If it is Father’s words that you are speaking, then it will
minister grace to any that will hear and obey his Word.
Let
us look at a few of the commentaries concerning verse 31 above. First we will
look at Adam Clarke’s, and then those of Matthew Henry.
It
is astonishing that any who profess the Christian name should indulge
bitterness of spirit. Those who are censorous, who
are unmerciful to the failings of others, who have fixed a certain standard by
which they measure all persons in all circumstances, and unchristian everyone
that does not come up to this standard, these have the bitterness against which
the apostle speaks. In the last century there was a compound medicine made up
from a variety of drastic acrid drugs and ardent spirits, which was called the
holy bitter; this medicine was administered in a multitude of cases, where it
did immense evil, and perhaps in scarcely any case did it do good. It has ever
appeared to me to furnish a proper epithet for the disposition mentioned above,
the holy bitter; for the religiously censorious act under the pretence of
superior sanctity. I have known such persons do much evil in a Christian
society, but never knew an instance of their doing any good.
[And wrath] Thumos (grk 2372) is more
properly anger, which may be considered the commencement of the passion.
[Anger] Orgee (grk 3709) is more
properly wrath-- the passion carried to its highest pitch, accompanied with
injurious words and outrageous acts, some of which are immediately specified.
[And clamour]
Kraugee (grk 2906). Loud and obstreperous speaking, brawling,
railing, boisterous talk, often the offspring of wrath; all of which are highly
unbecoming the meek, loving, quiet, sedate mind of Christ and his followers.
[And evil speaking] Blaspheemia (grk 988). Blasphemy; that is, injurious speaking-- words
which tend to hurt those of whom or against whom they are spoken.
[With all malice] Kakia (grk 2549). All malignity; as anger produces wrath, and
wrath clamour, so all together produce malice; that
is, settled, sullen, fell wrath, which is always looking out for opportunities
to revenge itself by the destruction of the object of its indignation. No state
of society can be even tolerable where these prevail; and, if eternity were out
of the question, it is of the utmost consequence to have these banished from
time. (from
Adam Clarke Commentary)
Here
is another caution against wrath and anger, with further advice to mutual love
and kindly dispositions towards each other, v. 31, 32. By bitterness, wrath,
and anger, are meant violent inward resentment and displeasure against others:
and, by clamour, big words, loud threatenings,
and other intemperate speeches, by which bitterness, wrath, and anger, vent
themselves. Christians should not entertain these vile passions in their hearts
not be clamorous with their tongues. Evil speaking signifies all railing,
reviling, and reproachful speeches, against such as we are angry with. And by
malice we are to understand that rooted anger which prompts men to design and
to do mischief to others. The contrary to all this follows: Be you kind one to
another. This implies the principle of love in the heart, and the outward
expressions of it, in an affable, humble, courteous behaviour. (from Matthew Henry's
Commentary)
Paul
tells us to be followers of him, in all of the examples in which he followed
Christ. Jesus Christ only spoke those thing which He heard the Father speak;
are you able to say this for yourself? How well have you learned to hear God?
Faith, our ability to hear and believe God: faith is the gift received, it is
then developed by hearing, giving audience to the message delivered by the Word
of God, Christ; and then allowing that Word to become an actual way of life!
Not just something one talks about, but rather the way one lives, that is the
way they conduct their life.
Jesus
Christ also said that he only did the things He saw the Father do. One must be
born again to see the kingdom of God. Paul prayed that “the eyes of our
understanding would be enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his
calling”. Note that Paul says that we “should know”, not guess. Just as Jesus
Christ told us, that it is given for us to know the mystery of the kingdom of
God.
How
can one go boldly or confidently before the throne of grace, unless they are
sure or confident of their relationship with God? How can they find the throne
of grace, if they can not see the proper path to follow?
It
is when one becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, that they will be able to go
boldly before the throne of grace, and partake of the intimacy that the Father
wants to have with His children. Will this lifestyle offend people? Yes it
will, just as the life and words of Jesus Christ offended many. This is why we
are given the choice, the decision to make, of who we will follow this day.
Joshua 24:15, And if it seem evil unto you to
serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which
your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of
the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve
the LORD. KJV
That you may know Him,
In the service of Jesus Christ.
Larry Gazelka
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