Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from Rebel: Following Jesus When the World Walks the Other Way by Anne Wilson.
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I’m going to jump right into the deep end with y’all. Are you ready for it? Take a deep breath.
When it comes to following Jesus, there can be no gray area about our devotion to Him. Jesus made it pretty clear when He said,
Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters. — Matthew 12:30
We are either with Him or against Him—nothing in between.
I’m here to propose that a rebel doesn’t do this Christian life half-heartedly. We go all in, especially when it comes to following Jesus. The decision to follow Jesus is not meant to be this quiet little moment where we kind of agree to believe in Jesus but then go on living how we always did. It’s a sudden turning away from everything in order to follow Him. We turn our back on our sin and our selfishness and go after Jesus with everything we have. We literally change allegiance from one kingdom to another!
Imagine you had an incurable and life-threatening illness and the one person who has the antidote to save your life just walked by you. Wouldn’t you drop everything and run after the one who has the cure? That is Jesus, but He doesn’t only offer the antidote for a sickness. He has the antidote for death, sin, loneliness, fear, pain, and so much more. The healing He offers will last forever!
In return, Jesus wants us to truly follow Him—not just on Sundays or when the pastor is watching. He’s after more than our occasional good behavior. He’s after our whole heart. And true followers of Jesus let the world know what He has done for them; they shine their light into the darkness of the world around them.
Let’s go back to the imagery of a life-saving cure. If you knew about the cure for a deathly illness, would you keep quiet about it? Or would you want to share it with every person infected by that disease? Wouldn’t you be so excited to be the one who gets to tell them that they can actually live and not die? We are called to do just that with the good news of Jesus Christ. The world is dying around us, and He is our great cure.
Jesus shares about what it means to be a follower of His in Matthew 10:33,
Whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in Heaven. — NASB1995
He goes on in the next several verses to say that He came to the world to bring a dividing sword and that families would even be separated over Him. Jesus said that if we love the world or other people more than we love Him, we are not worthy of Him:
The one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. — v. 38 NASB
Jesus speaks some hard words here. These are not the words of a weak man. These are not the words of a passive leader who just wants us all to play nice. These words are spoken by a Warrior who is calling us to risk it all for a greater reward. This is an ultimatum, spoken by a fierce and determined King. He draws a line in the sand—are we with Him or are we not?
He wants our whole heart. It’s all or nothing.
Notice the word follow from that passage above. It is crucial that we get this part. Jesus does not ask us to go it alone, nor does He require what He has not already given. He’s not a tyrant who places pointless demands for the sake of an ego-fueled power trip. Oh no, that is not my Jesus.
He first came for us, willing to give up His life for us. The Maker of All laid aside His divinity and entered the world He created. He became a man so that He could set all humankind free! We were slaves to the Evil One, and Jesus came to rescue us.
You guys, can you wrap your heart and mind around this? This is better than any fairy tale ever written. Our Hero God came to our rescue! He broke down every wall, kicked in every door, and led His bride to freedom. That means you! With fierce love in His eyes, He rushes into your prison cell and says to you, “Follow Me!” Follow Him to freedom, to forgiveness, to healing, to love, and to life! He gave His all for you. And all that He asks in return is everything.
Excerpted with permission from Rebel: Following Jesus When the World Walks the Other Way by Anne Wilson, copyright Anne Wilson.
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Your Turn
Are you all in? Jesus who gave you everything requires your all! Your heart, mind, soul, finances, schedule, family, friendships, and desires. Go after Him because He loves you! ~ Devotionals Daily