God has many believers, people who put their trust in Him to deliver them from the power of sin and death and receive salvation. If you are saved does this make you a disciple or follower of Christ?
Salvation is a free gift that is received when you confess your sins to God and receive Jesus to be your Savior. Many only know Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. The cost of being a disciple of Christ is giving up my right to govern and rule my own life.
The rich young ruler came to Jesus and desired to know how to inherit eternal life. Jesus reminds him of the commandments and the young man replies, “All these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack, go sell everything and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away because he had great wealth. Mark 10:37
Many times our focus in life is for personal holiness, just like the rich young ruler we desire a method we can follow to obtain eternal life without having to surrender our lives to Jesus. The ruler told Jesus that he has always followed the commandments hoping that through his own personal holiness he would be justified. Jesus desire is for nothing to come between us and Him. Is our desire for Him what gets us up in the morning and lays us down at night? God knows the question to ask us that exposes the reality that is in our hearts. As Christians we know that it is right to put God first, many believe that at salvation we have totally surrendered our lives to Christ. This is not so, we have received eternal life but each day we need to walk out our salvation by daily denying ourselves and following Him. How can we be sure that we have surrendered our lives to Christ? What is the test of identification? God is calling us to reduce ourselves and renounce everything that comes between our relationship with Him. We must understand that only one thing saves a man's soul and that is absolute reliance on Christ, but to be a disciple we need to learn how to be God’s possession.
Jesus is always our model on how to have a relationship with the Father. His life was a living example of how to surrender to the Father who is good and merciful. Jesus came to do His Father’s will; He said he only did what he saw the Father doing. When Jesus came to earth he emptied himself of all he possessed in heaven, his place, position, and his power to identify with us. He came in the form of a man, taking on the nature of a servant, which is the lowest, humblest position; he was even obedient to death on the cross. Although Jesus gave up everything he had he was still able to do miracles, signs and wonders and even raise the dead. How is this possible? He was able to do this because His life was not his own, he surrendered it to the Father and God used His life to break off the power of sin and death.
God is calling us to identify with his Son to learn the lesson of Gethsemane, “Not my will but your will be done.”
What areas of our lives are we living for ourselves and not for Him? I have learned all the places in my heart that want to accuse others, pass judgment, live in darkness and isolation have not come in contact with the love of Christ. When you have gazed into the eyes of Jesus your heart will cry out like his did on the cross, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” We need to learn to bring our hearts before the Lord and have him examine us, what areas do we try to hide from God or try to rule our own lives. His desire is to make us like Himself broken bread and poured out wine. When you gaze into the eyes of Jesus you will see the cleansing pools of His kindness, humility and love. It casts out all fear, guilt and shame. Learn the prayer of a humble servant: Help me to see others greater than myself. This is identification.
Kerry Blacklock
