Finding the New You

#35 The ‘IF’ of Following Jesus

Posted: Thursday, October 24th, 2019
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About Finding the New You Series

Revelation is given in the practical places. Every life experience is buried treasure for discovery of who God is and what Jesus has given: a whole, new YOU.

Devotional

Jesus had fed the 4,000. Peter revealed his revelation of Jesus as the “Christ of God.” To the disciples, Jesus described His suffering and it seems to be then that He addressed the crowd:

And He said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me…
Luke 9:23 NKJV

The invitation to Jesus’ path is given to all. To the crowd. To the twelve. To the rich young ruler. To the slick tax collector. To you. To me.

The most astounding word in the verse, however, is the smallest word: IF. That ‘if’ throws it back on me and makes following Christ rest entirely on my ‘whether’ and not on His ‘come.’ Some followed. Most didn’t. The ‘IF’ is the terrible freedom of God’s genuine love.

Other Devotionals in Finding the New You Series

Finding the New You Is an Adventure #42 Pleasing to God #41 What Has Eternal Value? #40 Deny Self for Christ #39 The Self-focused Self #38 Desire is the Power to Follow #37 Only Love Will Truly Follow #36 Who Will Follow Christ?
#35 The 'IF' of Following Jesus (Currently Viewing)
#34 Jesus Said, Deny Self #33 The Fact of Having Died in Christ #32 The Fact of Salvation #31 Cemented Sin, A Garment Only #30 One Problem, Not Many #29 Free of the Incessant Sin #28 The Perfecting of the Saints #27 The Fullness of Christ #26 Belong is the Word #25 That I May Gain Christ #24 Put on Fully the Glorious Christ #23 The Good Self Must Go #22 Possessed by Christ Absolutely #21 The Victim Mentality Is Satan's Deception #20 Losing Our Soul-life #19 Whoever Loses Their Life for Him #18 The Spirit of Your Mind #17 What is the Lord's Joy? #16 Ready to Have Your Eyes Opened? #15 The Nature of the Old Self #14 Clothed with Humility #13 Possibility of Being Free #12 Discovery Not Improvement #11 Change through Revelation, Not Effort #10 Knowing Who Christ Is #9 How to Break the Conquering Grip #8 Lay Aside the Old Self #7 Utterly, Gloriously Free! #6 Deceit is in the Nature of Adam and Eve #5 The Old Self Will Deceive #4 Old Self is Morally Decaying #3 The Adamic Nature Is Utterly Corrupt #2 Discovering Our Own Futility #1 Fallen Nature, Not Just Sins