Ever heard a preaching where you are told to follow Jesus?
Have you ever heard the prerequisites and rules and obligations for following Jesus?
Have you been told how the true follower looks?
What you must leave?
Give up?
The verses in Matthew 14:24 and what follows onward about following, are frequently bashed-up by the Babylon-teacher to suit a perverted case for works-driven righteousness.
As if the complete work of Jesus on the cross and beyond is not enough.
We'll look at these verses, how the institutional church perverts it and then we'll look at what Jesus is saying in proper context ...
As if the complete work of Jesus on the cross and beyond is not enough.
We'll look at these verses, how the institutional church perverts it and then we'll look at what Jesus is saying in proper context ...
The scripture
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Mat 16:24-27
The perversion
And so the law-preacher will quickly make you believe that you have to accept and suffer every and any situation that comes your way (your cross), endure it and just, whatever ... go after Jesus no matter what?
No fighting the good fight ...
No resisting the devil ...
No speaking to the mountain ...
No taking dominion ...
Just have a total fatalistic world view and believe that God has a purpose in whatever the devil dishes up ... and that it is God's will. Follow, whatever comes your way.
How pitiful?
How blasphemous?
The context
Do you want the context?
Really?
Jesus was talking to His disciples. He was just rebuking Peter for coming against the will of God for arguing that he would never permit Jesus to go the cross. He was just telling the devil, who persuaded Peter to do so, to get behind (opisō which means to behold and see what was really going to happen) Him.
Then Jesus said these profound words If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
The unadulterated message containing the pure Gospel
What did Jesus say?
Embrace hardship, but keep following Me?
No!
Jesus says if any man comes after me, let him deny his own works of righteousness and crucify his own efforts (take up his cross) and let him rather behold My finished work! Let him aparneomai meaning to affirm that one has no acquaintance or connection with himself and let him rather follow or akoloutheō, join and form a union with Me.
In other words ...
Jesus says repent and confess.
Remember this post on repent and this one on confess?
Jesus says behold My finished work and agree.
To follow Jesus does not mean to embrace hardship! No!
It means to behold, to join up with Him, to come in union with His work. Not our's!
To behold is to wait. Remember we also talked about it in this post.
It means to behold, to join up with Him, to come in union with His work. Not our's!
To behold is to wait. Remember we also talked about it in this post.
Behold is not to accept or give up
It means to behold Him.
To take up your God-given authority as an heir in His kingdom and to move in His victory! To resist the devil so that he flees!
It means to behold Him.
To take up your God-given authority as an heir in His kingdom and to move in His victory! To resist the devil so that he flees!
If that was not so, Jesus would never have commissioned us to go and preach the Gospel, make followers of Him (akoloutheō), heal the sick and cast out the demons.
Every man shall be rewarded according to His works?
Yes. Either your own works of righteousness OR you follow Jesus - behold and appropriate the finished work of Jesus!
Be a true follower!
Behold Jesus and His finished work.
Anyone who says any different ... tel that devil to opisō and see what really happened.
He, the devil, is under His feet ... and under yours!
It is your work to remind him of his defeated position.
It is your work to remind him of his defeated position.
To be a disciple is to be a follower of the victorious Jesus. Not an embracer of the works if the devil but to follow Jesus nonetheless!
Behold and rest in Jesus!
Behold and rest in Jesus!
HalleluYAH!