Serving No Foreign God (Part 3)
- Vuyani Tshiwula
- Mar 4, 2022
- 4 min read
Reference Scriptures:
Exodus 20:1-6; Romans 2: 1-2; Matthew 16:24
In this third part on “trusting in the Lord,” we look at the price believers have to pay in order to follow God wholeheartedly. To catch on to the previous two parts, kindly click here (Part-1 Maintaining a good relationship with God and Part-2 Paying the necessary price). In as much as Christianity is a faith that operates based on a relationship, that relationship is strengthened and defined by our ability to lay down our own lives that Christ and the Spirit of God may take root in and reflect who God is through us.
Price following Jesus: Matthew 16:24
Jesus warned his audiences that becoming his true follower comes at a price. Willingness to pay a price for following was non-negotiable. It is important to note that this price is paid in continuous installments as indicated here below:
Self-denying: The first installment paid by the prospect disciple will be sacrificing self-importance. The life of the disciple can no longer be about self but about giving glory to God. Paul displayed a great understanding of this requirement when he wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by, faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul took a conscious decision to give up some of his privileges in order for Christ to reflect in his life. He no longer lived to gain recognition but to give God glory. The things that would otherwise give him reason to brag were no longer important to him only to make Christ this reason for living. He regarded what God has done for him as a reason good enough to give up everything for him. He understood that to be a true follower of Christ demanded that he deny himself.
Picking up the cross: The second installment required is to pick up one’s cross and follow Jesus. There were at the very least two things that were associated with the cross at the time.
Firstly, the cross was coupled with humiliation. The cross was given to those perceived as the worst criminals to carry to a place where they were going to be crucified. This was done in order to humiliate them and also served as a deterrent for other prospective criminals not to repeat the act. The prospective disciple must be willing to be humiliated for his/her faith. Opposition will try and make others scared of receiving the faith because of possible persecution. To be a true disciple of Jesus will not make you a darling to everyone, instead, it will make you isolated and lonely.
This is the installment the disciples must be willing to pay. At times it will not be popular or even pleasant to serve the Lord, however, it will always be the right thing to do.
Secondly, the cross meant death as it was the most dishonorable way to die. Following Christ will require that one pay the ultimate price at times. This is the way that most apostles departed from this world, they were killed for their faith. True followers of Christ are like a bad smell to the wicked and so they (the wicked) make it their mission to eliminate the disciples. Paul once more displayed an understanding of this requirement as he wrote, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Paul was not only willing to confront the difficulties of following Jesus head-on; he was also willing to die for his faith. Though the opposition may use death as punishment for following Jesus, Paul regarded it as an honour to die for Jesus.
Contrary to how we evangelize, accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior presented a willingness to suffer as one of the requirements to follow him. Though the benefits of being the true disciple of the Lord are overwhelmingly awesome, there are also dangers coupled with that. Those who are not willing to be isolated, humiliated, and made laughingstock are not ready to be the true disciples of the Lord. Serving God does not take storms away but gives us peace in the middle of storm and we pass them unharmed.
Conclusion
It goes without saying that God continues to love and come through for his children. Though at times, it may seem like he is uninterested when we cry to him, just at the right time he will answer our prayers. It therefore important for us not to forget where we have been with the Lord and just like David said, “and forget not all His benefits”. It is easy to forget where we have been with the Lord when things are going well with us and take all the credit for our breakthroughs. The tendency of forgetting what God has done for us usually makes our breakthroughs unsustainable.
It is further important to guard against using the very same breakthrough that God provides as a weapon to undermine or dishonour God. Many have employed God’s blessings to bring shame to the kingdom. We have successfully established in this message that God does not take pleasure in us using the great things he has done for us to shame our faith. We have made a compelling argument that our breakthroughs will attract all kinds of people, exposing us to different influences. It is at times like these that we need to be extra vigilant that we don’t find ourselves serving other gods. Since the idols of today are invisible it is advisable that we put in place good countermeasures so as to be able to resist all forms of deceptions and give glory to Almighty only.
Though serving God is full of awesome rewards, there are also prices to pay. Our journey will not always be smooth, there will be challenges from time to time, but victory is certain for the children of God. WE ARE COMMANDED TO SERVE NO OTHER GOD.
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