There is NO Easy Button
Christianity is much more than simply believing in Jesus; it’s following him. We need to make that distinction because our culture is voyeuristic – we like to watch things…and that’s it. People in our culture don’t mind looking at Jesus, but few are actually willing to follow him. Following is much harder. Following Jesus is a commitment to a radical lifestyle after we’ve had an encounter with the transforming grace of God.
Jesus warned that there was no “easy” button for those who wanted to follow him: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matt. 16:24-25).
There is no evidence that Jesus EVER tried to make following him an easy matter. But we are guilty of making it that. We tell folks to just believe in Jesus; just say the sinner’s prayer. Easy. But Jesus said getting into the flow of God’s kingdom was hard, not easy. In Mark 10:24 Jesus said, “How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!” Entering the kingdom (or influence of God) demands a complete “about face” called repentance (see Mark 1:15).
I’m not suggesting we start adding prerequisites to people coming to Jesus. But I am saying we need to consistently nudge people to go deeper than simply believing – JESUS IS LOOKING FOR FOLLOWERS!
People in our culture are open to spiritual things, but not necessarily to someone outside of themselves telling them how to live. Telling someone how to live is a function of surrender to the lordship of another. Paul said surrendering to Jesus’ lordship is precisely where transformation happens (Rom. 10:9).
But culturally, we find that offensive. Individual control—not surrender to another—is considered the cardinal rule of our day:
“I GOTTA BE ME” is our credo.
“What’s right for YOU is not necessarily right for ME,” is considered sacrosanct by most.
“Everyone needs to find their own path,” is the universally accepted mantra.
Though there is some truth in these statements, it’s not the language of a disciple of Jesus. We say things like, “It’s no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me,” or “Not my will but yours be done, Lord,” or “Show me your path, Jesus.”
Individual feelings, assumptions, and personal experience are not exalted above the idea of submission to Jesus’ lordship and his word in a disciple’s life. We may feel like being mean spirited, unforgiving, jealous, hateful, selfish, greedy, etc., but we don’t live by how we feel. We take those impulses that feel so natural to us to the cross. Not easy. Death is a scary enterprise.
But surprise, surprise—in death we find God; we find a new way of living; we become a new kind of humanity; we find life from another dimension…eternal life. And oh how sweet it is.
