Becoming a Fully Devoted Follower of Jesus Christ

Luke 5:27-28

After that He (Jesus) went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He (Jesus) said to him, "Follow Me." And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him (Jesus).

Just how are we transformed into fully devoted followers of Christ?

Transformation starts with God, who made it possible for us to be reconciled to Him through Christ’s death on the cross (Romans 5:10). When we receive His gift, not only do we become a new creation, but we also have the opportunity to become a vital part of the ministry of reconciling the world to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-20).

After we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we begin an amazing adventure with God, a lifelong process of transformation from new believer to fully devoted follower.

The transformation is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. The transformation is also partly our responsibility (Philippians 2:12-13). We must learn to identify the leading of the Holy Spirit and respond in obedience. It is only as we are filled with the Holy Spirit that we can follow Christ, surrender to His Lordship, be conformed to His likeness, and become fully devoted followers; learning to identify the leading of the Holy Spirit, yielding our will to His, and responding in obedience requires discipline.

Specifically, we believe that four spiritual disciplines are essential to becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ. Therefore, we encourage and challenge every believer to practice these four disciplines:

1) Grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ

2) Connect in a spiritual - biblical community

3) Serve in your God-given ministry

4) Share the message of Jesus Christ

As we develop and exercise these disciplines in our daily lives, we experience both personal fulfillment as well as fruitfulness for His kingdom! The four disciplines are interconnected components of the growth process, not independent activities. They work together to prepare us to successfully navigate our spiritual journey, make wise decisions, and withstand the hardships along the way. 

The Bible declares without equivocation that Jesus rose from the dead and that He’s alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18). Because Jesus is alive, He can enter into personal relationships with people.  When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, we enter into the most intimate type of relationship two people can have with one another.  We become God’s adopted children, and He becomes our personal Heavenly Father (Ephesians 1:5).

John 1:12 tells us that to every person who believes in Jesus Christ, to them God gives the right/authority to become children of God. Galatians 3:26 echoes this, “For you are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.”  God already knows everything about you (Psalm 139). Now it is your turn to get to know Him, and grow into a fully devoted follower. 

Fully devoted followers exhibit healthy, growing and vibrant relationships with Christ. God desires growth from every living thing He has created, whether it is a mustard seed or a Christ-follower. The Apostle Peter put it this way, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 3:18). And so it is our goal to help every person grow spiritually and move forward on his or her spiritual journey. In order to have this type of intimate relationship with Christ, we must realize that such a relationship is possible. There are enormous segments of Christianity where this truth is not taught, encouraged or believed.

God wants us to know Him, understand His heart, walk with Him and talk with Him like our best friend each and every day about everything. We also have to hunger and thirst for such a relationship with God. In Matthew 5:6, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”  David and the Apostle Paul wrote of such a relationship with God, yet we need to be willing to pay the price for such a relationship.

Firstly, we must read, study and meditate on God’s Word.  I Peter 2:2 tells us to, “Long for the pure milk of God’s word, so that by means of it, you may grow. Secondly, we should be memorizing scripture. David memorized Scripture and wrote of it in the Psalms – “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). We will be amazed at our rapid growth in Christ as we fill our minds and hearts with God’s Word. Thirdly, we must spend time communing with God in prayer.

Just like any personal relationship, we cannot grow to know one another or build a healthy relationship without quality communication. The same applies to our relationship with God.  In Psalm 62:8, David urges us to “pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”  Conversing with God, communing with Him at the deepest levels of our soul and listening to His voice are non-negotiable elements of spiritual growth.

Lastly, we need to be growing in obedience, not just in knowledge. In I Samuel 15:22, we learn that “to obey is better than sacrifice,” and James 1:22 urges us to be doers of God’s Word and not merely hearers. Jesus adds, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching” (John 14:23).

A child that acts defiantly interrupts our feelings of closeness and intimacy, so disobedience deeply affects our relationship with Christ. A fully devoted follower is a person who is growing in their relationship with Christ and is being passionate about getting to know God better through studying God’s Word, memorizing Scripture, prayer and obedience.

Value Driven Behavior

King David demonstrated value-driven behavior in Psalm 15:

Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

Notice that he said the person who enjoys the presence of God and lives a blameless life is the one who “speaks the truth from his heart” (vv. 1-2). Because this person values truth in his heart, his words express truth. Because he values kindness, he “does his neighbor no wrong” (v. 3). Because he values honesty, he “keeps his oath (promise) even when it hurts” (v. 4). Because he values justice, he “does not accept a bribe against the innocent” (v. 5). People that are driven by values reap a great benefit from the Lord. David said they “will never be shaken.” 

Regardless of what may happen around them, they can live with full confidence that the right principles have shaped their values and have guided their decisions. That confidence will give them emotional and spiritual stability. It will enable them to be people that God can use for his glory.

Consider what values drove the psalmist’s behavior. As we examine our own lives, what values do you see as driving your behavior? Many of us hold certain values, but our actions are not governed by the things we say we hold dear. Perhaps we should start by asking ourselves what values we want to have driving our behavior. Unless we become intentional about this, we will be shaped by the values of others. We cannot have a set of values for the office, another set for the home and a completely different set for the Church. Our goal should be to completely integrate godly values into all spheres of life.

As a Church (a local assembly of believers) we should have certain values, things that we believe that guide our actions and behavior. 

Here's a short list for consideration:

1) Because people matter to God, they matter to us.

2) The message of the Gospel transforms lives.

3) Transforming people into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ is our goal.

4) Evangelism and ministry must be approached in ways that are relevant.

5) People must be respected and handled with gentleness.

6) We need to be a caring community where people can connect.

7) Every believer has a God-given ministry.

8) Everything we do for God must be done in excellence.

9) We must have an evangelistic impact upon our community.

10) If we are going to accomplish our God-given mission, we must step out in faith.

We are committed to the authority of God's Word, depending upon the Holy Spirit that empowers and enables.