4 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Leviticus 14-15
Mark 1:1-20

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Mark 1:16-18 (CSB): “As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus told them, ‘and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

When Jesus looked for men to follow Him and learn from Him, He wasn’t looking for men who already had it all together. He was looking for men whom He could transform into something much more beneficial to His Kingdom.

He didn’t merely say, “Follow me.” He also said that He would teach them and train them to become something they were not: “I will make you fish for people.”

That’s what it means to follow Jesus. It means that we listen to Him (in His Word), seek to understand Him, and put what He says into practice (we believe it and live it). That’s what it means to be a Jesus-follower – we follow Jesus. He teaches and equips us as we become more like Him and useful to the Kingdom.

So, are you a Jesus follower? Far too many people claim to be “Christians,” but that word has been abused and misused by people who merely want a ticket to Heaven without being changed by Jesus. Many so-called “Christians” want Heaven; they just aren’t particularly drawn to Jesus.

And, my friend, if you aren’t following Jesus, if you aren’t learning from Him and being changed by Him, then you probably don’t belong to Him.

In other words, if we believe that we have been saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), then we must also believe that we have been saved to obey (“for good works”). Works don’t save us, but they can certainly demonstrate that we have truly been saved.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (CSB): “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”

We are not saved by anything we do (“works”). But, if we are genuinely saved, we will get busy obeying Jesus (“works”). In other words, being saved means that we will get busy doing what God has told us to in His Word; it’s just that the works will show up AFTER salvation but are absolutely useless BEFORE our salvation.

So, my friend, when Jesus called you to be saved, and you trusted in Him and were made right in God’s eyes, Jesus didn’t merely say, “Follow me.” He also essentially said, “Let’s get busy. I will teach you and equip you to become much more useful to the Kingdom. Your relationship with Me is going to change you.”

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you be assured that you are genuinely saved, that you are trusting in Jesus alone to make you right in God’s eyes.
  • Ask God to help you see that your salvation is not the finish line; it is the start line of a life of learning from Him and becoming more like Him.
  • Ask God to help you resolve right now to take up your cross, follow Him, learn from Him, and gladly serve the One who died to make you completely pleasing in the Father’s eyes and has prepared a place in Heaven just for you.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into some topics I touched on, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does it mean to be ‘fishers of men’?”

“What is spiritual growth?”

Sharing

If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.

____________________

Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)