“I have decided to follow Jesus”

Gleanings from the Scriptures: Matthew 16:24

(All Scripture translations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.)

Someone once said, "If Jesus died for me, then I will live for Him." There's a lot of truth in that statement because there is a cost to being a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus said to His disciples:

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24).

Being a true disciple of Jesus is a total life commitment that encompasses every aspect of one's life. From what the Lord said here, it does not allow for a casual or a convenient relationship with the crucified and resurrected Savior of our lives. The price to follow the Lord is extremely costly and our decision to be His followers must not be made lightly.

Let us look at Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 16:24 to be His followers and what exactly that decision entails.

• "If anyone desires to come after Me."

The NLT puts Jesus' words this way, "If any of you wants to be my follower…" You see, when we decided to become a disciple or a follower of Jesus, in essence, we decided to relinquish the lordship and the control of our very lives over to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Theoretically, we then are no longer in control of our lives nor are we the master of our lives – Jesus is.

• "Let him deny himself."

The NLT says, "You must give up your own way." Hmmm. It's getting more transparent about the actual cost of following Jesus. To "deny" oneself is to put aside one's desires and adopt the desires of Jesus for one's life. It translates into what He wants as opposed to what we want.

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…" The word "kingdom" here means a king's rule and reign.

So, to "deny" oneself is to put aside one's personal ambitions and goals and adopt those of King Jesus.

• "Take up his cross."

Simply put, the "cross" speaks of crucifixion and death – that's our crucifixion and our death. The apostle Paul clarifies what exactly is being put on the cross: "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20 NLT).

Paul explained, "We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ…" (Romans 6:6 NLT).

• "And follow Me."

To follow Jesus is to follow Him wherever that path may lead. More than likely, to wholeheartedly follow Jesus will include suffering, being persecuted, being hated, falsely accused, and even being rejected. I could possibly even include martyrdom – being killed for being a Christian.

So, deciding to follow Jesus is no small life choice. It will cost us everything.

I close with the old hymn: I have decided to follow Jesus.

I have decided, to follow Jesus;
I have decided, to follow Jesus;
I have decided, to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Tho' none go with me, still I will follow;
Tho' none go with me, still I will follow;
Tho' none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.