The Choice!

The Choice!

‭Luke 9:23 KJV‬

[23] And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

Just before the verse above, we read of 2 very interesting accounts. The first had to do with the testimony of feeding over 5,000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, and having 12 baskets of fragments left. This was a public event that were experienced by many people at the time. The second account had to do with the testimony of the disciples of Jesus about who He is. The disciples had been with Him for some time, and it was getting to the time when He would go the way of the cross. Peter, one of the 12, made that immortal statement, declaring that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This was a private event, where only the disciples were. So, we have 2 events, one public and one private, both testifying to the person, ministry and testimony of Jesus. No matter where I am now or what is happening to me right now, I have my public and private testimonies to sort out.

Indeed, with Jesus, there is no fence to sit on. The verse above makes that clear. There is a private testimony that will lead to a public declaration. Whether Jesus was addressing the disciples only, or there was a crowd present at the time, the message is clear: we all would have to decide who we will follow. This is a question that impacts eternity, and cannot be taken lightly. It is a personal decision, one that cannot be taken by proxy or on behalf of another person. You cannot sign away your decision by power of attorney. The verse above makes it clear that the offer is for ANYONE WHO WILL COME. The past is not as important as the future. The door is open to all to come in. It does not matter what the depth or spread of the stain is; nothing can withstand the power of the blood of Jesus, if the life is totally surrendered to Him. However, when the decision is made to come, you have to know what is demanded. You cannot afford to get halfway into the journey, and then turn back. 

It would be better not to have started, than to start and then look back. It is a daily walk that must be backed up by actions that align with the demands of that walk. I must deny myself, take up the cross, and follow Jesus. Self will always struggle for relevance, and it is only by total submission that self can be truly broken. It cannot be done by willpower alone; the power of the sinful nature has been in place long before I was born. Jesus is the only One who has conquered the power of sin, death and the grave, and that power is made free and available to ANYONE WHO WILL COME. There is a cross mentioned, which is a daily reminder of the disciplne and dedication required to follow Jesus. It is also noted that none of these steps is optional; if I will truly come after Jesus, I have to do all. God will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied grace for. If He says it is possible, it is by His grace. What is your decision? God's time of favour is here.