Many of us think that because we have accepted Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, we are already following Him. Well it's true that following Him begins with being saved, but it doesn't end there either.
What Christ Has Done for You
Many who profess to be saved and have become "Christian" don't necessarily live the life that is expected of those who have come to truly understand what Christ has done.
Christ came to earth in order to show us the love of God that saves us. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us, "Because God's children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying."
Friends, Christ died so that we could be set free. And this freedom is not meant for us to squander or waste in useless pursuits – rather, we were set free so that we would live for Him who died for us
2 Corinthians 5:15 tells us, "He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them."
Living for Christ Means Living in the Light
Living in and for Christ doesn't have any "figurative" or super-special meaning. It simply means that we will live for God, according to how He wants us to live, as written in His Word.
It means fully trusting in Christ's finished work of saving us. It means turning away from the things He saved us from: away from sin, wrongdoing, evil desire, and turning towards righteousness, justice, holiness, and truth.
1 John 1:5-10 best explains it:
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
Friends, in light of this, we should ask ourselves: have we really decided to follow Jesus? Does my life show fruits of truly following Him?
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)
