Nuggets from Seeking and Finding God—Followers of Christ

To those whom He called into a saving relationship with Himself, Christ said, “Follow me” (Matthew:4:19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
See All...; 8:22; 9:9; 16:24). This simple command, which our Lord repeated after His resurrection (John:21:19This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
See All...,22), is as applicable to Christians today as it was when He called the first disciples.

What does it mean to follow Christ? Did He promise His followers that they would be successful, wealthy, and esteemed in this world?

God may grant earthly success to a few for His own purposes. On the whole, however, our Lord declared that those who were true to Him would follow in His path of rejection and suffering: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you…. The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you…for my name’s sake” (John:15:18-21 [18] If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. [19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. [20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. [21] But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
See All...).

Such was the lot of the early church. Yet today Christianity is popularized as the key to “the good life.” We try to attract youth to Christ by persuading them that it’s “cool” to be a Christian. The idea of suffering for Christ doesn’t suit a worldly church. How strange such verses as the following seem to Christians in America: “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians:1:29For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
See All...). Suffering is given to us? Paul speaks as though it were a precious privilege to suffer for His sake! After being imprisoned and beaten, the early disciples rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts:5:41And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
See All...). Such is the commitment to which the gospel actually calls us.

Christ told His disciples after His resurrection, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John:20:21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
See All...). The Father sent the Son as a lamb to the slaughter into a world that would hate and crucify Him. And as the Father sent Him, so Christ sends us into a world that He promises will treat His followers as it did Him. Are we willing? Is this your idea of Christianity? If not, then think again and check it out against the Scriptures. Today’s popularized “Christianity” is further from Him and His truth than most of those who call themselves “Christian” realize.