What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?

Would you like to know Jesus personally? You can. Understanding these basic principles will help you discover who Jesus is, get to know Him for yourself, and experience the life He meant for you to live.

  1. God loves you and offers you a wonderful future.

    “God loved the people of this world so much that He gave His only Son [Jesus], so that everyone who has faith in Him will have eternal life and never really die” (John 3:16, CEV).
     
  2. Our sin—that spirit of rebellion that pulls us away from God—separates us from His love and His plan for us.

    “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23, CEV).
     
  3. We may try to return to God through our own efforts—goodness, generosity, religion—but we can never succeed.

    “You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about” (Ephesians 2:8-9, CEV).

  4. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin.

    “Sin pays off with death. But God’s gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23, CEV).
     
  5. The Cross of Jesus bridges the gap sin created between us and God.

    The sacrifice Jesus made on that Cross paved the way for us to receive forgiveness, hope, and life.
     
  6. We must each decide for ourselves if we will follow Jesus or reject Him.

    “Yet some people accepted Him and put their faith in Him. So He gave them the right to be the children of God” (John 1:12, CEV).

So where are you? Are you far from God, separated from Him by your sin? Are you trying to reach Him on your own—perhaps relying on being a good person—but falling short of your own expectations, let alone His?

Or do you recognize your need for Jesus? Do you want to cross the bridge to life? Are you ready to choose to follow Him, trust Him, and place your hope in Him?

You can accept Jesus into your life and begin following Him right now. There’s no “magic incantation” or secret handshake to learn; simply decide. Then begin reading the Bible (using an understandable translation), talk with God through prayer (as in a normal conversation), and connect with a church where you can grow and thrive in your newfound faith.

To mark your decision with a simple prayer, you can pray something like this:

Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for making the sacrifice on the cross to pay for my sinful rebellion against God. I choose today to open the door of my life to You. I want to follow You and get to know You better each day. I may not fully understand what it means right now, but I choose You. Thank You for forgiving me and offering me eternal life with You. Work within me and make me the person You want me to be.

If you have made this decision, let me know. I’d love to be able to pray for you and support you as you begin your new faith journey. Enjoy the adventure.

One thought on “What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?

  1. […] The reality of the Resurrection proves that Jesus is who He says He is. The question is, what are you going to do about it? […]

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