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 NLT
But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” Galatians 3:10-12 NLT
We humans have a terribly toxic tendency to go to extremes. It is extremely difficult for us to receive something as is without making the edits and adjustments that seem reasonable to us, even when the directives we have come directly from God. Even in the Old Testament, people felt it necessary to add to what God had said and overcomplicate it, or to minimize what He said and pass over His clear directives. In the time since Christ came as the perfect fulfillment of the law and the unblemished, perfect sacrifice for our sins, humankind has only multiplied the problem.
Perhaps this is why Jesus said the true way to life is narrow and few find it – so many people fall on one side or the other of the plain way Jesus showed for following Him. Scores underrate and underestimate the cost of following Jesus. They think following Jesus simply involves believing He is God, Savior of the world, and then trusting Him for forgiveness. That IS the start. But Jesus said it’s much more than that. In plain, easily understandable words, Jesus said, “ANYONE (no exceptions) who wants to follow me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” That’s 100% – no exceptions on any part of this for anyone.
Many others overcomplicate following Jesus and want to make following the law (especially as they interpret it) necessary. Just this week a young friend of mine who is a student at the University of Cincinnati experienced this in a most vile and destructive manner. A group of “Christian religionists” sought to “evangelize” the students, and came shouting evil, hate language, waving Bibles and signs, telling the students they were all going to hell. They listed the laws they had broken that were sending them. (I looked the group up, and the opening words of their website say “99% of you who are reading this are going to a fiery hell. God wants no part of you.”) She quickly bought posterboard and markers and commandeered friends to stage a counter rally. They shared, “Jesus loves you! He wants you! He is your friend!” In response, the other group called them the worst of names and said Jesus doesn’t even know who they are. Sad. Deluded. Even wicked. Jesus plus or minus anything is not Jesus. HE said that.
- Following Jesus is God’s best idea. HE is the Way. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else.