Remember when people came to Jesus and promised to follow him but then made excuses for not continuing with him? (Matt. 8:18-22) One had to be reminded that it might not be comfortable. Another had to be willing to make Jesus more important than family. Those were tough decisions. I don’t know what happened to those two. But it seems like they were unwilling to give up what Jesus mentioned and really follow him.

Many people are happy to believe in Jesus and “get a ticket to heaven.” But when it comes to repenting/turning from sin, joyfully living for him every day, and following him no matter the cost, the group is decidedly smaller. The Lord is looking for men, women, and children who will turn to him not just to escape the coming judgment but who will keep on following him.

Look at the disciples. They didn’t have the easiest of lives. But they chose to follow Jesus and learned so much. They watched him for about three years and saw how he interacted with people, loved them, taught them, and pointed them away from their sin to a wonderful, new life that only he could provide. They knew that following Jesus would not be easy, but they learned that it was worth it because he changed their lives for the better.

I have a question for you. Are you a “Christian” in name only or a follower of Jesus? There is a difference. There will be a difference.