MUST I LEAVE MY OLD LIFE BEHIND TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST

2 Corinthians 5:17

The Bible is pretty plain, "if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a NEW CREATION. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17) And this doesn't just mean 'NEW', as you immediately feel better, in fact it is possible you may not have a lot of feelings at first or even at times during your walk with Christ as faith is not based on emotions and feelings, but in making a decision often from just a head and heart connection which has given you a Revelation of our Risen Lord and Savior and a prompting to change or transform your life that will grow in you as you dive in the Word and follow Him! But perhaps you may feel excited, emotional, as we are all different, unique in our own special ways! You might feel rejuvenated, more alive, different and perhaps in an unexplainable way, for you are on a path where if you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus you will never be the same. Though in either case, the most important thing is that you receive him with sincerity, conviction, and with an intentional desire to know him more! Now this does not mean you need to change your favorite color, your favorite hobbies and activities, the car you drive, the house you live in but you will likely more than not need to change where these things rank in the list of priorities you will now have as a follower of Christ Jesus! And you will also need for lack of a better word and mind reset as to who the owner of the blessings God has given you and by that statement hopefully you are catching on that it is HE and that you and I are just the stewards!

Though not always, it may be possible that God may ask you to walk away from one or more of the things your thought you owned in your former life because it has become an idle in your life that may need to be taken from you for a season or for the long haul but everyone’s situation is different and it is God who knows your heart and call you with finer definition of what your cross looks like when he says pick up your cross and follow me! And yes you can still have fun but it should never dishonor God and in some measure some more obvious than others, whatever you do be it work, biking, hiking, dancing, spending time with family be done unto the Lord! I for one in my testimony will tell you that God has plucked out every bad branch that does not bear fruit but some of my closest times with him are doing activities like those I mentioned above. In my many years as a follower of Christ there have been few things less appealing than a starchy (stiff) old Christian that doesn’t seem to have any liveliness or joy in their life!

However, there will be things that you must leave behind and not just re=prioritize for the scriptures tell us that anyone and everyone who comes to Christ must be different, must leave their former lives behind. When we have a new relationship with Christ, we also by default have a new relationship with everyone else in the world. Especially those once strong unions with people whose ways and beliefs are at odds with what it means to follow Jesus. Fellowship of equal standing with those who are not in Christ when we come to Christ must be severed. People and things that pull on us or could potentially be viewed as testing God as we toy with temptation must cease to be part of our Lives!

The Bible tells us this “do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers… be separate” (2 Cor. 6:14, 17) 1 Cor. 10:21-22 says, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons…. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy?” Contemplating things of such magnitude should cause one to count the cost of following Jesus.

Do we choose Christ? If we do, we must not look back. Jesus said the one who looks back is not worthy to be his disciple (Luke 9:59-62). We must see all other relationships, all other strong ties as worth giving up compared to gaining Christ (Luke 14:25-33).

I do not refer to these scriptures lightly but I also want to caution those who read them and this message to not be overtaken by religion. It is no easy thing to deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus. But that does not mean you need to be rigid and life draining for even our Savior partook in such feast as weddings and other celebrations.

While the accounts of the bible are more about his mission of Salvation, the fact that the aforementioned are written in the scriptures would lead me to believe Jesus still had fun, rested which is mentioned, and may on occasion have kicked off his sandals and sat in the sand at the Sea of Galilee, or perhaps even went for a long walk to relish at his Father’s creation and to spend time with God and with his Friends! However, following Christ does have its challenges and one who teaches otherwise does not know our Savior or his teachings. Yes, Jesus does not desire to drown out your uniqueness he does desire to help you get your life and priorities in order so in some respects everything you have ever known will be turned upside down. People may try to shame you; there may be persecution, there may be shunning. And yet Jesus knew all these things would happen. He said in Luke 12:51-52, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.”

The question remains when this happens as to which side of the dividing line will we be found? Will you, with trembling knees stand with Jesus, or will you allow this persecution and re-prioritization of your life and transforming of your mind to cause you to be ashamed of him?

Do you count all things as loss in order to gain Christ, or is Jesus only another accessory or a novelty in your life? Take heart the words of Jesus “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory” (Mark 8:38)

This might lead one to despair. Thinking I can't do this, this sounds too difficult. And you're right, it is. In fact, it is impossible, in and of yourself!!

But take heart for it is not impossible with God (Luke 18:27).