Follow the LeaderIn a recent article called Spiritual Sodomy, we have posted a "Priestcraft" video series by Youtube's Faith and Reasons, which examines the use of sorcery and witchcraft in much of the modern churchworld.
One of the affects of spiritual sodomy cited in that article was people having unhealthy, inordinate, unGodly, enslaving soul ties to those they deem to be leaders in the church. A lot of this stems from a failure to understand not only who the church is, but who the head of the church is.
"Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men." I Corinthians 14:20
When we first come to faith in Christ, we come to Him as babes. We should be as children in our faith towards Him in terms of being completely dependent on and trusting in Him. Yet He exhorts us to mature and be perfected in regards to our knowledge of Him. It is good to have strong faith, but it can be deadly to have strong faith in that which is false.
Following Christ
"If any man serve me, let him follow me." John 12:26aThe only person the Christian is exhorted to follow at all times and in all things is Jesus Christ. Following Christ is not simply acknowledging His example and trying to determine "What would Jesus do?" That is religious performance. Following God is not about emulations, but obedience.
Obey
"If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God." I Samuel 12:14
We cannot claim to be following God while at the same time being in rebellion against God. The only way we can continue to follow God is by obeying Him. To serve God is to follow Him. To follow Him is to obey Him.
When I tell my child to follow me, and I go into the grocery store and he goes into the toy store, he is NOT following me; he is being disobedient. We must stop pretending that we are following God when we are really doing our own thing.
When we walk in deliberate opposition to the word of God, we have ceased from following Him and are instead walking after the imaginations of our own minds (I Samuel 15:11-23). Obedience is better than sacrifice.
Deny Yourself
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23
What does it mean to follow Christ? It means to first deny yourself. This point alone will keep people out of a world of trouble. The word "deny" is the Greek word aparneomai meaning "lose sight of one's self and one's own interests". Instead of "losing sight" of one's interests, many are preaching to name and claim your interests "in the name of God." This is a false gospel.
If your walk with Christ centers around a gospel that is all about you - what you want, what you think, what God is going to do 'for you' - then you are NOT following Christ. The Gospel of Christ is built upon a foundation of self-denial.
This is not about being self-deprecating or being financially in lack. It is about being born again to live for Christ and not for your "self". It is about loving God for who He is and not what He can do for you. It is about being content, whether abound or abased because your hope is not in this world, but in Him.
That is why we are to carry our cross daily, signifying that we are crucified to this world because we have crucified the flesh - including its affections and its lusts. Only then are we equipped to obey or follow Him.
Fellowship vs. Followship
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