Following Jesus

Following Jesus is not something we do very well on our own. That’s because all of us are prone to want to follow our own paths and desires, rather than God’s. God calls this sin, and it separates us from Him because He is a holy God, and our sin makes us unholy.

We can do nothing on our own to make up for the sin in our lives. We can try to be good people, or do good works, but none of those things removes the stain of sin that separates us from God. Fortunately, God made it possible for us to have a relationship with Him by sending His son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for all of our sins through his death on the cross.

Since God did all the work for us to receive forgiveness for our sins, the only thing left for us to do is to personally receive this gift by faith. God promises that as we do, He will forgive our sins and reserve a place in heaven for us, where we will spend eternity with Him and all other believers.

We cannot be a follower of Jesus until we have received this gift by faith. Once we have, the rest of our lives are spent trying to live out the teachings of our Savior, and follow His example for how to live a life that is honoring to God. We learn the details of how to do this by studying the Bible, where God shows us how to live a life that is pleasing to Him. We also honor Him with our worship, and find strength and support through the relationships we build with other Christians. Olivet is a safe and welcoming place to build those relationships.

Fortunately God gives us help in this transformation from a life punctuated with the problems our sin causes in our lives. Once we have walked across the bridge of the cross to God, He sends His Holy Spirit to empower us to overcome those areas in our lives that have created repeated havoc and pain.

There is no greater adventure, and no more joyous life than becoming a follower of Jesus.