We’re called to be different things but the most imperative thing to note is that we are called to be disciples of JESUS. The easiest way to fail as Christians is to forget that we’ve been called to be disciples of JESUS when we get too busy with our assignments that we forget our purpose. I remember a discussion with a friend of mine. He was giving his studies as an excuse for not giving GOD sufficient attention. Because I was persistent, in an attempt to silent me he asked me “what is my primary purpose in school?” I asked in return “what’s your primary purpose on earth?” Similarly, it’s true that we have been called to several things as Christians, but we must never forget that we’ve been particularly called as disciples.
“The reason why a man can be proud because he knows the Bible so much is because HE hasn’t known JESUS so well”
This is the reason why many ministers are proud. A man may know the Bible and still be proud if he hasn’t known JESUS. A man may be a professor of religious studies and yet he can’t recognize the voice of JESUS. A man may be a professor of theology and yet can’t tell whether an angel of light is his enemy or his Savior. This is a fearful thing, workers that don’t know their MASTER. Many Bishops, Apostles, Evangelists, Pastors that are not disciples of JESUS CHRIST.
Once in mark 9:38, the disciples report to JESUS that they met a man who drove out demons in HIS name but wasn’t part of them, many of us are like that man. Let us call this man ‘Mr. John’. I remember my project defense in my final year in university, a student came out to present a wonderful project he had made, only to be shocked by his supervisor who stood up and said to him, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know you, you can’t present this project’. This kind of Christians preach a man they don’t know. A man they’ve not lived with. Though they do the works of JESUS, it’s very hard for them to live HIS life. These are the kinds of people JESUS was talking about when HE said “many will say to ME, LORD, LORD, in your name we cast out demons but I’ll say to them, depart from ME you workers of iniquity, for I know you not”. They had HIS power but they didn’t have HIS nature. They knew the secrets but they didn’t know HIM.
Many Christians are like Mr. John, casting demons out in the name of a man they don’t know. This is why there are many errors in the church, many incorrect lives, many heretic doctrines, it’s not an intentional attempt to corrupt the church, it’s merely the consequence of preaching a man you don’t know. Ask Apollos for more details.
This is not a question of whether you are a believer, it’s a question of whether you are following HIM who you’ve believed. We know HE is your Savior, is HE your Lord? Are you living the exact life HE would have you live? We live in an era when Evangelists are becoming mission fields, pastors are in desperate need of basic bible class all over again, and all other shameful news we hear. You have been called first and foremost as a disciple, to learn of JESUS, to follow HIM, to know HIM, to know HIS voice, to speak like HIM, to act like HIM, to be like HIM. A walk with JESUS doesn’t take a while, it takes a lifetime.