Text- Philippians 3:12 – “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus”
I want you to imagine that you are in a hall with about 50 people, each one going about their own business. Imagine that suddenly, you see everyone running towards the door to escape, what would you do?
Would you stay still and start asking why people are running? I’m sure you won’t. When you see such a thing, you instinctively just follow after, and ask the questions later.
If you think about it, you will come to realize that you do not need to learn all the rudiments of wisdom in order to have the results of a wise man; all you need do is follow the wise man, or at least the example of his wisdom.
Life becomes less complicated if we understand the principle of following after. It’s like driving on a road you’re not so familiar with. All you have to do is find a car driven by someone who is well acquainted with the road, and follow after! And that totally solves the problem.
As we round off this series today, let me show you yet another thing that you must follow after, as seen in Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians:
“For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus” – 1 Thessalonians 2:14
Did you see that? – Followers of the Churches of God
Firstly, at every single point in time in your Christian life, you must be a consistent member of a Church (a body of believers, not just a building with a sign posts that says “Church”) where you are directly ‘following after’.
Next, once you have found the God-ordained family of believers where you belong, stay there, and follow after the God-ordained process there. Just like in the analogy I started with, don’t get to your God-ordained family of believers and begin to query every single thing that is done. Follow after, and clarify thereafter.
This is not to say that you should follow blindly. No. You should be careful not to be part of any group that as doctrines that are markedly different from the mainstream Christian doctrine and belief.
Such variant groups are not followers of the ‘Churches’, and are thus called ‘Christian cults’. You should not follow them. A good example is a so called Christian sect that does not accept the deity of Jesus Christ; they say Jesus is just one of the angels.
So then, what you do as a follower of the Churches is to receive the word with all readiness, and thereafter validate from scriptures whether those things are so. Don’t go about dissenting and querying… once it’s in line with scriptures, just follow after!
Happy Sunday, beloved follower of the Churches of God. Shalom!
PRAYER
Father, I commit today to be a faithful follower of the divine process you have put in place in my God-ordained family of faith to launch me into my divine destiny. Help me so to do in Jesus Name.
Image Credit: allaboutfollowingjesus.org