Beauty in Following.

(http://epiphany-lutheran.com)

There is a beauty in following Christ than is near-indescribable. It is a complex thing when you scrutinize it, but a very simple thing when you take it for what it is.

Why it is complex:

God created man. Man sinned. Man plunged into revolving darkness. Hope disappeared. Darkness prevailed. Light was shadowed. But then Hope was born in the most hopeless of times and places. Hope rose to live a life that pointed to attainable perfection to the law. Hope was the Messiah, the Saviour of Man. Christ abode in God, pleasing the Father and embracing His love. Christ died for sin, though sinless was he. Christ was buried in the grave, fully dead. Hope was buried with Him and darkness filled the world again because the hope found in Christ died when He breathed His last.

Then three days later hope broke free from the clutches of despair and rose with Christ with radiant light, casting off the tendrils of darkness. Christ rose from the dead and brought with Him life everlasting to those who accepted His call to repent and follow. And that's a key thing to note. Christ died for our sins so that we could be reconciled with God and be restored into His Kingdom and be able to live with Him. But then He arose to new life. For one, it was to fulfill the word of God; and another, it was to enable us to walk in newness of life. When Christ died, we were able to die to sin. When Christ rose, we were and are able to rise up again to life anew. And it is with this new life that we can follow Christ when He beckons us.


Why it is simple:

Christ redeemed us. It is only logical to follow Him in respect of gratitude.

Satan wants us to turn that simplicity it to irrationality. He wants us to fear. What if Christ leads us to treacherous places? What if we go alone? What if we get hurt emotionally or physically? What if He leads us to a completely foreign place to our expectations? What if...?

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. --1John 4:18

We have nothing to fear. When we follow Christ, we follow love.

 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love. --1John 4:16

And that is the beauty. Wherever Christ leads us, we will walk in His love. Whatever we experience, we do so through His love. Whomever we meet, we encounter by the love of Christ. We have nothing to fear for what lies ahead or where we will end up because Christ is leading us in the love of the Father.

So follow Christ.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. --Matt. 16:24