You’re Not Following Jesus Closely Enough . . . and that’s okay.

The gospel is supposed to be good news. It supposed to be the announcement that the battle has been won, that the war is over. It is supposed to be our assurance that in Jesus God has done for us what we could have never done for ourselves. It is supposed to be liberating. It should be free us from the pressure of trying to earn God’s favor.

However, too often we find ourselves worried about our own salvation, worried we are not following Jesus closely enough. The discussion over eternal security (the idea that once a person is saved, they cannot lose their salvation) is relevant only because people are concerned they, or others, are not doing enough to keep their salvation. Without confidence in God’s love for everyone, without a belief in salvation for all, the good news of the gospel gets mixed with guilt, fear, and anxiety rather than love and encouragement.

The other day my wife listened to the podcast of a pastor who challenged his congregation to follow Jesus more closely, encouraging them in our materialistic culture to forsake the pursuit of their own selfish self-interest and instead to sacrifice in their obedience to Christ. To illustrate the point, the pastor told stories of people who had sold their homes, or moved overseas, or done other things in radical commitment to the things of God. The pastor even used an example or two from his own life.

It’s inspiring. It’s convicting. It encourages me to pursue Jesus more and it makes me feel guilty I’m not. It’s an important message, one that needs to be shared.

However, as I think about it, I want to ask the question: So, who is doing it? Or who would say they are doing it? Is the pastor holding himself up as one who is demonstrating sufficient commitment in his relationship with God? What about the people in the stories he told? For him those people seemed to be examples of radical commitment to God, which begs the question: What does radical commitment to God look like? If the pastor’s message suggested at least some in his congregation were not following Jesus closely enough, that maybe you or I are somehow deficient in our Christian commitment, then what is “closely enough?” What does “closely enough” look like? And who is doing it? Is anyone? If we are going to start comparing, then maybe the people in the pastor’s stories should compare their radical commitment with that of Mother Theresa. Wasn’t she “more” radically committed than them?

I’m not trying to disparage the pastor, or any of the people in the stories He told. Nor am I trying to say we should not point to examples that inspire and encourage us . . . but these are things I wonder. Maybe the people in his congregation are at a point where they need to be encouraged to follow Jesus more closely, but if they do all the things he suggests, will they then be at a point of following Jesus with sufficient commitment? Is it possible to arrive at a point of following Jesus “closely enough?”

Again, not that we don’t need moments of challenge as well as moments of encouragement, but it seems to me we are coming at the whole discussion from the wrong end. We are motivated by fear, by guilt, by insecurity. Our commitment to God seems only an attempt either to earn God’s favor or to somehow prove to Him we are grateful for what He has done for us. We hear a message like the one above and we feel guilty, nervous God is somehow displeased with our effort, certainly in comparison to others. Instead of rejoicing in what He has done for us, we worry we are not doing enough. We are focusing not on Him but on us.

It seems backward.

Jesus’ call to discipleship had nothing to do with “close enough.” It had nothing to do with guilt and shame. Jesus never came down on anyone who was not following Him closely enough — in fact, He only came down (and came down hard) on the people who thought they were! Jesus’ harshest words, his sternest rebukes, were for those most certain of their commitment to God, for those who said, in effect, “Look at me. I am doing it.”

Let me pause for a second and say again that I am not trying to disparage the above pastor, nor to suggest Jesus’ harshest words are somehow for him. I just want to examine the kind of thinking, prevalent in today’s evangelical world, that focuses too much on what we need to do and not enough on what Jesus has already done. And it seems to me this kind of thinking is prevalent because we are too busy trying to prove we are among the chosen few, the saved, the elect, too busy trying to ensure we will avoid the horrors of hell, rather than rejoicing in what Jesus has done for us, confident He has saved not only us but the world.

There is a place for the pastor’s message. We need to encourage one another to heed Jesus’ call to discipleship, without the right motivation, our obedience is only a “sounding gong or a clanging symbol.” Without the right perspective, our “obedience” to Christ is only that of which we accuse our culture: the pursuit of our own selfish self-interest! We want to take pride in our commitment to Christ. Subconsciously we want to be able to say, “Look at me; I am doing it.” Somehow, we want to feel good about how close we are following Jesus, when the truth is: WE WILL NEVER FOLLOW JESUS CLOSELY ENOUGH!

In that regard, as much as we need to preach against the futility of attempting to find meaning in the pursuit of success or material gain, so also we must preach against the futility of attempting to find meaning in the pursuit of doing enough for God. Coupled with encouraging our people to live passionately and radically in their commitment to the things of God, we must remind them that nothing they do gains them any favor with God. No amount of obedience to God’s commands is going to earn them greater standing in the eyes of God. No radical commitment will be enough. There is no reason to feel good about how much they are doing for God or how closely they are following Him.

The gospel message has NOTHING to do with us! Our part in the gospel is rebellion! If we’re going to feel good about something, we should feel good that Jesus has saved us, knowing we have contributed nothing! This is Paul’s message in Galatians chapter 2: “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

So what is the proper motivation? What is the proper perspective? If grace is unconditional, if we are eternally secure, if everyone will ultimately be saved, what should motivate our radical obedience to Christ? His call to discipleship seems clear: “If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” Obedience and commitment are proper terms to describe that to which Jesus calls us. Why pursue them?

The answer is found in Jesus next statement: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it but he who loses his life for my sake will find it.” The pursuit of our own selfish self-interest, in whatever form, will not result in life. It is only in obedience to Christ that life is best! Jesus came to give us life. We follow Jesus not because we are worried about the horrors of hell; we follow Jesus because selfish pursuit ends in death. His way is better!

Our materialistic culture tells us we will find fulfillment and happiness in the pursuit of our own selfish self-interest. Accomplish. Achieve. Acquire. Succeed! Make something of yourself. Become someone. This is where life is found!

Our religious mindset tells we will find fulfillment and happiness if we do more for Jesus. Read your Bible more. Pray more. Give more. Be more morally upright. This is where life is found!

NO! Jesus says.

Neither of the road of material gain nor the road of spiritual achievement will bring you life. Down those roads you will only end up chasing that which you will never catch. Fulfillment and happiness are not found there. Jesus has done for you already that which you could have never done for yourself. You are already someone. He has succeeded for you. He has accomplished what you cannot. You do not have to do anything!

Reading our Bible, then, becomes something we do to remind us of what Jesus has done for us and to learn the best way to live. Prayer is something we do to give thanks to God for what He has done, to acknowledge Him, and to petition His help in the midst of life’s circumstances. Generosity is something we foster within us because it is better to give than to receive. Being morally upright is something we do because the pleasures of sin do not compare with the pleasures of righteousness. Accomplishment, achievement, and success bring satisfaction as we contribute to the world in which we live and they help us let others know what Jesus has done for them. The things we do don’t gain us anything before God; they only serve to remind us of what He has already done for us.

A few years ago my family and I were on our way to visit my wife’s parents, who live across several states from us. It was late, my wife and kids were asleep, so I put in a podcast. In the half-hour sermon, the pastor hammered home again and again that the gospel has nothing to do with us, that our self-focused attempts to “be better,” to follow God more closely, only serve to distract us from focusing on what God has done for us in Christ, and actually make us worse. Quit focusing on yourself, he said. Take the burden off your shoulders. Jesus has done it for you.

Driving that night, I listened to that same podcast three times in a row and I remember laughing out loud at the relief I felt. Whew!!! It doesn’t depend on me. This is the message of grace. This is the good news. This is what Jesus came to bring.

The gospel is good news. It gives hope without restraint, peace without restriction, joy without qualification, assurance without condition. The gospel is for you, it is for me, it is for everyone. It has saved us, redeemed us, given us freedom. We don’t have to do anything.

So, don’t worry that you’re not following Jesus closely enough. You’re not. You never will. It’s not about you. So quit worrying about it, and just rejoice in what He has done for you.

And the irony is, the more you quit worrying about it, the more you rejoice in what He has done for you . . .

. . . the closer you will follow Him.

Really Good News, Really

Written by

My name is Jeff. I am an evangelical Christian who believes the Gospel of Jesus is good news for everyone. Really good news, really.

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