Feb. 9, 2010 - Follower of Christ

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 - 8:05 AM CST

By Dorothy Rugg

It is easy for people to say they are Christians and then live their life as they please. It is another thing entirely to be a follower of Christ and live a surrendered life unto the Lord.

We need to say to God, “I surrender to You. I no longer want to live my life away from You. I no longer want to do things that go against You and Your Word. I surrender my will to Your will. God, I realize that You love me so much that You sent Your Son to die in my place. Jesus paid the penalty of my sin so I can live for You.”

Being a follower of Christ is more than just saying a prayer and asking Jesus into your heart; it is surrendering daily to God. To build a relationship with the Lord we must spend time in prayer, we must read the Word and make application of the Word into our lives. We must join with a body of believers to be taught the Word, and we must be “doers” of the Word.

When our lives are surrendered to the Lord, we are constantly growing in our relationship with God. The more we love God, the more our lives will be a reflection of God’s love to others.

It is time for those of us who call ourselves “Christians” to do an inventory of our lives. If we are still practicing some of the works of the flesh, it is time to repent and clean house. It is time for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in our lives. It is time for our words and deeds to become daily evidence of the change our risen Savior has brought about in us.

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24,25, NIV).

— James and Dorothy Rugg live in Dalton, Pa., and pastor Mill City AG.