When Jesus called his disciples, and said “follow me”, did they have any idea where they were going? Did they have any idea that one day they were going to follow Jesus up Golgotha and see Him crucified?
And Peter, when he caught the vision as Christ asked, whom do men say I am… and Peter answered “thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God”… what did Jesus say, “blessed art thou… for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven”.
And now, when we look at where Christ really wants to lead His people, now when more than ever in the history of the earth the Spirit is drawing men and saying, “follow me”… If we are going to understand that call, it cannot be done without receiving the same blessing that came upon Peter. For Peter was blessed by the aid of the Holy Spirit to recognize the working of divinity, and he desired to follow Christ, and we too must have divine aid to see and follow. Unless the agencies of Heaven are able to reach our minds we will follow a wrong path.
No wonder Paul used the word “Let” when he spoke of the mind of God being known by Christ followers. “Let this mind by in you which was in Christ Jesus Phil 2:5”. Paul said, let this mind be in you which means we have to allow it, or it won’t happen. This allowing of the Spirit of God to convince your mind is the work of the Holy Spirit, and submission to that Spirit is likened in the bible to picking up your cross and following Jesus.
Jesus said, Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Joh 16:7 -8 We must have this power working upon our mind, and we only have clear conviction, and a conscious that can know the will of God as we learn to submit our will to God. This is the “let” process Paul spoke of, and the internal work that is missing today in the work.
Man has a very difficult time submitting his will, it is a cross but we will never come to a saving experience with Christ without it. This is why so little is really known about the bible. It is not intelligence that enables us to understand the Bible although it helps, it is not years of academia, it is placing ourselves under the will of God so He can do His work in His own way without our interference.
Jesus said it this way, Joh 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. You cannot know true doctrine without being willing to do God’s will. You see, the popular church during the time Christ was so immersed in their Rabbis, Rabbinical Schools, Self-Imposed Technicalities of the Law, and man-made religious inventions that they were really doing the will of Satan, and not the God whom they professed to serve.
They were constantly seeking to be admired of men and to be set apart from the common man. Their dress, their deportment, everything they did was for show, and to be seen of men. So Jesus said, Joh 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
Joh 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
Joh 7:20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
You see there were the leaders of the popular church seeking to kill Jesus, and all the while maintaining their lawfulness, and religious garb, yet they were at heart murders. Even when they were caught in the conspiracy of murder, and as Judas saw Christ was condemned he went into the temple and cast down the 30 pieces of silver in the temple then the chief priest and elders who had almost total control of the laity (parishioners, church goers) said, “Mat 27:6 “And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.” And what did they do? The Bible says that they took counsel and with the gold bought the potter’s field to bury strangers in.
Here’s is revealed the sum and substance of all Pharisaical religion while the Prince of Life is standing before them they turned from He who is the Life, and found a legal way to keep their own laws by not putting blood money in the same place tithe, and offerings went, and instead bought a graveyard for people who had no place to be buried. Jesus’s laws are all laws of life, “this do and thou shalt live Lk 10:28.” was the answer Christ gave to the lawyer who He had directed to the law when the young man asked Him, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Lk 10:25” But the law of love and loving God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself they would not keep.
You see, men are blind, blind, and can still be religious, while they’re really murderers, and unless we go through the letting process of surrendering the will to God all that is in the mind is really darkness. Jesus is the only light of this world, and without learning the process of “take up your cross and follow me” experience we will be finally left in outer (mental darkness). God forbid, since He has greater things for you… Jesus is inviting you, “follow me”… will you let Him Lead…
Pastor Ken Tonage