Jesus Christ is the person whom God wants us to follow as an example. While we all know the difference between right and wrong, we often fail to do what is right. The simple answer to this is sin, but I believe there are more reasons beyond our sinful nature.
I’m just now starting to understand what Pastor Chris has been trying to pound into my thick skull over the years: Growing in faith is not about learning new facts. To move forward as Christians, we must return to the beginning and go deeper into it.
I once heard Pastor J.D. Greear explain spiritual growth using this analogy. He said that spiritual growth is like a well. The best water is not obtained by making the well wider but by going deeper into the well.
Developing a stronger faith requires effort and dedication; it does not come naturally. This is why many people struggle with it and ultimately fail. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:13, ‘Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. But the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.'”
There are many people who argue that accepting Christ as their Savior, turning from their sins, and believing in His death on the cross for their past, present, and future sins is enough. However, I believe that doing more is not about feeling obligated but rather willingly wanting to do more because of the high price that Christ paid for our salvation. It is true that we cannot earn our salvation by serving and obeying God. However, such actions demonstrate that our commitment to God is genuine. Acts of loving service are not a replacement for our faith in Christ but rather a confirmation of it.
Brothers, to become more like Christ, we need to live our lives the way He did. To do so, we must first comprehend His message. This understanding won’t come easily. But if we delve deeper into the gospel daily, we will enhance our understanding of who Jesus is and why God wants us to emulate Him.