Yes, “Follow Jesus,” But…

The use of subversive vocabulary

In recent years I’ve noticed a growth in popularity for the phrase “Follow Jesus,” and I’ve started to ponder if there’s something more behind it.

Obviously this is a Biblical idea, as Jesus Himself said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).

Throughout the Gospels we see the term used for those who journeyed with Jesus through His ministry. Peter, one of those early followers, referenced the concept for his reading audience: “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

So, we should have no issue with saying that we follow Jesus, nor with calling others to do the same.

However…

All terms have to be defined. And I believe the working definition for follow is a softening of Christ’s demands upon us.

Here’s my theory:

“Follow” has become the term of choice in our day because of its emphasis on personal agency.

Following Christ, in this manner of speaking, is a matter of personal choice. In an era of “my truth,” the way “follow” is used acknowledges that everybody gets to choose their own way—we’re just recommending Christianity as the best one.

To make the point from the reverse side, there’s a reason “follow” has risen in popularity as “obey” and “serve” and “submit” have fallen off. One makes an appeal to the self. The others insist the self must be put to death.

This is what leads to the line of thinking that we really shouldn’t talk much about sin, man’s wickedness, and the reality of the judgment. When hell does have to come up, it’s presented as a self-separation from God rather than a punishment He inflicts.

Declaring the Gospel has become less about delineating the paths of life and death and more about recommending one way as better than the others.

This also results in the cultural compromises so many want to bring into the church. “Follower of the way of Jesus” in the social media bio frequently goes hand-in-hand with attempts to Biblically justify pro-lgbt or pro-abortion stances. Submission demands we see the world as He sees it. The self-agency of this “following” gives one the room to decide what I think Jesus would want.

Really, it’s not far removed from the religion vs. relationship debate.

Yes, it’s a relationship. But usually those who pit the two against each other are diminishing the Lord’s sovereignty in an attempt to get away with something. In like manner, yes, we follow Jesus. But if following doesn’t include absolute submission, something is up.

Heresies rarely present themselves as heresies.

One of their most effective tactics is to cloak themselves in the language of truth while holding dangerous subversions under the truth. Take note of what ideas tag along with “following” and see if you catch the same Trojans huddled inside the horse.

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Notes

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