Following Christ involves self-denial, admitting to one’s innermost self that He is God’s Son and the world’s Savior from eternal condemnation (John 3:16).

It’s easy to acknowledge who Jesus is, but to believe without reservation that He is God’s New Covenant (Luke 22:19-20) requires faith, trust, and adherence to His Deity.

Who is Christ?

When Christ walked on the earth, many people understood He came from God. For example, Nicodemus knew Jesus wasn’t like other teachers (John 3:1-2). He witnessed Christ’s undeniable wisdom and heavenly powers.

However, many rebelled against Jesus. They refused to believe He was their Messiah. Their attitude towards Christ was one of disbelief.

God promised the Jews His Messiah. He unveiled this truth through some of His Prophets. Isaiah shared this revelation with God’s people (Isaiah 7:14 9:6-7). For this reason, the Jews were told of who Christ was and gave them knowledge of His future arrival.

Each of the Gospels identifies Christ as God’s redeemer. They provide proof of this revelation.

Apostle John begins his gospel with evidence showing us who Christ is.

John said:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it. John 1:1-5, NKJV

As shown above, Christ always existed. Here, John gave us insight into Jesus’s indisputable oneness with God. This highlights God’s intention to deliver Him into the world as the only saving grace.

Another account of who Christ is came from Disciple Peter.

Jesus asked His disciples who He was to them:

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter responded:

Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” Luke 9:20, NKJV

The scripture above shows Jesus as “The Christ of God.” This response leaves no doubt of who Christ is. The Jewish people knew the name Christ meant anointed one, and many didn’t connect this to the one they witnessed performing miracles.

As can be seen, Jesus is God’s Son. Those two scriptures are a couple of truths attesting to Him. Many other verses of the Bible do the same and are there for us to gain divine wisdom about who He is.

A True Follower of Christ

A faithful follower of Christ knows that God placed oneself in Jesus (John 6:37-39). For this reason, following Christ is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The actual marking of a follower is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17). Christ anoints followers with the Spirit of Truth (John 16:12-15). This incredible consciousness of Jesus separates believers from those who reject Him. And without the Holy Spirit, following Christ stays elusive.

Faith is a characteristic of discipleship. Indeed, this significant divine virtue demonstrates an undeniable acceptance of Christ. Faith in Christ is the only entrance into God’s kingdom (John 5:24). Conviction to Jesus’s eternal salvation is accepting to the most profound depth of one’s soul that He died for the forgiveness of sin.

Self-denial is a distinctive act of following Christ. Trust begins when I abandon myself and surrender my heart to Jesus. Remember, God responds to humility (James 4:10).

Christ said this about self-denial:

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23, NASB

This verse highlights the criteria for following Christ. It heightens an act of selflessness, daily reliance on Him, and adherence to His commandments. Here, we see God’s kingdom is void of self, anchored in Jesus, and devoted to His teachings.

It’s easier to center myself on Christ than to deny myself. To completely abandon myself to Jesus, I must give Him my mind, heart, and soul (Proverbs 3:5-6). This means surrendering my thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors to His care.

The challenge to self-denial is the spiritual warfare imposed by Satan. The devil works hard to tempt me into self-centered actions where pride replaces Christ-reliance. And the result of caving into the devil’s deception is sin.

An excellent example of Christ’s penalty for refusing to deny oneself is in Matthew’s Gospel (Mark 10:17-22). We know this as the “Rich Young Ruler”. This man approached Jesus, asking Him what he must do to inherit eternal life (verse 17).  

Jesus responded with obedience to the Ten Commandments (verse 19).  The young ruler shared with Christ that he obeyed these commandments (verse 20).

But Christ asked the ruler this:

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” Mark 10:21, NKJV

Jesus showed this man the meaning of self-denial. Out of love, Christ outlined the action he needed to take to inherit eternal life. As seen above, the ruler had many wealthy possessions.

After hearing this, the “Rich Young Ruler” responded with sadness:

But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Mark 10:22, NKJV

The young man reacted in sorrow and wasn’t able to deny himself. His attachment to material possessions prevented him from adhering to Christ’s commandments.

Final Thoughts

Given these points, to follow Christ takes the wisdom of who He is, selfless actions, and daily devotion to His teachings. These are a small part of the essence of discipleship. The neat reality of following Jesus is that the more I grow Christ-like, the stronger my relationship with God will blossom.

In my experience, following Christ doesn’t mean I don’t sin. A point often overlooked is that salvation isn’t the absence of transgression but the freedom from its bondage. However, this doesn’t give me the liberty to sin blatantly. I am accountable for my inequities and must repent.