InnerQuest #230

"If you were accused of being a Christ follower”

Greetings friends, I hope the day has greeted you well. Last night I needed to miss our youth group’s Wednesday night ‘Encounter’ due to health issues I didn’t want to pass on to others. Two of the students were in charge of the whole night from games to music to giving the message and the follow up discussion group topic. Even though I was not able to be there in person I did get to chat with Martin, one of the student leaders, later that night on Facebook. 

In our talk about what went on during “Encounter’ he said one of the discussion group questions that were posed to the youth and leaders were, “If you were accused of being a Christ follower, how would you respond?”  My quickly typed response back to Martin was, “Accused… interesting way to state the question.”

This morning during a long drive I had to take for work, I thought about that question. It is an excellent question.

Accuser: “You have been accused of being a Christ follower, how do you plead?”

Me (John): “Guilty!”

Accuser: “Guilty? Are you sure you want to plead so quickly? Wouldn’t you like a lawyer to counsel you case? Your sentence for being found guilty could carry a very severe sentence. Are you sure of what you said?”

Me: “I am very sure. I do not need a lawyer and I already have the best counselor. There is no sentence in this land that could come close to comparing to the one already given to me.”

Accuser: “Please explain. You have my attention.”

Me: “Gladly. First, I believe in God the Father, creator of all things, His son, Jesus Christ whom God sent to seek out the lost and give them new life and His Holy Spirit that lives in me. Second, I hope that I am living my life in accordance to His greatest commandment; to love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind, and with His second greatest commandment as well; That I should love my neighbor as myself. You can find that in God’s written Word, in the book of Matthew chapter 22 verses 37-39.

Thirdly, I pray and talk to God at all hours of the day and night, asking for answers and directions, thanking Him for what he has provided me and praising Him for all he has created. Fourth, I read his Word for encouragement, directions, truth and how to have a life worth living. Fifth, I am trying to follow his Great Commission (found in Matthew 28:18-20) by making new disciples and teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded and to put their trust in Him.

Six: I pray to God through Christ for my family, my friends, my church, all the youth I help minister and I pray for those who don’t know Christ that they will gain knowledge of Jesus Christ and accept him into their hearts and gain salvation.

I hope to be found guilty of all these charges, but please understand that you cannot give me the death penalty for what I am being accused of.”

Accuser: “And why is that?”

Me: “Because my body, my mouth and my mind were guilty of sin from the beginning and already sentenced to death, as is everyone else. Nobody escapes a bodily death. This is why God sent Jesus for me…and for you; Jesus took every sin we have, past, present and future onto his shoulders and sacrificed it all on the cross, giving sin its proper death, so that we would receive forgiveness. Our forgiveness and a new life were confirmed when Christ rose from the grave defeating death.

And lastly, I admit that I am a follower of Christ and, along with anyone else who chose or chooses to accept and follow Christ, will be saved from sin and the death that it brings and given a new life and the promise of an everlasting life. So please, find me guilty.   – Papa John