TRULY LIVING FOR JESUS

So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. —Acts 16:5

The soil was very fertile from the cattle that used to graze on the land for years. You could see the garden plants strengthened day by day in that soil. The number of blossoms that appeared on the plants grew each day as well. The harvest would be plentiful.

According to this verse in context Paul was going from town to town delivering to churches the decision agreed upon by the apostles and elders at a council that took place in Jerusalem (Acts 15). Upon hearing the Word from Paul we are told that two things happened. First, “the churches were strengthened in the faith” and second, the churches “grew daily in numbers.”

These early believers really believed what they believed and they truly lived according to how they believed on a daily basis. It was not “Christmas & Easter” Christianity. Nor was it Sunday only or other meetings only Christianity. No, it was “life transformation.” They daily lived out what it truly means to follow Jesus. Therefore, they were maturing and impacting the lost around them. They were immovable and solid in their faith and because of that they put their faith into practice and had a great influence in their culture. They church matured and grew in size.

There are some real basics to following Jesus and if we truly love God and love people these basics will be foundational to our lives. Prayer— Am I in regular communication with the Lord God Almighty? His Word— Am I getting to know Him better by understanding and applying what He has to say to me? Fellowship— Am I getting together with other believers because of Jesus? Witness— Am I regularly sharing the gospel with those around me? Discipleship— Am I involved in discipleship relationships? Am I discipling someone? Is someone discipling me? These are basics in following Jesus. Yet, I have heard many people wanting the “deeper things of God” when they have not even applied the basics. That is concerning. It tells me we have a knowledge based faith without the foundational applications.

Are you maturing in the Lord Jesus Christ? Then these basics will be part of your life. If these basics are part of your life then you will be praying for the lost, involved with the lost, be excited about God’s Word to you, loving to fellowship with other believers who want to truly live for Jesus, and want to see yourself and others mature in Jesus. If these are not desires of yours or mine, then something is wrong and unhealthy in our lives… or worse— we may not even be saved.

Dear Father, please help me to live the life to the fullest as You desire me to. Oh, that I would be a faithful follower of Jesus my Lord. May it be!