What’s your motive for following Jesus?

If you claim to be a Christian…then why do you follow Jesus?

We talked about this in episode 4 of the podcast, and the answer to that question is tremendously important, and here’s why: the way we answer that question tells us not just the condition of our heart…but whether we actually believe the right Gospel.

The Gospel- or the Good News- is this: That even though we as humanity have sinned and are sinful, alienated from God, hopelessly lost and unable to get ourselves back to God, doomed to death and eternity in hell- and justifiably so because God is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin- God in His great love sent His Son, Jesus, to come to earth, live a perfect life,  die in our place to pay the penalty for sin that we owed God so that our sin could be forgiven and we could come back to God, and then rise from the dead so we could have eternal life in His family that results not just in heaven forever, but a changed life now.

The Gospel is clear that we have sinned, cannot fix ourselves, and need a Savior- and Jesus is that Savior. The Gospel is that Jesus died for our sin and came back to life so that we could be saved. The Gospel is that in saving us, Jesus doesn’t just get us out of hell, but into a family- the Church. The Gospel is that, in saving us, Jesus doesn’t just change our eternity, but changes our very character while we’re still living on earth.

The Gospel leads us to the conclusion that we follow Jesus because He is our Savior and Lord- and He is our only hope for escaping the penalty of sin for eternity and for overcoming the power of sin in this life. Following Him is more than just believing the truth about Him; it’s also submitting to Him because of who He is- God-  as we live in His family.

Is that your motive for following Jesus?

I hope so.

If not…it could be because you haven’t believed the right Gospel. Because there are other “gospels” out there that contain elements of truth…and yet the result is that ultimately drag you far away from the truth and this away from Jesus.

Here’s three of them:

The prosperity gospel does say that we have a problem…but it tends to focus on our problem being a lack of financial freedom and our physical well-being. The focus of the prosperity gospel is not that Jesus came to save us from sin, but to save us from poverty and sickness.

Now- it IS true that Jesus ultimately will deliver us from poverty and sickness when we step into eternity…but that is only a function of the fact that in eternity, if we have trusted Jesus to save us from sin, we’ll be free from the presence and the consequences of sin in heaven- where no sin remains.

That is not a promise Jesus makes us in this current world.

Jesus does promise to provide for our daily needs. And He does tell us to pray and ask for Him to heal, and many times He will through a variety of means.

However, those are not the focus of the true Gospel.

The true Gospel focuses on Jesus delivering us from sin. The prosperity gospel simply makes Jesus a tool to get stuff.

If your motive in following Jesus is what you can get from Jesus, then you’ve believed a wrong gospel.

The easy Gospel contains a tremendous amount of truth: that Jesus died for our sins to save us from hell, and if we believe in Him, we’ll go to heaven and hell when we die.

That is true. It’s just also incomplete as well.

Jesus didn’t die to just save us from hell. He also died so that He could change our lives now so that we become like Him.

This version of the Gospel leaves that second part out- with devastating consequences.

The result of believing this Gospel is treating Jesus like fire insurance; you “pray the prayer” because you don’t want to go to hell…but you don’t actually submit to what Jesus says.

That’s not following Jesus. It’s continued rebellion against Him.

If your primary motive is “I don’t want to go to hell”, beware. You may be believing a wrong, incomplete Gospel.

The therapy gospel also contains a great amount of truth: namely, that Jesus wants to change us, set us free, and help us overcome the problems in our lives created by sin.

That is true!

The unfortunate part is this gospel ends up treating Jesus as a life coach who exists to improve our lives rather than our Savior who saves us from sin.

This incomplete gospel is chocked full of good advice…but rarely if ever mentions sin, repentance, and laying down our lives for the Gospel.

If your motive for following Jesus is to make your life better or fix your problems, then your probably believing the wrong gospel.

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The most dangerous lies are the ones that contain elements of truth. Each of these false gospels contain aspects of truth…just not the whole truth. That’s what makes them so effective for the enemy, leading people to believing they are following Jesus when the truth is they are simply not.

Let’s check our motives. Let’s really ask why we follow Jesus. And if you’ve believed an incomplete Gospel, repent, turn to Jesus, and follow Him as Lord- not to get stuff, to merely get out of hell, or get help..,but because He is God and Lord, and the only One worth following…and our only hope.

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