“This generation of believers is responsible for this generation of souls”. Keith Green said that about 40 years ago, and it still resonates with me today. If we don’t model Jesus for others, how will they ever know who He is? As David Platt recently said, “People can’t be what they don’t see.” The apostle Paul said, “How will people come to know Jesus if we don’t tell them about Him?” (Romans 10:14). It is the responsibility of every believer to tell others about Christ.
We also must make disciples out of those who respond to God’s call (Matthew 28:19-20). We are the boots on the ground for the Kingdom of God. We have a mission. Now is not the time to get lazy. The battle is raging hotter than ever before and we have a role to play in it. Our job is to live like Jesus so others can see what it looks like to follow Him.
If your goal isn’t to live like Jesus, you must question whether He is truly the Lord of your life. How can you love Him and not live for Him? To know Jesus is to be consumed by Him. No one should ever have to ask us if we follow Jesus, because it should be obvious by how we live. We’ve got to model Jesus to our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. If we don’t, who will? If our concern is for the eternal destiny of the souls we interact with each day, it should compel us to let them see Jesus in us.
To live like Jesus is getting more difficult by the day. The culture wars against the lifestyle taught by our Savior. In a world that encourages us to accumulate as much as we can for ourselves, Jesus says to give it all away (Luke 18:18-27). While society promotes a “me first” attitude, Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. The world promotes a constant state of frantic busyness, but Jesus promised us a life of peace and rest (Matthew 11:29-30; John 14:27). To live like Jesus is counter-cultural and near impossible. But all things are possible for those who love and follow Christ (Philippians 4:13; Luke 1:37; Mark 9:23).
Living like Jesus requires a constant focus and asking ourselves what Jesus would do in our circumstances. The answer is always that He would love, be patient, and show kindness. This is the exact opposite of how we see the world at large behaving today. The need for followers of Jesus to show His grace and love is dire. Our world is spiraling out of control and as a result, thousands are going to hell every day.
We cannot stand idly by while so many live and die without the knowledge of our beautiful Savior. If we don’t model His love and live like Jesus, many will never know the truth of His gospel. We are responsible for sharing His truth, for living it. We can’t hope someone else will reach those around us. They are ours to reach, and we must understand the horror awaiting them if we do not tell them. We must show the love of Christ so loudly they cannot help but notice. If we won’t live like Jesus, the world will die without Him.