Follow Me: Obeying Christ’s Command Requires Bible Study

By Mark W. Christy, PhD

In the Gospels, Jesus frequently issued His disciples the command, ‘Follow Me’. By following the command, He tells the disciples that He will make them “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).[i] In Matthew 8:22, Jesus makes it apparent that this kind of followership places the pursuit of Him above all other worldly entanglements (cf. Matt 19:21). Moreover, following Him will require self-denial and lead to suffering: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matt 16:24; cf. 10:38; 1 Peter 2:21).

Paul made every effort to embody and exemplify Christ’s command to the extent that he could pronounce, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1; cf. Phil 3:17). According to him, following Christ’s example included living a disciplined life, working diligently, and striving to not be a burden (2 Thess 3:7-9). Beyond these, Paul also calls upon the faithful to follow him (as he follows Christ) in regard to his “teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings” (2 Tim 3:10-11). He adds that these who learned under his tutelage studied the Word of God diligently (14). With this in view, it should be obvious that the Word of God plays a definitive part in the Christian’s role of followership of Christ.

If this were not enough, Paul goes even further, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). In his statement, the Apostle offers three tasks the Scripture performs to mature a believer. The first two, correcting and rebuking, seem fairly straight forward, but how does the Word of God train the faithful in righteousness?

The first step to righteousness is salvation, and the Word plays a central role (James 1:8; 1 Peter 1:23). Paul puts it this way, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher” (Rom 10:14)? After becoming saved, the Christian is then sanctified (made holy) by the Word of God (John 17:17). While they are made holy in Christ, Christians also are called into an ongoing relationship with Christ whereby the Word matures them (1 Peter 2:2). During this process, it frees them from the bondage of sin (John 8:31-32), edifies them (Acts 20:32), perfects them (2 Tim. 3:16–17), and counsels them (Ps. 119:24).

Such maturing believers are true believers indeed as they “continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Col 1:23). As they suffer and encounter the many obstacles (temptations, trials, and tribulations) placed in the way, they will find hope in their diligent study and application of God’s Word (Ps. 119:147; Acts 20:32) and spiritual success as God’s holy people (Josh. 1:8–9; Ps. 1:2–3).

[i]All Scripture references are taken from NASB1995.