Growing old is automatic, but becoming mature is a struggle. Through life experiences, a person may become mentally mature, yet not necessarily spiritually mature—that is, becoming more like Jesus Christ day by day. Let us not waste this opportunity, especially for those of us who have been Christians since childhood. We must examine ourselves: have we truly chosen to follow Jesus? Because following Jesus is a conscious decision. If we say, “I will follow You, Jesus,” then we must strive to become like Him. Only in this way do we honor God the Father—by doing His will. It is not merely about being moral, but about understanding what He desires and doing everything according to His will.
Therefore, we must possess spiritual intelligence—the sensitivity to understand God’s will: what is good, pleasing, and perfect. We must keep learning, for understanding the will of God is a gradual process. In many ways, spiritual life parallels physical life; both require continuous training. The same applies to developing sensitivity toward God’s will—it takes consistent practice. Never let it be that a person reaches a point where they can no longer be changed; that is a dreadful condition. We must realize that the devil is very skilful in his maneuvers. He has succeeded in deceiving many believers simply because they are unaware of his schemes; thus, this poses the greatest danger to the people of faith.
Once we decide to follow Jesus, the struggle begins—with learning the truth of God’s Word and training ourselves to do what aligns with God’s thoughts and feelings. After that, we will be led to the cross, to suffering for the sake of following Him. When Jesus came among the Israelites, they did not truly recognize Him; they only saw Him as the carpenter’s son. Yet His disciples dared to believe in Him, even though their initial motives were still misguided—they wanted to change their fortunes and hoped Jesus would become an earthly king, with them as His officers.
Even so, their courage is still commendable. After being filled with the Holy Spirit, they finally understood the true meaning of following Jesus and were willing to die for Him in the face of tragic suffering. What about us today? How great is our courage to place our full hope in Christ? In those days, many mocked Jesus. To the Jews, He was a blasphemer for claiming to be the Son of God; politically, He was seen as a rebel. Yet the disciples remained faithful, because they knew whom they followed.
At that time, confessing Jesus as Lord (Kurios) was considered a direct threat to Roman authority. The title Kurios was a mark of supreme honour once held by Alexander the Great. So when Christians called Jesus Kurios, it was as if they were declaring that there was another ruler besides Caesar. For this reason, Christians were treated as enemies of the state and were to be eradicated. Yet they remained courageous. So then, how brave are we in following the Lord Jesus today?
The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-8, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” This means that we will never truly possess Christ unless we are willing to let go of everything and count it as rubbish. It is a choice. From this point, God will lead us to the cross—to share in His suffering.
Furthermore, in Philippians 3:10, Paul said, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” This is the standard of life for true believers. Paul did not place himself on a higher spiritual level than others. He emphasized, “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do” (Philippians 3:17). In other words, every believer must walk the same path: the path of the cross, the path of spiritual maturity, the path of becoming like Christ.
To know Christ is not merely to know about Him, but to experience the power of His resurrection in real life, and this is the calling of every true disciple: to keep learning, keep growing, and keep striving until their entire life becomes a reflection of the living Christ.