Follow Jesus with Your Lives

Summary Acts 28:17-22

So Paul had been in prison for awhile because the Jews were accusing him falsely of something he did not do. Eventually he appealed to Caesar and then he went on a long trip to get to Rome. When Paul got to Rome he called the leaders of the Jews together, with whom he shared his story and his predicament. So, they scheduled a day and time to meet with him.

Acts 28:23-29 NKJV

23So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. 24And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, 26saying,

‘Go to this people and say:

“Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;

And seeing you will see, and not perceive;

27For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.” ’

28“Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” 29And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.

And so he spoke to them about Jesus Christ from the law of Moses and the Prophets. Some were persuaded, and some disbelieved. And then Paul quoted them the words of Isaiah the Prophet, as quoted above. And he was letting them know that this was talking about them. For so many of them, although they had been taught about Jesus from the Old Testament, and Jesus Christ, when he was on this earth, had taught them the truth of who he was, and why he came, and of God’s requirement that they deny self, die to sin, and follow Jesus, they refused to believe that their Messiah had come.

And the words of Isaiah can and do apply to many people today who profess faith in the one true God – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – but who deny him by their actions, in practice. And many of them do indeed claim ignorance for things they truly are not ignorant of, because they don’t want to obey them. They don’t want to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, to his control, to deny self, die to sin, and obey the Lord in practice. And so they pretend ignorance. But they will be judged by God and he will say, “I never knew you. Depart from me!”

So, please understand that the gospel of Christ is not an invitation to just profess him as Lord and to believe in his death and resurrection. It is not to just say some words in a prayer repeated after someone else who then proclaims you are now a child of God and you are guaranteed heaven as your eternal destiny. It is to die with Christ to sin and to be raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as servants of our Lord in walks of surrender to his will, in obedience to his commands, in living holy lives pleasing to God – all in the power of God.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22] 

Follow Him  

Based off Luke 9:22-25

An Original Work / February 21, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Jesus, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross.

Anyone who would come to Him

Must deny himself and follow.

He must take up his cross daily;

Die to sin and self each day.

Father, God above,

Loved us so: gave His Son.

If you want to save your old life;

Keep on sinning, follow your ways,

You will lose your life forever;

Hope of heaven gone away.

Spirit of our God

Gives us life in God’s Son.

Nonetheless, if you die to self;

Forsake your sin; follow Jesus,

You will live with God in heaven,

And forever praise His name! 

https://vimeo.com/117316842

Video Talk on the Same Subject

https://youtu.be/Onl9lFuirzA 

Follow Jesus with Your Lives

An Original Work / June 2, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love