Faith Means Following Jesus
The faith that leads to salvation is not merely intellectual acceptance of some piece of information. The devils have that kind of faith, and tremble. The faith that counts is faith in God. That includes trusting that God knows what He is doing. When such faith is present, it is impossible to stray from His revealed will.
Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27) Why do sheep follow the shepherd? Because they trust that the shepherd will not lead them into danger, that he does only that which is for the good of the sheep. And when people have that same trust in God, they will also follow.
But there's another thing to learn from the sheep. Not only do they trust the shepherd, but they also depend upon the shepherd. Sheep know that on their own, they are wolf fodder. They trust that the shepherd knows what he is doing, that his commands are only those which will keep the sheep safe, AND they accept the fact that the shepherd's care is an absolute necessity of life.
The faith that includes a complete trust in God also includes a complete distrust of self. We must accept that we are incapable of taking care of ourselves. This is a fact that applies to everyone, but most people refuse to accept it. As a result, they end up relying upon themselves and making a wreck of their lives.
In contrast to this is the 144,000. "These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes." (Revelation 14:4) This is the unavoidable result of having the "faith of Jesus." (Revelation 14:12)
Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27) Why do sheep follow the shepherd? Because they trust that the shepherd will not lead them into danger, that he does only that which is for the good of the sheep. And when people have that same trust in God, they will also follow.
But there's another thing to learn from the sheep. Not only do they trust the shepherd, but they also depend upon the shepherd. Sheep know that on their own, they are wolf fodder. They trust that the shepherd knows what he is doing, that his commands are only those which will keep the sheep safe, AND they accept the fact that the shepherd's care is an absolute necessity of life.
The faith that includes a complete trust in God also includes a complete distrust of self. We must accept that we are incapable of taking care of ourselves. This is a fact that applies to everyone, but most people refuse to accept it. As a result, they end up relying upon themselves and making a wreck of their lives.
In contrast to this is the 144,000. "These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes." (Revelation 14:4) This is the unavoidable result of having the "faith of Jesus." (Revelation 14:12)