I Just Became a Christian, Now What? – More than a Follower

The purpose of these articles is to help you understand who you are in Christ and help you mature. For the most part, the Bible provides what you need to know and do to experience your new life. Occasionally, it tells you things to avoid. There are also abundant warnings against false teaching. I want to concentrate on the positive aspects of being born from above; however, it is sometimes necessary to contrast ideas that may be unhelpful. You will come across all kinds of spiritual thoughts as you sit in a church service, sing a worship song, listen to a podcast, read a book, stream a video, etc. How you evaluate the information will impact how you view and live your new life.

In the previous article, I provided thoughts on what it means to be born from above. In this article, I will continue the discussion by addressing how the church[1] often identifies saints and how that may misinform your identity in Christ. While the church uses various terms to identify Christians, the one I hear most often is some version of “follower of Jesus.”

While this term has biblical roots, it does not capture the true essence of the saints. You need to know right from the beginning that you are more than a follower of Jesus. Jesus is not walking at a distance; he is in you, and you are in him. You walk with him every moment. Jesus is in you through his Holy Spirit, and he changed you. You have a new heart and a new mind.[2]

Why am I stressing the change that occurred in you? If you don’t understand your new identity, you may be susceptible to ideas that lead you astray. The idea of following Jesus is not intrinsically wrong. There are many positive aspects of following Jesus’ example. Indeed, we must understand and heed his teaching. However, the way the identity of being a follower is implemented is sometimes problematic.

One of the most common examples of the problem of looking at your identity as a follower is how many interpret the following Bible verse:

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24, NRSV. Also, see Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)

I was listening to a podcast recently, and as I went to bed that night, I was restless thinking about what the speaker said. What kept me awake and had my mind churning was how this verse was used. Some people believe and teach that the verse above means living a life of self-denial. More specifically, the idea is that your identity is prone to sin, either doing something bad or failing to do something good. So, you need to make a choice to deny yourself. And this is something you will need to do for the rest of your life.

I don’t want to give a false impression that you will never need to deny something. There are plenty of times that you will need to say no. You will be presented with all kinds of ideas and temptations you should deny. Sometimes you may need to say no to good things for the sake of something better. The point is that when you say no to sin, you are not denying yourself. In this regard, the person on the podcast and others who have this same perspective have it backward.

Before discussing this backward thinking, it is crucial to know that the verse above is not about constant self-denial. It is how you experience salvation. You gave up on what you thought brought you life and turned to Jesus, following him to the cross. In other words, it is about the way you die with Christ. [3] Why then do people use it to preach a message of self-denial? It seems they fail to connect this verse to the entire biblical context of our identity in Christ.

Instead of salvation, they view this verse as an ongoing way that the saints are supposed to live. They fail to see that when we follow Jesus into his death, we also join him in his resurrection to new life.[3] The writers of the New Testament never call you to deny your new self.

When you were born from above, you became a new creation. Your new self is “created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24, NRSV).” When you choose not to sin, you are confirming your new identity. You are not denying yourself. You don’t live a life of constant self-denial as if sin is still a part of your identity. You have died to sin.[3] It is no longer a part of you. Christ came to give you a new and abundant life.[4]

Conversely, if you choose to sin, you are in self-denial. You are contradicting your new nature. Understanding the difference is crucial. If you believe that you are prone to sin, you are denying what Jesus Christ did for you and in you. You will have the tendency to focus on yourself. You will believe it is your behavior that makes you holy instead of your holiness influencing your behavior. There is another reason you may think you need to deny yourself.

Often, the saints are told they still have a sinful nature and are warring with the Holy Spirit within them. This way of thinking is not accurate; nowhere does the New Testament say you still have a sinful nature after you are born again. Sin has two aspects. It is a power that wants to influence you. But as a saint, it is no longer your master.[3] Sin is also actions or behaviors against God and sometimes other people. These actions can be precipitated by thoughts that come to mind from a worldly way of thinking, which the Bible calls the flesh. Also, the evil one is active in tempting you just as he did Jesus.[5] But these thoughts and temptations are not representative of who you are in Christ. At times, you may sin, and there are various reasons why that are beyond the scope of this article to explain. However, if you sin, it doesn’t mean it is because of your identity.[6]

Some people go as far as to say that choosing not to sin is a sacrifice. How can living in the fulness of what God desires for you and avoiding what brings death be a sacrifice? It doesn’t make sense. You don’t avoid sin because it is some noble effort to deny your sinful nature. You avoid sin because it is inconsistent with your nature as a saint.

After you are born from above, you may still be afflicted by old habits and/or addictions. You may have limited knowledge of God and his word. Every saint needs to mature and grow. These conditions don’t make you any less holy, you are still a saint. You have the Holy Spirit who helps you, and you have other saints who use their spiritual gifts to encourage and build you up.[7] Some issues may require the encouragement of professional counseling to help renew your mind.[8] Growth can take time, and there is an expectation that the saints will mature to see the image of Jesus in themselves more clearly.[9] No matter what struggles or limitations you have, please realize the change in you is genuine.

One more thing, identifying someone as a follower of Jesus does not mean they are born from above. Anyone can follow Jesus. They can try to adhere to his teaching and attempt to emulate his actions. Some people will do all kinds of good things in Jesus’ name but may ultimately be rejected by him because he never “knew” them.[10] This misunderstanding of identity must be better handled by the church. There is nothing wrong with being a follower of Jesus. Still, if people think trying to exhibit Christ-like behavior is what it means to be a saint, they will not experience the full life God has for them. They also risk a bleak eternity without him.

I hope this information is helpful as you navigate what you may hear about Christian identity. Throughout this series of articles, I will highlight other common biblical misconceptions as I try to help you understand your relationships with God, the church, and the world.

I will be taking a short sabbatical to attend to some personal business, so it may be a little longer till I publish the next article. However, if you have questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me using the contact form on this website or email me at gtdavisblog@gmail.com. I pray that you will know the love of Christ that surpasses understanding and the “boundless greatness of his power toward us who believe (Ephesians 1:19, NASB).”[11]

[1] I typically write from the perspective of evangelicalism because that is the tradition I have been immersed in over the past 40+ years. So, I can’t say that everything I write is applicable to every tradition of the church.
[2] Hebrews 10:19-25, 1 Corinthians 2
[3] Romans 6
[4] John 10
[5] Matthew 4, Hebrews 4, 1 Peter 5
[6] 1 John 5
[7] Ephesians 4
[8] Romans 12
[9] 1 Corinthians 3, 2 Corinthians 13, Ephesians 4, Colossians 1, Hebrews 5, James 1
[10] Matthew 7:21-23
[11] Ephesians 1 & 3