Following Jesus

Young man and young woman, the words of Christ to you are, “Follow me.”* (Matthew 4:19; 16:24; 19:21; John 10:27; 21:19) Is this the aim and purpose of your life? Is it your highest ambition? Will you make this the dominant purpose of your efforts? It is the only road to success. Christ is the perfect model of human nature. The teaching of Jesus and the example of Jesus are perfectly adapted to human nature. By this, we mean that man need not be anything but man to follow the teaching and example of Christ; he does not need to be an angel. Jesus took human nature upon Himself, and His whole life is what human nature calls for and can be. The nature of man finds all its demands met in the life of Christ.

Now man’s nature is such that he cannot attain to perfection of that nature through teaching alone. This is a truth worthy of fullest consideration. A child will never learn how to build a toy house from oral instructions alone. You must do the thing yourself before him. Precept alone is not sufficient instruction; there needs be example. Jesus knew this. He not only gave a code of moral laws, but He also lived out these laws in His human life. Then, young people, you have before you, not only the teachings of Jesus, but you have His example of life also. Now to follow Him is to obey His teaching and live His life.

When we become true followers of Christ, then we become patterns for others to follow. The apostle said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”* (1 Corinthians 11:1) We should be able to teach the teaching of Jesus and also live His life. This is life in its highest attainment. This is the perfection of human nature. When man is able to teach the teachings of Jesus and to practice those teachings, then he has risen to the true standard of human life. The nature of man calls for this, pants after it, thirsts for it, and if left unhindered, will rise to it. The life in the heart of an acorn groans after the fullness of the oak. Under proper conditions, it will rise to that fullness. To follow Jesus is to rise to the fullness of His life. There is something in man’s true life that demands this.