Today I’m resuming a series on Philippians based on some talks I gave to the York Christian Union.

This is the natural consequence of really grasping that Jesus is Lord in the way that Paul grasped it. As Paul says in Php 1:21-26, to live meant serving Christ. At what age or stage in life do you think you should start living like that?

The correct answer by the way is ‘now’.

One of the fundamental flaws in evangelicalism over the last 50 years is that we have asked people to respond to Jesus on the basis of sins forgiven and not on the basis of Jesus as Lord. As Dallas Willard says,

“Not having made converts disciples, it is impossible for us to teach them how to live as Christ lived and taught. That was not part of the package, not what they converted to. When confronted with the example and teachings of Christ, the response today is less one of rebellion or rejection than of puzzlement: How do we relate to these? What have they to do with us?”

Jesus calls disciples so Paul is not raising the bar any higher than Jesus set it. If you doubt that consider Jesus here in Luke 14:33. This is pretty much Jesus’ standard line to those who would be his followers.  Which is why Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that, ‘When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.’

Then look at the sort of things that happens when we trust in Christ with our life – he guards our hearts and minds (Php 4:7), he meets our needs (Php 4:19), he transforms you (Php 3:21), he calls you heavenward (Php 3:14). For the disciple Christ is our life, He is what we are living for and while this calls for sacrifice if our eyes (like the rich young ruler) are on what we have to give up we will never see what we have to gain.

Christ is not someone you believe things about, He is someone you follow. So are you following? In what areas of life might Christ be asking you to follow Him?