What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Who is God? God is the perfect creator of the universe (Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (ESV)) God is faithful to keep his promises and he does not change Malachi 3:6 I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed) God is Holy(Isaiah 6:3 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is filled with his glory)  God is good(Psalm 34:8 Oh taste and see that the LORD is good) God is both perfectly Merciful and perfectly just(Exodus 34:6-7 The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty) Who is Man? Sin = missing the mark, not just our own mark but God himself mark Not a single person has lived in a way that merits heaven (Matthew 5:48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Psalm 53:3 there is none who does good not even one) What has Christ done? Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 3:22-23 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, when Jesus was on the cross he literally cried out to God because he was bearing the full wrath of God while simultaneously carrying every persons past, present, and future sin Psalm 22 “my God my God why have you forsaken me” JESUS HAS RISEN  What is our response? Repent  Believe in Jesus Christ as Lord  Trust in Him every day and take up your cross It is NOT a one-time prayer, but a daily choice  Matthew 5:18-19 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.19Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven WE ARE TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS THIS HIS A HUGE PART OF FOLLOWING JESUS because one of our greatest witnesses to others is how we live our lives, and if we don’t keep his commands then others will not see any reason for believing in the gospel themselves The Christian life follows Justification is when Jesus bore the weight of your sin under the wrath of God to make you right with God Sanctification is the gradual process of living a life that closer and closer resembles the life of Jesus Glorification on the day Jesus returns to be in God’s presence as he originally had intended us to be and for our world to be cleansed from sin OUR RESPONSE OF THE GOSPEL SHOULD BE PURE JOY THAT GOD WOULD DIE FOR US AND BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD TO SAVE US That is why when Paul expects Galatian believers to exhibit the fruits of the spirit (that is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) because when we preach ourselves the good news every day we see that no matter what circumstance we always have reason to rejoice