Jesus Wants to Have All of Us

Note: this is an excerpt from " Word Filled Family". Find out more about the book here...

We can trace Christ’s call to commitment in the Gospels. He states we can’t be His disciples unless we desire to evidence these characteristics. Here are some ways that we evidence Christ as our Master and that we are His followers. Notice that He wants our hearts, bodies, wills, eyes, actions, and lives.

Word-filled hearts are opened completely in love for Christ—that means we love Him most.

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).

The word “hate” in this verse essentially has to do with a com­parison of loves. Simply put, our love for God is to be so great that, in comparison, love for even the dearest of friends should seem as hatred. This is based upon His first and greatest commandment: “You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

We will continually be confronted, both in the good times and the bad, with whether we are going to obey Christ and His Word—or buckle under to pressures to compromise our faith and “go with the crowd.” Each opportunity to serve God represents this test: who do we love most? If we do not give Christ the preeminence He deserves, He says that we are not worthy of Him.

Word-filled bodies are offered completely to Christ— that means we die to self.

“Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27).

This verse is related to Luke 14:26 in that to “bear [our] cross” means loving Christ enough to voluntarily crucify our self daily. In Mark 8:34 Christ states, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” That word “deny” has the strongest meaning possible—“to utterly deny; to totally sepa­rate from.” Taking up our cross by denying self is imperative because it’s impossible to serve two masters. ^a The following testimony by George Mueller beautifully describes the heart of such a life.

“There was a day when I died, utterly died to George Mueller; … to his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame of even my brethren and friends. Since then I have studied to show myself approved only unto God.

Here’s a powerful idea: Read Mueller’s testimony aloud to your wife. Tell her you are making this your personal goal. What an encouragement and joy this will be to your wife. Dying to self is a prerequisite to living for Christ. Paul wrote of this when he said, “I am crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.” ^c In spite of the cost of death to self, and whatever personal suffering that may bring, a dedicated disciple will follow after Christ, wherever He chooses to lead.

Word-filled wills are surrendered unreservedly to Christ—that means we want to obey Him .

“Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33).

Because Christ purchased us with His blood, we belong wholly to Him. In light of this, He expects us to acknowledge His rightful ownership by not holding back anything for ourselves. Christ as our Master has the right of disposal of all our possessions. Christ is the Owner; as His stewards, we are only employees. Consider the testimonies of such godly disciples as Martin Luther, John Wesley, and David Livingstone. Martin Luther once said, “I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” “I value all things,” said Wesley, “only by the price they shall gain in eternity.” Similarly, Livingstone stated, “I place no value on anything I pos­sess except in relation to the Kingdom of God.” These men truly forsook everything for the cause of Christ—and their lives speak to this day!

Christ says to us likewise, “Out of love for Me, forsake all you own—and your life will be truly blessed!” We should be so captivated with the Lord that we invest all we have for Him, letting nothing take higher priority than obedience and wor­ship of Christ. A life given unreservedly back to God as a love offering is what stewardship is all about. Stewardship is not only about money, it is about life itself. Time and life are far greater treasures than money and possessions. First and foremost, God wants us—unreservedly! Chisholm’s declaration of this truth is in the last half of the chorus: “I own no other Master, My heart shall be Thy throne: My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.” Bow your heart. Yield your will. Use these words to surrender anew to Him.

Word-filled eyes are focused eagerly on the Scriptures— that means we hunger to see Him in His Word.

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ ” (John 8:31-32).

Note that Jesus is addressing those who “believed Him”; belief in Christ as personal Savior and Lord is the first step of discipleship. ^a Abiding in His Word bears witness that we have true life in Christ. In Greek, “abide” (meno) in verse 31 primarily means “to stay.” We show that His love is in us ^b by staying in His Word, becoming not only a “hear­er” but also a “doer” of the Word. It is as we know Truth experientially, that we too, like the psalmist, ought to cry out to our awesome Lord:

“Oh, how l love Your law! It [is] my meditation all the day. … I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, [Sweeter] than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understand­ing; Therefore I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:97, 101-104).

We will never become mature disciples without having an unbounded passion to read, study, and obey His precious Word. This is what will inspire us to truly love Christ and others as He has com­manded; all relationships are centered in fulfilling these two loves. ^a Chisholm’s declaration of this truth is in stanza 4a: “Living for Jesus through earth’s little while, My dearest treasure, the light of His smile.”

You can see the light of His smile reflected in His Word each time you choose to fix your eyes upon it.

Word-filled actions are focused selflessly on love for others — that means we love with Christ’s love.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another”

(John 13:34-35).

The commandment to love was not new, but the manner of love to be shown was now taking on a new dimension—to love as Christ has loved. What type of love had His disciples experienced ^b from Christ up to that point? Matthew Henry writes:

He spoke kindly to them, concerned himself heartily for them, and for their welfare, instructed, counseled, and comforted them, prayed with them and for them, vindicated them when they were accused, took their part when they were run down, and publicly owned them to be dearer to him than his mother, or sister, or brother. He reproved them for what was amiss, and yet compassionately bore with their failings, excused them, made the best of them, and passed by many an oversight. Thus he had loved them, and just now washed their feet; and thus they must love one another, and love to the end. ^c

And love to the end Christ did—all the way to Calvary—a final example of what it means to love “as He has loved us.” He loved us unconditionally, and that is the way He wants us to love one another: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” 

Our homes are the basic testing grounds for learning how to loveChrist’s way. It is much easier to fool others who don’t know aboutall our weaknesses, but it is the day-to-day relationships within ourfamilies that reveal our true character.Personal relationships should not be guided by whether we feel like loving at any particular moment. Loving as Christ loves involves commitment: with a voluntary act of our will, we choose, by God’s grace, to always act in the best interest of others, regardless of their response to us.

Our wives and children need to see Calvary love compelling us to live sacrificially for Christ’s sake and theirs. ^c This is how the world will distinguish us from Satan’s crowd; they will know we are clearly Christ’s disciples. Chisholm’s declaration of this truth is in stanza 4b: “Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem, Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.” Intentional investment of selfless actions in others is what we need to echo from our hearts to God in prayer—and then do so!