Are You A Spectator Or A Participant?

Being a participant will cost you something. After you are given the free gift of salvation you are to help God give it away to others.

Read Matthew 16:13-27. What a difference between the questions, “Whom do people say that I am?” (v. 13) and “Whom do you say that I am?” (v. 15) It’s the difference between being a spectator and a believer. The great weakness, it seems to me, among God’s workers today is that too many of them can tell you all about what others are saying about Christ but flinch and wince a little when confronted with the matter of a personal abandonment of themselves to the Lord Jesus.

Simon Peter, whatever else you may say of him, certainly gave a good account of himself at this point. He said to our blessed Lord, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16). Where are you in this matter of identifying yourself with the Lord Jesus? You say, “Well look, I’m a Christian (and perhaps a Sunday School teacher), so why ask me that? That is precisely why I’m asking you. Because there are “Christians” and then there are Christians. There are people who know about Jesus Christ and there are people who are the very living demonstration of Christ within. And what a difference between them! Which variety are you? Small thought here. What is the cost of really following the Lord Jesus? We speak so easily of sacrifice that it’s become a tired word without much meaning. But our Lord Jesus laid it on the line for us. He said that if anyone is really serious about following Him, it involves a cost—and a cross. So make up your mind, take up your cross, and live your life for Christ today. What a tremendous challenge!

This devotional was written by Dr. Robert A. Cook. You can subscribe to his free email articles and listen to his Spirit-filled 15-minute messages at www.walkwiththeking.org. Used with written permission.

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