COME FOLLOW ME

WBS.025

FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP

COME FOLLOW ME

1 Peter 3:21  The like figure (Noah and his family being saved through the flood) whereunto even immersion doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward Elohim,) by the resurrection of Yahushua Messiah:

Peter was explaining that Noah and his family were saved through the flood, and likened their experience to immersion (baptism).  They were not saved in this experience because it did anything to their own sinful flesh.  The experience had no fundamental effect upon their physical or spiritual nature. Noah and his family had the choice to remain with their friends and neighbors, and weather the storm the world would eventually face.  Instead, they made a choice, a choice they knew would forever separate them from their life as they knew it.  They knew that this choice would result in everything being different for them. They knew that the whole world was under a sentence of judgment; and they could remain and receive that judgment, or they could be “saved” from that judgment by stepping into the ark. They said goodbye to all they knew and embraced an uncertain future. Peter called this the “answer of a good conscience toward Elohim.” (It is important to note that not everyone was given that choice.  Noah and his children and their wives were CHOSEN.  No one else was even given the opportunity.)    

Baptism is the answer of a good conscience…but what was the question?

Man is the creation of IAUE.  He was created for a purpose---to do the will of IAUE; and in the doing of His will, to enjoy the fellowship with IAUE that results from obedience.  As we have seen, however, man’s ability to fulfill his purpose was forfeited in the fall; an event that deprived man of righteousness.  In prior lessons, we have seen that it was impossible for man to regain his lost righteousness; because having become sinful (disobedient to the will of IAUE), there is nothing within him that can produce the requisite purity.  That purity had to be provided by another whose birth was not defiled by unrighteousness.  This is why Yahushua was born of a virgin; to secure his birth in righteousness; and qualifying him to be a viable substitute for us.

IAUE brought forth a son into the earth, and destined him to an abhorrent death in order to provide for the restoration of man from the consequences of the fall in the Garden of Eden.  Yahushua was the singular plan of IAUE to restore man both to do His will and to enjoy His fellowship. With this in proper perspective, it is easy to see that IAUE considers carefully how man responds to the sacrifice of His son; whether his sacrifice is honored or despised.  It begins with “the question.”

Matthew 4:19  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Matthew 8:22 But Yahushua said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Matthew  9:9  And as Yahushua passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

Matthew  10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Matthew  16:24 Then said Yahushua unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Matthew 19:21 Yahushua said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Matthew 19:28 And Yahushua said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The question is, “Will you come and follow me?”  It is elicited as a command (“Come, follow me.”); but it remains a choice for us to answer “Yes,” or “No.” Ultimately, it is asking if we would accept IAUE’s only solution to be restored to our created purpose, or would we prefer to remain enslaved to the selfishness of our own will. If we answer, “Yes,” then to demonstrate that we have responded with the proper motive, we are asked to bury our past and burn our bridges behind us.  It is in this context that immersion is the answer of a clear conscience toward Elohim.  If we say, “No,” we dishonor both IAUE and His son and deserve the same response that Messiah instructed his apostles to give.  The messenger is to wipe the dust from his shoes and move elsewhere to ask the question.

There is a wonderful story that depicts this transaction in 1 Kings 19:9-21.  You will recall that after Eliyahu’s (Elijah’s) great victory on Mt. Carmel, he fled into the wilderness away from the threats of Jezebel.  He came upon a cave and remained there until the word of IAUE came to him.  When IAUE spoke to him, he was instructed to do three things; one of which was to anoint Elisha to be his replacement as prophet.

1 Kings 19:19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

You really have to picture this in your mind to see what is happening here.  It is assumed that Elisha had been instructed of his father to plow the family field.  He very probably, at first, hooked up a couple of oxen to a plow and tried to dig furrows into the hardened ground and found that two oxen were not enough.  Maybe he tried four oxen, next; then six.  He ended up yoking 24 oxen together to pull his plow.  Elisha was absolutely committed to plowing the field.  Most people would probably say the ground just isn’t suited to farming; but that was not Elisha’s concern.  His concern was to plow the field; and he was going to do it whatever it took.  Then comes Eliyahu who cast his mantle upon him.  Elisha understood that this action meant that the prophet had selected him as his apprentice. 

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

Elisha expressed his willingness to follow Elijah; but he asked for permission to “kiss my father and my mother.”  This was a request to wait until his parents passed away before he left home to follow Elijah.  This is not unlike so many believers that choose to spend years still pursuing their own interests before getting serious about their obedience to the one they have been calling their Master.  They have made the choice to follow; but have abated their obedience until a time that suited them better. It is being anchored to the cares of this world and holding those worldly responsibilities and desires as more important than honoring IAUE.  Elijah’s response to his request was, “What have I done to thee.”  This was to say, “It’s your choice.  I am not forcing you to do anything.” The prophet had said, “Come, follow me.”  So, what did Elisha do? 

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

Elisha took two of the oxen that he had formerly been using to plow the field, took their yoke, set fire to it, and slaughtered the oxen and cooked them, giving the meat to all who were around.  In effect, by burning the yoke, and sacrificing the oxen, Elisha was burning his bridge behind him.  He was making a public demonstration that communicated he was dead to his former life.  He would not be returning to it.  This was his answer of a clear conscience toward Elohim.  He would not taunt the goodness of Elohim with any further consideration of returning to his former life.

Matthew  10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Now we know the question, the answer, and the answer of a clear conscience.