p. 105 | Following God by J. W. Rich

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 16, 1915

Following God

By J. W. Rich

Learning to Walk with Him — Our Distance May Cause Us to Deny Him

By J. W. RICH

“If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23. There are people on the earth to-day who attach a great deal of importance to the idea of having walked in the same territory traversed by the Saviour when He was here, a man among men. The apparent thought is that it will add virtue to their lives, will in some way make them better men and women; that the very fact that Jesus trod the way before them, will give them the advantage in meeting temptation. To follow the footsteps of Jesus up the slopes of Olivet, to Jericho, to meet the procession passing from the city of Nain, to proceed to the pool of Siloam, etc., would, in their estimation, give them a standing in the eyes of Heaven that they could not get without this privilege.

Such trips, no doubt, would be interesting and instructive. A greater blessing, however, came to the disciples in that they accompanied Him on these excursions, and had more than the privilege of reading the accounts. They actually experienced them. They were with Him at the time. They witnessed His mighty works, and have borne testimony concerning them. This certainly was a privilege to those men of long ago. They followed Him daily, and more, they walked with Him.

FOLLOWED WITH HIM

There is a beautiful significance in the fact that they followed the Master, yet were with Him. Too many times, it cannot be said that we are with Him in the following process. How often do we follow as did Peter on the night of the betrayal? John followed, but he was with Jesus. Peter followed a long way off. He was cold — cold physically and spiritually. He needed to follow the Master more closely. He needed to increase his pace, and be brought to a nearness with the Master, with His warming influence. It was so easy for Peter to deny his Lord while he was in this far-away position! And that was the cause of his humiliating experience in even asserting that he did not “know the Man.” No, it was true. He did not know the Master as he should. He was so far away he could not. Did it ever occur to you that that might be the reason why we deny Him so often by our actions in our daily living?

The hopes of those who wish to trace the roads the Saviour trod, and those who were personally with Him, are and were interesting themes; but a greater blessing for the people of to-day is to follow the Master in the twentieth century — not to tread the literal road He trod, but to go with Him in principle, to teach and practice the things He taught and practiced, to live as He lived, to walk as He walked, to stand for the reforms for which He stood. That, dear friends, is walking with yet following Him.

WOULD SUCH A COURSE BE FOLLOWING HIM?

To make a practical application, I wonder how many of us could follow Him and hide behind a cloak of piety at the same time; excuse our indifference by saying, “It doesn’t make any difference”; could follow Him and say, “I will pay tithe when I get out of debt,” “I will keep the Sabbath when the way opens.” Could you, dear friend, follow Him and carry on your regular business on the Sabbath while He is away meeting with His people in worship?

Could you have Him with you while you are voting to license the saloon in your town? Could you follow Him with a pipe or cigar in your mouth? Would blowing your whisky- or tobacco-tainted breath into His face recommend you to His company? Can you even imagine that you would under such conditions want to be anywhere near Him?

If following God means anything — and it does — the large majority of us need to get nearer to Him. Are you one of the number? And will you draw near, and remain near — near enough that He can carry on a conversation with you even in a whisper, and say at close range, “This is the way, walk ye in it”? If you are not one that thus follows the Master, why not? Answer to Him who will later demand the answer.