Page 10 - The Gate and the Way

the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Matthew 9:9
As Yahshua went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax
collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed
Him.

We find this pattern repeated over and over again. Christ appears to a man and invites
him to follow Him. Each man was challenged to lay aside everything pertaining to their
former life, a life that had been lived at the direction of their own soul, and to take Christ
as their leader and guide. Rather than continuing with a self-directed life, they had to
embrace a Christ-directed life. This pattern still holds true to this day.

Romans 8:14
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Although Christ has ascended to the Father, He has not left us without guidance.
Indeed, Yahshua testified that it was much better that He ascend to the Father, for then He
could send forth the Spirit to indwell the hearts of His disciples. The Spirit of Christ within
would guide each individual to know the specific will of God for their life.

John 16:7
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away,
the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”

I Corinthians 2:10-12
The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows
the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the
thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not
the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the
things freely given to us by God...

Christ has sent His Spirit into the world to reveal the thoughts of God to mankind.
Christ was led of the Spirit in all things. He stands as the pattern for everyone who would
follow after Him. The Father showed the Son all things He desired for Him to do, and the
Son was careful to do those things in the same way He saw the Father doing them.

John 5:19-20
Therefore Yahshua answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the
Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for
whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the
Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing...”

This is what it means to “follow Christ.” This is the invitation Christ has always given
to men and women. He is not inviting you and I to merely believe and confess certain things
about Him. He is inviting us to enter into a Spirit led life where we do nothing of our own
initiative. He is entreating all who would be His disciples to walk as He walked.