Today as we open to John 10, we are looking at one of the most foundational truths of being born-gain Christians. Jesus made salvation, eternal life, and assurance of eternal security so SIMPLE. He sums EVERYTHING up with these words in v. 27:

John 10:27 (NKJV) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

Salvation is so personal: we are His sheep; we can hear His voice; and-the way we know we are His comes from following His voice.

Think of a shepherd who speaks, and of sheep that turn their heads, listen, and then start walking towards him. That is true Christianity!

Following Christ's voice in His Word and thus following Him: that is assurance, that is salvation; and that is all reduced to FOLLOWING Him!

Now as we turn on to Titus 2:7, we come to the second desire God has for every man. If you are a young man, God is asking: "Are you FOLLOWING Me so that your LIFE IS A PATTERN for others to follow?"

The "learning and doing by example" model was the key to Titus 2 discipleship; Paul described a plan for having each person in Christ's Church actually involved in a life-long learning process of following Jesus Christ. In fact, believers are called little imitations or "mimics" of Jesus Christ. The Greek word in the Epistles that describes those who "follow" and are "followers" is mimetes (literally "mimics").

Listen to the clear call we have all been given by Christ's Apostles to follow or "mimic" Christ:

• 1 Corinthians 4:16 "Therefore I urge you, imitate me." NKJV

• 1 Corinthians 11:1 "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." NKJV [That is the clearest description of what Titus 2 discipleship is all about!]

• Ephesians 5:1 "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children." NKJV

• 1 Thessalonians 1:6 "And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit". NKJV

• 1 Thessalonians 2:14 "For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans". NKJV

Today, God is looking for those who will not merely hear God's Word, study God's Word, memorize God's Word, master the content of God's Word-He wants those men and women, and boys and girls who will follow Christ.

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