“And he said to them, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” This infers that the Christian must follow Christ every day.
Perhaps the best item to look at regarding following Christ every day would be daily study. Acts 17:11 says, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Where is the Bible knowledge of the church of Christ today? Many who have been members of the church for many years are unable to answer even fundamental questions concerning the Bible. Why does such a condition exist in the church? The answer is a lack of study.
In one of his sermons, James Meadows made a comparison of appetites: If one has an appetite for food he will eat. If one has no appetite for food, no encouragement will entice him to eat. Many in the church today have no appetite for God’s word. If we do not study, we will not know. If we do not know, we will not do. If we do not, we will be lost, for Jesus said, “Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the will of my Father which is in Heaven” (Matt. 7:21).
Some will say, “I don’t have time.” We take the time to do the things we want to do. If we want to go hunting, fishing, play golf, or anything else, we take the time for it. Therefore if we had an appetite for God’s word and wanted to study the Bible daily, we would take time for it.
Again, as we examine ourselves, let us note whether our efforts will lead lost humanity to the Lord.