Fourteen Questions for the Followers of Jesus
In these last days, many people consider themselves followers of Jesus. But how can anyone know whether they are truly followers whom Jesus Himself recognizes?
In the end times, genuine faith is often confused with false faith, and true disciples are frequently mixed with false disciples through human traditions, culture, religious concepts, and theological theories.
Yet the Lord Jesus has already revealed the truth clearly in the Scriptures: those who truly belong to Him are not identified merely by verbal confession or religious affiliation, but by whether they obey His words.
Through the following fourteen questions, this study invites every reader to honestly examine himself before God’s Word, to determine whether he truly knows Jesus, is known by Jesus, and is living as a follower whom the Lord accepts.
God’s Thoughts Are Higher Than Human Thoughts
Isaiah 55:8–9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
These verses reveal that God’s thoughts and His ways are infinitely higher than those of mankind. But how great is that difference?
God created the universe, whose observable diameter is estimated to be about 93 billion light-years. Yet the distance between God’s Word and the limits of human understanding is immeasurably greater still.
God’s Word is His divine command—not an extension of human opinion. Therefore, no one has the authority to reinterpret God’s Word according to human culture, religion, philosophy, theology, personal opinions, traditions, or experiences.
1. Do You Know Jesus?
1 John 2:3–4
“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
According to Scripture, only those who obey Jesus’ commandments truly know Him. This biblical definition is entirely different from the world’s understanding of what it means to know Christ.
2. Are You Known by Jesus?
1 John 2:5
“But whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.”
Only those who keep Jesus’ Word have Christ dwelling within them. Only those who are in Christ are truly known by Him.
3. Do You Love God?
John 14:23
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
According to Jesus, only those who obey His Word truly love God.
4. Does God Love You?
John 14:21
“Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Only those who continually obey the words of Jesus receive this promised expression of the Father’s love.
5. Are You a Follower of Jesus?
Matthew 16:24
“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”
Only those who obey Jesus’ commands are recognized by Him as His followers.
6. Are You a Disciple of Jesus?
Luke 14:26–27
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Matthew 10:37–38
“Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me… Whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.”
According to Jesus, only those who love Him above family and even above their own lives are His true disciples.
7. Do You Truly Believe in Jesus?
2 Corinthians 13:5
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”
John 14:23
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…”
Only those who obey Jesus’ Word have Christ dwelling within them. Those in whom Christ dwells demonstrate genuine faith.
8. Have You Been Born Again?
John 1:12–13
“To all who received Him… He gave the right to become children of God… who were born… of God.”
John 14:23
Only those who obey Jesus’ Word demonstrate that they have been born of God and have experienced the new birth.
9. Are You a New Creation?
2 Corinthians 5:17
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
John 14:23
Only those who abide in Christ are truly new creations.
10. Are You Holy?
Hebrews 12:14
“Strive… for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
John 14:21
Only those who continually obey Christ’s commandments demonstrate a life loved by the Lord and pursue the holiness required to see Him.
11. Are You Jesus’ Friend and Family?
John 15:14
“You are My friends if you do what I command you.”
Matthew 12:50
“Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Those who obey Jesus’ commands are His friends, and those who do the Father’s will are members of His spiritual family.
12. Will You Enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father.”
Only those who continually do the Father’s will will enter His kingdom.
13. Will You Receive Eternal Life?
John 5:24
“Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life… He has passed from death to life.”
Only those who truly hear, believe, and obey Christ receive eternal life.
14. Have You Received God’s Salvation?
Ephesians 2:7–10
“For by grace you have been saved through faith… For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
John 14:23
Only those who obey Jesus’ Word abide in Christ. Only those who are in Christ receive God’s salvation. Therefore, those who obey the Word of Christ demonstrate the reality of the salvation they have received through God’s grace.
Conclusion
The Lord Jesus did not call people merely to possess religious knowledge, participate in religious rituals, or profess faith with their lips. Rather, He calls His followers to demonstrate genuine faith by obeying His Word.
These fourteen questions are not intended to judge others, but to encourage every sincere follower of Christ to examine himself honestly in the light of God’s truth.
May we no longer measure our spiritual lives by human standards, but by the teachings of Jesus Christ alone.
May we daily deny ourselves, take up our cross, follow Him faithfully, abide in Christ, and live lives marked by reverence for God, love for God, holiness, obedience to His will, fellowship with Him, faithful service, and the glory of His name.
In doing so, we will be known by the Lord, receive the Father’s approval, inherit eternal life, and share forever in the everlasting glory of God’s Kingdom.
