“Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?'” (Luke 9:23 NIV)

These words from our Lord are worthy of great reflection and serious examination as to our own personal relationship with Christ. One day we will all stand before Him and give an account of our lives. According to Matt. 7:21-23, many who consider themselves true followers will discover too late that they were only fans when they hear perhaps the most frightening words in all of Scripture, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!”

In his book, “Not A Fan”, Kyle Idleman says, “The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them.” Idleman’s book is available currently in both the Kindle and iBook versions for just $1.99. I highly recommend it.