The Bible teaches in a number of places that following Jesus is a spiritual growth and maturation process much like a natural growth process in the biological world.
To follow Jesus is to grow into and be conformed to Jesus’ image (Romans 8:29)
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KNOWING JESUS
The first step in following Jesus is in coming to know Jesus by faith. The Bible uses a number of different terms to know Jesus: being born again (John 3:1-8); saved (Romans 10:9 and Ephesians 2:8); and having put your faith in Jesus (Acts 20:21).
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FOLLOWING JESUS
To be a Christian is not simply about knowing Jesus but following Him as Lord and in full allegiance and loyalty. Jesus calls his disciples (apprentices) to deny themselves, pick up the cross, and to follow Him (Matthew 16:24 and Luke 9:23-26).
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SERVING/IMITATING JESUS
To be a follower of Jesus also means serving as Jesus serves (Matthew 20:28) spirit, soul, and body. Jesus touched on this in both John 20:21 and Matthew 28:18-20. To be a Christian is to devote one’s self to good works (Titus 3:8)
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(Titus 3:3-7)