The Follow / Free-Will Dilemma

Jesus said 'Come follow me'. He calls people to discipleship ... to following. He commissions us to 'Make disciples', i.e. bring others to a maturity whereby they are also following Jesus.

Yet all the while Jesus honoured and respected the God-given free-will that we are given. We can, at any time, simply say 'no thank you' and wander our own way. In fact in some clearly recorded occasions in the gospels thats exactly what people did (e.g. end of John 6).

Ultimately Jesus honoured the gift of free-will to the point of letting people cruelly execute him.


In mission we lead. Whether it is just one person to Jesus-discipleship, a group, a whole church, or even to speak missionally into society, we find ourselves as leaders. Since the direction of our leadership is towards-Jesus, we rightfully hope that all will journey together. We want to take as many with us in that Spirit-led direction as possible.

Yet we are limited, and it is not solely dependent on us. Each person must make their own decision, exercising their free-will. Even if we are leaders gifted with the strongest Christ-like message, we must recognise this fact. Romans 12:18, in its call for living at peace with those around us, reminds us that we can only do that as far as it depends on us - i.e. there are limitations.

The skill of Jesus' mission that we pursue is therefore to call people towards Jesus as best we can, yet simultaneously laying down any sense of coercive power. We must call people to follow Jesus, completely honouring their free-will.

Moment of Burn

Waiting on God, an openness to the Spirit, a welcoming of the moment of God's choosing. That was the pattern set by Jesus at the beginning of Acts leading to Pentecost and that fantastic moment of burn that set the disciples on their way.

Like a high speed download from God, things suddenly moved forward. From that moment as mission history unfolded there were other Pentecost-esque moments for new believers. Acts 18 and 19 is instructive - it had been possible to know of John the Baptists call to repentance, and even to know the teachings of Jesus, yet still be lacking. A moment of burn was required, their own individual filling of the Spirit.

Why think that it might be any different in our time? Each of us, to move forward, also needs a moment of burn ... enabling forward movement.

In previous posts we have talked about slow burn, and the need to continually burn. Both get started in a God timed and given moment of burn, our own Pentecost.