Who Are You Following?

The Choice Before Us

You would think the pressure on the body of Christ comes only from external sources, but we must also acknowledge the pressure that comes from within. Throughout the world, we have all sorts of identity groups itching to categorize and influence people for better or for worse. Instead of appealing to our shared identity in Christ, we’ve let those outside of Christ define us. We must ask ourselves: “Who are you following?”

Testimony or Refutation?

Throughout Scripture, God encourages His people to share their testimony of what God has done for them. This is not a mere suggestion, but a command to glorify God and build up the body of Christ.

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It seems today with political polarization, cultural division, and social media echo chambers, we’ve found secular counsel from the world. This counsel has pitted the body of Christ against itself.

The book of Psalms — a collection of poems, songs, and prayers — emphasizes meditation on Scripture. Its very first verse takes on the progression of avoiding walking, standing, and sitting with those who are opposed to God. The progression here is intentional. Think of the start of a snowball rolling down a hill—it begins small but gains momentum and size as it goes.

The Hebrew word for “walk” (הלך) implies a continuous, habitual course of action—not a one-time decision, but a lifestyle choice.

The Hebrew word for “stand” (עמד) suggests a static, defiant position—not just passive association, but active opposition.

The Hebrew word for “sit” (ישב) indicates a settled, comfortable position—not a casual encounter, but a habitual, cozy association.

Societal Pressure

While we may hold strong beliefs apart from Scripture, we must ask ourselves: “Are we following the world’s counsel or God’s counsel?”

Personally, it seems the attack on the body of Christ comes in the form of buzzwords that shackle us to worldly ideologies rather than set us free in Christ.

As I observe patterns in the daily news and social media, I see the same behavior carried into the body of Christ. For instance, every election cycle seems to bring out the same sort of tribalism and division. News anchors can’t run fast enough to report the downfall of anyone who calls himself a Christian.

Let us be soldiers in the Lord’s army over any worldly allegiance. Joshua, who served under Moses’ leadership, met the commander of the Lord’s army. Here we have an answer to the question of who we should follow.

We must remember, the Lord’s motives are not those of the world. He is looking for laborers, where the harvest is plentiful.

The world is going to try to appeal to our emotions in an attempt to pull us away from our surrender to Christ. We must test every spirit by way of the Word of God. If not, you have your answer as to what you are following. There is a spirit that does not want nations united in Christ. If God’s Word is the guide to life written by the Creator, then why would we not want to follow it? The alternative is a world built on secularism, humanism, materialism, etc. No matter how you slice it, each nation is a theocracy. It’s just a matter of whose set of morals we follow.

One Body, One Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:13 should help us discern the spirit of division behind those who seek to divide the body of Christ. While some of us make an idol of tribalism, the buzzwords used by the carnal world, such as “conservative”, “Christian nationalist”, “evangelical”, etc., are merely tools of division. While there are people who claim these titles and may or may not align with biblical principles, we must remember that we are called to unity in Christ. What makes these attacks so obvious is that the same people behind them don’t believe in Jesus Christ. Heck, they cut the feed when someone mentions the name of Christ—yet we accept their wicked counsel.

In a world full of sin and division, let us remember Who is the authority and what is at stake. All of these worldly things will pass away, but the kingdom of God is eternal. Before we step any further into division, let us ask ourselves: “Are we following the world’s counsel or God’s counsel?”