Are you perplexed as to a leader you can follow - and why you should follow him? Consider Jesus Christ. He gave two unique commandments at the beginning of His ministry that shows His caliber. The fist was a demand for a radical change in the life of His followers. That in itself is a demonstration of how extraordinary He is. No human leader would try to attract followers by telling them they needed to be changed. His chief concern would be to have as many followers as possible in order to enhance His popularity. But Christ was no mere human leader; He was god incarnate. He says to all who would follow Him, "Repent" - that is, be changed; that's the first thing you must do, before you can enter into fellowship with Him.
There are, of course, several commandments consequent to repentance, such as faith and baptism. What is the relationship between repentance, faith and baptism? Can one of these stand for the others? Is baptism, for instance, valid without repentance and faith? Is faith sufficient to get anyone to heaven? Is repentance possible without faith? When baptism is spoken of as saving us, does it include as its prerequisite repentance and faith? What is the relationship between repentance and forgiveness of sins? Can a person who has repented and exercised faith go to heaven without being baptized? Can anyone have repentance without faith or faith without repentance?
After His first commandment, Christ gave a second one: "Follow me." What does this involve? When you follow Christ, do you cease to be a realist as far as your environment is concerned and your own personal and social relationships? Is it wrong to make a living or own material possessions while you're following Christ? What sacrifices are necessary in order to follow Him? This book seeks to provide the Biblical answer to all these questions.
