We are living in the last days, and never has it been more crucial to hold fast to God’s truth without being swayed by deception. Jesus Christ will soon return, bringing crowns for His true followers—those who are far more than mere recipients of His earthly blessings.
During His time on earth, Jesus ministered to countless souls—lepers, the blind, the broken, and all who came seeking help. Such miracles even included the joyful guests at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:7). Yet beyond the twelve disciples He chose, there existed a distinct group who left everything behind to follow Him completely.
These were the ones fully committed to His mission, not merely drawn by what they could receive. This distinction matters profoundly. Blurring the line between follower and beneficiary creates confusion that has permeated much of modern Christianity.
The King and His Fellow Heirs
Revelation 19:16 identifies Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This royal title carries an important implication: His true followers will also reign as kings and lords under His authority. Those given authority by Jesus should never be seen as separate from Him. These are the people who represent Jesus, even when He is assumed to be absent.
“To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star” (Revelation 2:26-28).
Jesus Himself faced ridicule and insults from those convinced they knew better (Matthew 12:24). Today, the same ignorance persists. He continues to be mocked and dismissed through those with whom He works. His true brothers and sisters are those willing to share in His challenging experiences with grace.
Many modern believers assume they could never be as misguided as the Pharisees who rejected Christ and orchestrated His crucifixion. Yet the same folly continues and will persist until His return.
The Test of True Recognition
“For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me'” (Matthew 25:42-45).
Notice carefully: people who care for those Jesus calls His brothers are not necessarily His followers. Jesus loves them, but they are not His followers. Giving and receiving can sometimes be at odds. Giving with the expectation of receiving blessings undermines the true followership of Christ (Matthew 6:1-4). Many who show kindness as a way of returning His blessings often end up benefiting themselves, fulfilling their expectation of being rewarded.
Unconditional givers might be acting like the Good Samaritan, and undoubtedly, such kindness will be rewarded—even with eternal life. But receivers remain different from those who, like Peter and the other disciples, abandoned everything to follow Christ.
Two Different Motivations, Two Different Callings
Followers of Jesus do not belong to this world, just as He did not. Led by the Holy Spirit, their actions spring from a different source entirely. This is precisely why Jesus emphasized counting the cost before deciding to follow Him.
Simply doing good, as the Good Samaritan did, does not automatically make someone a disciple. Followers act under the Spirit’s guidance, while charitable people may act from human conscience alone. Generosity is common; true discipleship is rare. Recognizing this distinction matters greatly, as Jesus warned in Luke 14:25-34.
The Good Samaritan may not have been a disciple at all, yet Jesus held him up as an example for the lawyer seeking eternal life. Speaking to this legal expert who knew God’s law intimately, Jesus didn’t demand he become a follower—instead, He instructed him to live in ways that please God. This calling differs from abandoning everything to follow Christ.
God’s People Through His Eyes Alone
Revelation 7:3-8 describes 144,000 sealed from Israel’s tribes before the great tribulation and Christ’s return, while Malachi foretells the redemption of certain Israelites, some spared from God’s wrath under a prophet like Elijah.
With centuries of intermarriages across nations, identifying the pure twelve tribes by genealogy has become impossible. Yet God sees each person by their spiritual identity, not their outward appearance. While we define others by what we observe, God defines them by their true spiritual reality. Our physical bodies do not define who we ultimately are.
What matters most is being spiritually alive to avoid the coming disaster—unlike the saints who have passed and now await resurrection at Christ’s return (Revelation 20).
The Great Multitude: A Different Path
The prophecy also describes a vast crowd in white robes. Unlike the 144,000 who are spared from the great tribulation, these souls endured it, cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Though the precise mechanism of this cleansing remains mysterious, they are unquestionably counted among the redeemed. They remained steadfast in their testimony of Jesus through every trial.
The Bible presents this tribulation as part of the end of the age, with the blessed being those still alive at Christ’s second coming (Revelation 7:9-17).
These victorious ones do not prevail through their own strength or wisdom, but as Jesus’ followers who surrendered everything and were found faithful at His return. It was Christ Himself who cleansed their robes (Revelation 19:6-8). These followers are not necessarily law-keepers in the traditional sense, yet where Christ leads is always where they would have chosen to go (John 21:17-18). They have become as good as dead to themselves, having surrendered all for His sake.
This does not diminish them compared to the 144,000—rather, they form a distinct group, purified by Christ Himself through tribulation. Their cleansing flows not from their own deeds but from their willingness to follow Him, even when it contradicts personal desires or popular opinion. They have counted the cost and stand ready to face anything—even death—for the testimony of Jesus.
Understanding this requires discerning the difference between fleshly interests and spiritual ones.
The Conflict Within
Our natural instinct for physical survival belongs to this world. It drives us toward food, security, pleasure, and pride. The things we claim to love often reflect what brings us comfort, contrasting sharply with God’s unconditional love. Our joy frequently flows from receiving rather than giving.
The spiritual person operates in reverse, finding greater joy in giving rather than receiving. As Paul warned the Galatian Christians, these two natures remain locked in perpetual conflict:
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:16-18).
A spiritual person lives beyond the laws of this world, guided instead by the divine law of Love. Such a person belongs to the divine family, yet faces the grave risk of backsliding—being drawn back to worldly attachments after being counted among God’s children. This explains why Jesus exercised such caution about accepting just anyone into discipleship. He spoke in parables that concealed as much as they revealed, discouraging those who sought to join without true commitment.
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” (Hebrews 10:26-27).
A Pervasive Misunderstanding
One of Christianity’s most common errors is failing to recognize these crucial differences. Countless people claim to follow Jesus while actually only enjoying His blessings. The most difficult challenge lies in convincing traditional believers that the material gains many take pride in often contradict authentic Christian values.
True followers remain rare—willing to face anything, unaffected by life’s ups and downs, much as Jesus explained to Peter in John 21:17-18. They find joy even in persecution and mistreatment, unlike those focused solely on physical blessings (Matthew 5:10-12).
Throughout history, people have approached Christianity for countless reasons. When Jesus walked the earth, crowds followed Him for healing, provision, and miracles—many seeking bread more than truth. Imagine the all-night vigils, where praters are for breakthroughs on material blessings. Not much has changed. Today, many still come to Christianity looking for blessings more than pursuing God’s will (Luke 14:25-34).
Misunderstanding Jesus’ words in these passages creates serious problems, especially for those who have always believed Christianity’s purpose is simply receiving divine benefits. True followers, however, find their deepest joy in doing God’s will above any physical blessing they might receive, understanding that discipleship inherently involves sacrifice. Jesus shared His message with those who sought Him, willing to sacrifice their own interests.
The Prosperity Trap
People who celebrate only material blessings often struggle desperately to release anything they consider “their” blessing, viewing such benefits as proof of divine favor. This mindset remains widespread today, even as Jesus continues to be widely admired.
Of course, He needs nothing from anyone. So if someone chooses to follow Him now, how can they avoid doing so purely for personal advantage? A perfect illustration lies in the responsive behavior of His first disciples.
“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20).
Two brothers made their living as fishermen, providing for their families with each day’s catch. But when Jesus called, they dropped their nets and abandoned the fish without hesitation. No evidence suggests they even informed their families about this sudden decision. Imagine someone heading out to fish and never returning—presumed lost at sea. Their families, expecting fish for supper, would have been stunned by their disappearance.
Jesus once declared, “Unless a person is willing to set aside their family, they cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). Receiving blessings from Him is one thing; truly following Him is quite another. We must make this clear so those who genuinely want to follow understand the cost.
His message announced God’s Kingdom—a new kind of civilization standing in stark contrast to the kingdoms of this world. His mission proclaimed the arrival of something unprecedented. However, its uniqueness didn’t impress many people of his time.
The Ultimate Choice
Ultimately, every person faces a choice between pursuing this world and embracing Christianity. There is no harm in choosing worldliness, as long as one does not mix it with the claim of being Christ’s follower. As Revelation 3:16-20 puts it clearly, someone who professes love for Jesus because of the blessings He gives might not seem problematic—until they attempt to blend blessing-seeking with authentic discipleship.
The distinction remains: followers abandon everything; beneficiaries receive gladly. Both may experience God’s goodness, but only one group will reign with Him. The question each must answer is simple yet profound: Have I counted the cost, or am I merely enjoying the benefits?
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, relieving those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions, leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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