Christ’s Royal Regiment: Will You Answer His Call?
**The battle cry has sounded—Jesus calls His disciples to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Him. Are you ready to join His eternal Kingdom?**
The **BATTLE CRY** has sounded, and the call to **ALL** is going forth. The question is, "Will you answer His call? Will you join His universal fighting force? Will you be part of **Christ's Royal Regiment**?" Christ proclaimed, **"FOLLOW ME!"** With this, He told His disciple-soldiers that the test of their affection for Him was that they keep His commandments.
When Christ went recruiting, He saw Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, fishing at the Sea of Galilee. As it says in Matthew 4:19, Jesus promised to make them **"fishers of men."** Verse 20 states point-blank that **"they straightway left their nets, and FOLLOWED HIM."** The narrative doesn't stop there. Jesus then called James and John, who also immediately left their occupation and their father, and **FOLLOWED HIM!** (vv.21-22). Jesus kept recruiting until He had a small force to train up for His Royal Regiment.
The training for life-service would require breaking natural family ties, as we read in Matthew 10:34-39. Take time to read it slowly. In fact, read all four accounts of the Gospel—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But don't stop there; read the entire New Testament! It all points to one arresting fact:
**Discipleship in Christ's Royal Regiment will cost the enlisted soldier his most valuable possession—his whole life.**
Jesus said to His disciples, **"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it."** (Matthew 16:24-25).
Too many professed Christians often forget how high Jesus' claims were and how absolute His orders were concerning obedience. Sadly, modern churches push the idea that we, not Christ, are most worthy. But "Christians" forget—perhaps conveniently—that our Lord deserves the rewards of His sufferings. We were all sinners saved by His grace, and nothing we did merited His mercy. We don't deserve salvation!
Christ Jesus was the very King that Israel awaited, but they didn’t recognize Him. Yet, even when mocked and facing sure death, He never recanted His claim of Kingship. Such a King is our need. Such a one we must follow.
In Matthew 26:27-31 and John 18:36-37, Jesus' belief in His own Royalty is unwavering. John the Baptist, too, preached, **"The Kingdom of heaven is at hand"** (Matthew 3:2). Jesus Himself preached about His Kingdom, saying, **"Repent: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand"** (Matthew 4:17). He established a Kingdom that embraced **ALL** nations and was above **ALL** kingdoms. History attests to this fact, even today.
Throughout the world, people are loyal to their earthly rulers. But to honor **Christ Jesus above all** is an even higher calling. One writer states that good citizens can be turned into rebels if worldly rulers oppose Christ's claims, for to them, **"He is King of kings, and their allegiance to Him transcends all others."**
Shouldn't we, as disciple-soldiers of the Lord, declare His Kingship? A former member of the World Council of Churches asked:
**"Does your church live for itself, or for the world around it? Does your congregation's life affirm the Lordship of Christ, or deny it?"**
Christ's Kingship demands **OBEDIENCE.** There must be no divided loyalty to Jesus. The issue with modern Christians is that they want both Christ and the world, making it impossible to demonstrate true loyalty. **It is only in OBEDIENCE that we can have any valid claim to call ourselves by His name.**
Even Napoleon Bonaparte acknowledged this truth when he said:
**"I know man, and I tell you Jesus Christ was not a man. Jesus Christ alone founded His empire upon love; and at this hour, millions of men will die for Him."** He recognized that the empire Jesus built was unlike any earthly empire—it was founded not on force, but on love.
Thomas Carlyle also wrote of Christ:
**"Jesus is our divinest symbol. Higher has the human thought not yet reached. A symbol of quite perennial, infinite character."**
Socrates died an honorable death, surrounded by disciples. But Jesus died in **mockery**, as an object of **universal cursing**—a death far more painful than Socrates could have feared. Even as He suffered, Jesus prayed for His enemies. If Socrates died like a philosopher, **Jesus died like a God—the only God.**
So, what will we do with Matthew 16:24-25?
Jesus' standards have not changed. He is still King. And if we are His servants, we must meet His demands. We cannot deny that our loyalty to Christ Jesus calls us to...
**DENY OURSELVES, TAKE UP OUR CROSSES, AND FOLLOW HIM.**
What will you choose? Will you declare Jesus as King? Will you forsake all and be part of **Christ's Royal Regiment**?
Won't you lose your earthly life to gain His eternal Kingdom?
~General James Green
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