We need to trust in the reputation Jesus has as an individual. He was known for always doing what pleased the Father. This wasn’t hearsay or self-promotion—it was a truth confirmed by the very voice of God, and ultimately, by the resurrection. If we truly believe in who Jesus is, then we must let that trust move us to imitate Him.
We see it in Him—and with faith, we copy it.
But here lies the struggle: we often stall at the level of trust that is necessary to live like Him. It requires more than admiration; it calls for courage. We have to overcome the naysayers, the mockers, the world itself. To trust Jesus enough to follow Him means risking misunderstanding, rejection, even suffering. It’s no small thing.
And yet—look at the success it brought Him. The Father raised Him from the dead, having testified of His pleasure in Him. That is the fruit of a life lived to please God. That is the end of obedience: not shame, but glory. Not death, but resurrection.
This is the path of faith. It begins with trust in Jesus—His character, His obedience, His vindication. And that trust leads us naturally to ask: What pleases the Father? And not just to ask, but to do it. We no longer follow Him from afar—we begin to walk as He walked, live as He lived, and love what He loved.
Faith that sees Jesus rightly becomes a life that pleases the Father. This is the way of salvation. This is the way of the cross. And this is the way of resurrection.
Stephen D Green with ChatGPT, April 2025
