The invitation to follow Jesus is given to everyone, but it comes with obligations for those who wish to accept it. Jesus provided clear guidelines for those who wanted to follow Him, emphasizing the cost and commitment required:
"Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 'If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.'" — Luke 14:25-33
When Jesus speaks of hating one's father and mother, it does not imply active hate. In those times, such exaggerations were a way of making a strong point—much like Jesus saying in Matthew 18:9, “… if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire …”. These exaggerations were a common rhetorical method of the era.
From Luke 14:25-33, it is evident that Jesus has specific requirements for those who wish to follow Him. This message is reinforced in several other scriptures (Matthew 10:37-39, Matthew 16:24-25, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). In Luke 6:46, Jesus asks, “… why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? …”
The story of the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19:16-22 illustrates this point well: “… when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions …”. The man was invited to follow Jesus, but he was unwilling to give up everything, so he left in sadness.
Salvation is offered to everyone, but there are requirements for how it is obtained. The Bible makes it clear that faith (believing) is necessary for salvation:
“… For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever BELIEVES in Him should not perish but have everlasting life …” (John 3:16)
“… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and BELIEVE in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one BELIEVES unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation …” — Romans 10:9-10
However, if our faith does not manifest in our actions, the Bible states that our faith is dead (useless or powerless):
“… For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also …” (James 2:26). You can read James 2:14-26 for the context.
This addresses the question of whether it is acceptable to “follow Jesus” and continue living in sin. If you claim to “believe in Jesus” but continue to live in sin, your actions indicate that your faith is still dead (has not come alive yet). When someone begins to follow Jesus' teachings and live according to His instructions, their faith becomes alive. James emphasizes this about Abraham: “… Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? …” (James 2:22).
If we truly believe the message of Jesus, there will be a proper response to it. That is why Jesus asked some people, “… why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? …” (Luke 6:46).
If you are standing in the middle of the road and I see a truck coming, and I am shouting to you: “Get out of the road there is a truck coming!!” Then you might hear what I say and believe me, but it is your response to what I am saying that saves you. If you hear what I say and choose to keep standing in the road, you will be killed whether you believed me or not.
The invitation to follow Jesus is given to everyone, but it is not an invitation without conditions. You can’t follow Jesus and keep walking in the opposite direction of where He is going. This means that you cannot follow Jesus and keep living in sin. You might fall into sin and then ask Jesus to forgive you, but you can’t ignore what He says and still call Him Lord.
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