Be imitators

Be imitators of God

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV

I was challenged reading this:

“One theologian said, “All people are created in the imago dei—the image of God. All believers are called to the imitatio Christi—the imitation of Christ.” While that sounds very spiritual, the truth is that many professing believers are far from “imitatio Christi” and more like “imitatio kosmos,” (so to speak) imitators of the world. Followers (disciples) of Christ should follow Christ by imitating Him. Of course the only way to imitate Christ is to live by the same power source He lived by during His life. And what was His source of supernatural power? It was the Holy Spirit.”

Paul’s Model of Disciple Making

I believe that one of the best ways to present a person to Jesus is to let them see Jesus in me. Jesus called people to follow Him, both body and soul – deny myself, take up the cross and follow Him.

At the end of 1 Corinthians we find the Lord’s Supper. This is where, as a disciple, I enjoy participating with others in the faith and repentance of my walk with Jesus. The Lord’s Table, which is a common expression for this event when taking place in church, is for sinners, but sinners who trusted in Christ alone for salvation and are following Him as His disciple in a life of repentance.

My Psalm reading pushed the envelope for imitating Jesus and celebrating faith and repentance. It was Psalm 109 – a ghastly reading of anger. Definitely did not follow suit to the Lord’s Prayer. But the prayer is real and I have been there many times. So what does that look like in my life as a disciple? I believe that every time I have voiced such a prayer that I have begun to heal. How strange it is that only after I have verbalized those mean-spirited secrets of my heart can I hear how strange and hard they sound. It is then that I can grow beyond them as I continue to imitate Christ.

The law is a great gift

When I look at the Old Testament law, I see it designed to line me up with the kingdom of God. It’s a great gift.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. – Joshua 1:8 ESV

I believe this verse is one of my most important ones that I use to guide my life and Joshua is my most favourite of the Old Testament heroes.

Dignity

I think that it is important that my dignity as a follower of Christ depends on me bearing the marks that belong to the kingdom of God. It is not just something I talk about. It is the presence of God in my actions and Him being the first step who fills my mind. Maybe Matthew 5:20 is the most important thing about the entering and living in the kingdom of God.

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

I think it is important to note the previous three verses to understand that the law is still important, especially to those who say we no longer have to heed to the law.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:17-19 ESV

The law is where it all starts – it has not left the table yet. It is holy. Until I repent of the evil or the breaking of the law, I cannot participate in Christ’s righteousness. Then when I receive mercy, I go into deeper self-abhorrence. If I am pretending to be a follower of Jesus and allow myself to walk in disobedience or teach others to do the same, I am not a true disciple. Let’s make sure I am getting this right. Christ’s righteousness, is given to me by faith alone, it is needed by every single person who enters the kingdom. However, the new creation of the heart of holiness, produces a thorough change in a person’s temper and conduct.

I believe Matthew is really drilling down to the characteristic of a disciple as one who is a doer of the will of God. There is an emphasis on ethics and repentance. Orthopraxy would be his prominent motif.

Just read the rest of the chapter and tell me you are or are not doing these things. I know in fact that over 60% of any church family are in violation of these and unfortunately in some, they are okay with that. I pray that my walk would be to heed the call to walk with God in all of these matters and to eventually be willing to walk with others as they desire to do the same.

Looking after others

This is something I find rather easy to do, it must be part of my rescuer mentality. So I am encouraged today in reading 1 Corinthians that there are at least two, maybe three, principles that I can engage with others that will help them and help me.

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. – 1 Corinthians 10:24 ESV

While this one might be rather simple and straightforward, this one is much harder.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

If I am going to help others with their temptations, I am going to have to keep practicing getting over mine. Here are a few steps, in no particular order, which I have used to help me.

God’s Word: One of the key ingredients to a successful ministry with the Navigators is the practice of memorizing scripture. For in the moments when the temptation comes, a word from God changes the landscape immediately from me to Him. He enters the realm at the moment and the lure no longer is there.

Prayer: I go back to the Lord’s Prayer again – lead us not into temptation – if I cannot stop the temptation, He can.

Shield of Faith: No matter how many darts are thrown my way, I stand on my faith with a God I know has a purpose for me and I trust that purpose.

Look to Jesus: He simply endured every temptation and yielded to none. The same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus to endure is there for me as well. It cannot be done through self-effort, but through Spirit enablement.

Ultimately, it is in understanding and grasping our nature and God’s power. Jesus taught His disciples to pray and to watch. It is God’s grace that allows me to pursue holiness.

Sometimes it takes radical steps not to sin. It might very well mean that I need to take prompt, decisive action against whatever is drawing me away from following Jesus. I know I have relied on God to get me out of some potentially messy situations. He has delivered me even from situations I knew nothing about, and I believe He has given me the grace to continue on my journey in pursuit of holiness.

And so what happens when someone starts to look after me. In looking after me that have some strong words of their own to give me because I have messed up.

Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it… – Psalm 141:5 ESV

This Psalm was part of my reading today. I can say that I look for a fresh anointing every day. I could miss it if I did not accept correction. I try to receive any blame, correction, or fault expressed to me, humbly and tenderly, and taking those words to my Father to see what it is He is trying to say to me.

There is a lot of energy given to looking after others and being looked after. I pray that the Holy Spirit will fill us as we serve and are being served.

Teaching and demonstrating

Visiting King David’s dialogue with King Saul, I see him purposefully take the opportunity to disciple the men who are following him by teaching and demonstrating that it is never acceptable to kill an anointed king. It is a great lesson for him to give for not only is it honouring God but in many ways, it is a practical lesson, because one day David will become king in Saul’s place.

I was also reading about Abigail and looking more closely at her choice of words when addressing David. This one caught my eye.

Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. – 1 Samuel 25:28 ESV

I am sure that she had no idea what she was proclaiming. If I can call her the unconscious prophetess, she could never dream that from David’s house there would come a holy One who would come in person and make good her words.

How do I proclaim, teach and demonstrate who Jesus is and honour His calling in my life so that I can look like David, Abigail and Jesus? I am challenged by Paul in my reading of 1 Corinthians 9 where he comes on strong as a staunch advocate and practitioner of disciple-making. Five times in the passage below he uses the word – kerdaino – meaning “to gain,” “acquire,” or “win.” I really stay away from the word recruiter because I believe that is the Holy Spirit’s job, so these words imply the action words for teaching and demonstrating.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. – 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 ESV

Actually, it can almost seem like a transactional term used in business to describe making a profit or trading up for something better.

In the same chapter Paul describes just how much work is involved in making the choice of being a disciple-maker. It is undistracted effort. Once-in-a-while effort probably does not cut it.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control,^[b] lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV

Time is lost when we start to worry about or pay attention to anything else other than the run. It is what I do every day that matters – the self-examination, prayer, obedience and watching against evil and temptation. There just might be something between the word “disciple” and the word “discipline.”

The Psalms have always said the words that have drawn me to Jesus with my whole heart. Psalm 63 is no different and it matches with Paul’s teachings above. David writes of his love for God and all that is His. He writes of thirsting for God in his soul and his longing in his flesh. It should be fair to say that the measure I thirst for God and to walk with Him is one of the identifying marks of a faithful and dedicated disciple. This kind of thirst and hunger causes me to strive to be the best I can be, give the most in what I do and to serve with the greatest amount of capacity. That desire cannot be ignored, it must be satisfied. This is not a picture of a half-hearted disciple. I am called to seek God and never cease until I find Him.