“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV)
One of the goals of our walks of faith in Jesus Christ is that we become like God (Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit) in character, thought, word, and deed. This is not optional though, but it is progressive. And the process of becoming more like Jesus will last a lifetime, if we are committed to that process, and if we cooperate with God’s work of grace in our lives in making us more like him. And this means that we should do the kinds of things that Jesus did, and speak the kinds of messages that he spoke, too.
For to believe in Jesus Christ with God-gifted faith in him requires that we become one of his disciples (followers). And a disciple is one who models his life after the one he is following, and who imitates him in character and in deed. And so, if we are true followers (disciples) of Jesus Christ, who are modeling our lives after his character, and so we are doing the things that he requires that we do, as his followers, then we are going to be growing in the grace of Christ and we will be serving him with our lives in ministry.
And that also means that we will suffer like he suffered, too, for the sake of his name, and for the sake of his gospel message, and for the sake of truth and righteousness. As they maligned and hated and persecuted Jesus when he lived on the earth, if we are his true disciples, they will do the same to us. And “they” are not just those who make no professions of faith in Jesus Christ, but they include many who profess to believe in Christ, even some who are pastors and elders in the gatherings of “the church.”
For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we try to save (hold on to) our old lives, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in walks of obedience to his commands, then we have the hope of eternal life. And if we love other humans more than we love God/Christ, we are not worthy of him. But we are to follow Jesus’ example he gave us for how to live our lives.
For, even before God laid the foundations of the earth he predestined those he foreknew to be conformed to the likeness of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord. This is what it means to believe in Jesus, to shed our old lives of self and sin and to now let God make us into new creations in him, no longer to make sin our practice, but now to walk in holiness and in righteousness and in walks of obedience to our Lord. For Jesus died to transform us into his likeness, not just to save us from our sins.
Therefore, we are to have the mindset of Christ, as his followers. And we are to humble ourselves before God in full submission to him as Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives. And we are to become, not only his beloved children, but also those who serve him with our lives, as living sacrifices to him. For we now belong to him, and he owns us, and he is now to be the one directing our paths and showing us the way he wants us to go. And we, too, are to become obedient to our Lord, even to the point of death.
For we are to share in the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. And if our lives are truly committed to him and to his service, and if we are taking a stand for truth and for righteousness in a day and time when lies and liars abound, even within the gatherings of what are called “churches,” then we are going to be persecuted as he was. Especially if we are refuting the popular altered gospel of today which does not require death to sin and obedience to God, we are going to be opposed.
But when we are mistreated, we are to love our persecutors and do good to them. And this love is centered in moral purity, and it prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, righteous, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. So this is the kind of love that will sacrifice self and acceptance of others in order to tell people the truth which can save their souls from hell, even if we get sacrificed in return. For that is following after Jesus’ example of how he lived and loved.
“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.” (1 Peter 4:1-3 ESV)
Amen! And..
“Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:4-6 ESV)
[Matthew 10:25,37-39; Luke 6:40; Luke 9:23-26; John 13:12-15; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:1-2; Philippians 2:5-8; Philippians 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7; 1 Peter 2:21-23; 1 Peter 4:1-3; 1 John 2:4-6]
Not I, but Christ
By Ada A. Whiddington / A. B. Simpson
… I no longer live, but Christ lives in me… (Galatians 2:20 NIV)
Not I, but Christ be honored, loved, exalted,
Not I, but Christ be seen, be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ in every thought and word.
Not I, but Christ to gently soothe in sorrow,
Not I, but Christ to wipe the falling tear;
Not I, but Christ to lift the weary burden,
Not I, but Christ to hush away all fear.
Christ, only Christ, no idle word e'er falling,
Christ, only Christ, no needless bustling sound;
Christ, only Christ, no self-important bearing,
Christ, only Christ, no trace of “I” be found.
Not I, but Christ my every need supplying,
Not I, but Christ my strength and health to be;
Christ, only Christ, for spirit, soul, and body,
Christ, only Christ, live then Thy life in me.
Christ, only Christ, ere long will fill my vision,
Glory excelling soon, full soon I'll see;
Christ, only Christ, my every wish fulfilling,
Christ, only Christ, my all in all to be.
Oh, to be saved from myself, dear Lord,
Oh, to be lost in Thee,
Oh, that it might be no more I,
But Christ that lives in me.
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