BE AN EXAMPLE OF CHRIST

Therefore I urge you to imitate me.  For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.                                                 1 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NIV)

We are in the world that is rapidly changing socially, spiritually, financially, psychologically, politically, and ethically. A world where technology changes so rapidly like the blinking of the eyes. You buy a phone today and tomorrow it is outmoded. A world where you turn around to look for role models and you find only few people. Ministers are falling, presidents are falling, CEO’s cannot be looked up to, fathers and mothers are failing their children, and so on. A world where people are unable to tell others to imitate them because they cannot trust themselves. They say “do what I say but don’t do what I do.” This was no different from Paul’s era. In 1 Corinthians 4:15, he wrote, “Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.”

When Paul encountered Christ on his way to Damascus, he surrendered all his life to Him. He became a true servant of Christ from then on. As a servant, he looked up to his master, Jesus, for direction in the new found life. He dedicated his life to living like Jesus. He said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 (NIV). He was determined to live like Christ and he did throughout his ministry. He was, therefore, confident to say, “I urge you to imitate me,” and in v. 17 he stressed that that way of life was in Christ. First and foremost, the example for us to follow is that of Christ, who left His heavenly throne as God to come in the human form to live just like us. He came to experience what we have to experience. In Philippians 2:4-8 (NIV), says, “not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 

      In this verse, we see that Christ did not look to His own interest but He looked out for the interest of humankind. He could have stayed in heaven to enjoy His throne but He gave up His royal throne to come to His own people who did not even acknowledge Him.  In all His relationships, He looked out for the welfare of those He came into contact with. When somebody was sick He healed the person. When somebody was hungry, He fed the person. When somebody was afflicted, he set the person free. When somebody was thirsty, He gave them water to drink and many more. Everywhere He went, He was doing good. This is the example that He set for us to follow. As we relate to one another, let’s look out for the welfare of each other.

      

      This was the example that the disciples/apostles followed. There was nobody in need among them. They followed their master’s example by caring and catering for the need of each other. As a church we ought to imitate Christ in our daily relationships with one another, with our spouses, our children, friends and all people we interact with. It is our Christ-like nature that will attract people into the Kingdom of God.

      The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch because they could easily be identified with Christ. They were carbon-copies of Christ. Can people say the same thing of you like the disciples or can you tell others to imitate you as you imitate Christ? I urge you today to strive to be an example of Christ!