Discussions on Imitating Christ
The Imitation Of Christ - Different Views
(Please read original article here)
Thy Word Is Truth said:
It is not true for you to assert and state that "There is not a single verse, yes, NOT EVEN ONE VERSE in the bible that says we are to imitate Christ. Are you in shock now? I was, and I re-confirmed the search results by doing searches using a few translations - KJV, NKJV, NASB, YLT, NIV, ESV."
There are many, many verses, just to state a few well known ones:
1Pe 2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
Mat 10:38 And whoever does not TAKE HIS CROSS and FOLLOW ME is not worthy of me.
Mar 8:34 And calling the crowd to him with HIS DISCIPLES, he said to them, "If anyone would COME AFTER ME, let him DENY himself and take up HIS CROSS and FOLLOW ME.
Luk 9:23-24 And he said to all, "If anyone would COME AFTER ME, let him DENY himself and take up HIS CROSS DAILY and FOLLOW ME.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life FOR MY SAKE will save it.
Luk 14:26-27 "If anyone COMES TO ME and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not BEAR HIS OWN CROSS and COME AFTER ME cannot be my DISCIPLE.
Geri aka hungribunni said:
Ok this is my view-
Bro, we don't have to imitate Christ you know why? Paul made it so clear by that statement you put up, and I am going to explain it in one verse - not I who live, but Christ who lives in me. ^.^
We don't imitate Jesus because Jesus lives in us today! We already have the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit, the helper He has sent us, to teach us all things. =)... Read More
What is needful or us to do is to walk out that precious gift we have in our daily lives. Choosing to align our thoughts with His Word, to discern not based on our emotions but with the Spirit. =)
As He is in this world so are we. =) We don't imitate anymore because He is in us and we are in Him! =D
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"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
He means our love, relationship and obedience for Him is above all other human relationship
and love we share with others. And that we should be prepared that by choosing Christ, sometimes we will meet with family oppositions. But if we bow to these family oppositions and choose to not become Christians, we will not be able to be worthy - as only Christ alone can make us worthy.
We should honour Him above our parents, but it doesn't mean we should disrespect them outright lah. I say this becoz I am aware some Christians use this verse out of context to justify their treatment of their parents who are not Christians. We need to not take it out of context.
The Geneva Study Bible explains this verse in this manner:
Without exception, nothing is to be preferred before our duty to God.
Another commentary (Matthew- Henry's Concise commentary) explains:
The strongest bonds of love and duty, have often been broken through from enmity against Christ.
Sufferings from friends and relations are very grievous; nothing cuts more. It appears plainly, that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution; and we must expect to enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations. With these predictions of trouble, are counsels and comforts for a time of trial.
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To be honest, I've honestly been trying to see how the verses quoted are talking about imitating Christ. At first it seems so, but when one delves deeper and not just wade on the shallow end, they are not talking about imitating Christ. They, IMHO and I dun wan to argue so this is my POV shalom, are talking about accepting Christ as the only way to redeem ourselves, to make ourselves worthy of His saving grace, about abiding in Him and that even in the face of trials and oppositions to remain in Him.
That without Him we are not worthy, but when we are in Him we are worthy.
If we don't make the personal decision to receive Him, we cannot be worthy of Him.
The whole speech reaches out to the unsaved and not the saved, though it reminds the saved that certain scenarios might come up (such as family opposition and strife due to diff personal views on religion, god, etc) when we decide to follow Him.
Hmm this is my sharing - i feel that when Jesus spoke it was still in the OT context when He reminded people we had to take on His salvation and follow Him, not insisting we can DIY our salvation via Law. Remember He had not died yet so He could not share certain things.
Today when we apply this to our lives from a New covenant perspective, we dun literally hew a cross out of a tree. And neither is He asking to carry our burdens since He did also say my yoke is easy and my burden is light. We no longer carry our crosses, He carried them for us to Calvary. His Cross is light - it is one of a finished work! =D He wants us to stop carrying our heavy hearts and condemnation around, and to take on His Cross and follow in His steps because He has overcome the devil for us already. So deny our need to work out salvation, to overcome the devil by our own imperfect means or justification. Our justification is Jesus, not self.
When we are told to deny ourselves - it is to remind us that it is no longer us who lives but Christ who lives in us. We make decisions no longer based on how we feel, but based on walking out our lives established on the grace He has placed in us. We no longer battle the principalities and powers based on our own might and strength (which stems from pride i feel), but by His Spirit (which stems from obedience.
Taking up our cross and following Him to me, means daring to make decisions not based on how we feel, but making our decisions based on His leading.
We don't know how God leads each one but as a Missionary once told me - not everyone is called to the Missionary field, and we should not feel condemned if we don't. Each of us has a place in the Kingdom, and a different blessing and a different call and a different gift. We should not judge people because we do not know God's leading and will for them. They too have their personal walk. What is important for us is to walk our walk well, to edify those who are down, pray for those we feel need to change and to always turn our eyes upon Jesus.
Carrying the Cross and denying self is not about us taking on our burdens and weakness head on with our own abilities and then being poor too deny self. Denying self is being Christ- conscious not self-consciouss.
I know wealthy people who are not self-centred, but who give lavishly for the overflow of blessings in their lives. I know poor people who are self-centred because they don't trust God will provide if they give, so they hold on to money instead of holding on to the promises of provision by Jesus. By that same matter, I know wealthy people who love money so much, they lose it later because they got greedy on the share market. And poor people who give out of the abundance of God's grace and never worry for lack because He is faithful.
We should not judge the bank account and we should not judge period because God sees man differently than the way we see man. We see the outward appearances and the things in the natural. God sees the heart.
That is why I notice some people who are flled with the grace of God are so blessed financially coz they dun hold on to the money like it is precious to them - They give it away all the time, blessing others and God blesses them with the good things. Who are we to be jealous of them? A friend of mine comes from an incredibly blessed family - financially and in all areas... but they are also an incredible blessing to other people. And God blesses such people because I am sure He knows where their heart and focus is.
Our own jealousy amd smallness of heart, our own self-righteous and judegemental personalities, our own thinking we know God's thoughts about so and so and this person that person... these areas of our human-ness that we have not died to in Christ are the things that really stumble our walk with Him.
Just mew view. Agree or not never mind. I also not out to argue. Shalom =D
Just to add - we are worthy of Him because He made us worthy on the Cross.
We can earn as many brownie points, do a lot of good deeds, obey the ten commandmnt and we can still not buy or earn that worthiness.
Jesus was basically scolding the Jews and making His point that unless they take up His salvation, they can never be worthy of Him. He is not asking us to use this passage to judge people unworthy.
BTW, I checked the Lexicon... the word Cross here in Greek implies:
stauros stow-ros': a stake or post (as set upright), i.e. (specially), a pole or cross; figuratively, exposure to death, i.e. self-denial; by implication, the atonement of Christ -- cross.
So even the Lexicon implies that it is referring to the atonement of Christ where we die to self so that Christ lives in us.
It is not saying imitating Christ, but it means accepting that salvation He has offered.
We need to be careful how we interpret the Word.