Be Like Jesus

We hear all sorts of things within our Christianity if you think about it. Sayings that the world would have trouble understanding and to be completely honest, even as a pastor sometimes I shake my head. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great, sound sayings. And then there’s the others. Some so Biblically inaccurate or just plain hard to discern. 

The Bible is actually packed with snippets that have the ability to open the door, turn on the light and provoke deeper thought or conversation.  

1 Corinthians 11:1 is a great one.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

In other words, Paul is saying: Follow me as I follow Christ. Be like me as I strive to be like Christ. We hear it all the time and it is the Father’s desire, we are to be like, to imitate, to live like, to speak like Jesus.

Most of the time we associate this principle with His death. We are to die to ourselves, to the sins of this world, to the within us.

Passages like Matthew 16:24 reinforce our perception as to what it looks like to be imitators of Christ.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

But should we only be dying to ourselves?

Jesus is defined by so much more than just His death. So though we are to associate with the Cross, we are also to identify with all the attributes of Jesus, including His Resurrection. 

Jesus is so much more, more than this world, more than just a teacher, more than just a movement, more than just a moral example and Jesus needs to be so much more in each one of us. 

Jesus embodies all these things and we do Him a disservice when we attempt to only identify with one or two aspects of His complete character. Not only that, but we actually hinder our faith when we do so. 

To be like Christ really goes back to the Father. The Father expects us to adopt the character of His Son. He knows that when we do, we are choosing to place our trust in Him. 

The character of Jesus is captivating. Jesus died, but Jesus lives. Jesus loves, and within that love, Jesus stands in truth. Jesus shows compassion and Jesus challenges us to do hard things and make hard decisions. Jesus encourages while allowing us to learn through our failures. Jesus is patient and Jesus understands urgency. Jesus is aware of all creation while simultaneously Jesus is intimately personal. Jesus is always focused and intent upon the Father’s will because Jesus’ desire to to always glorify the Father.

These are but a few traits to help us with a greater understanding of what it looks like to be like Jesus.

It can also help us in our pursuit to be like Jesus to understand what Jesus is not. Jesus is not a lier. Jesus does not contradict Himself, the Father, the Spirit or the Bible. Jesus isn’t partial. Jesus doesn’t change. Jesus isn’t distrustful. Jesus isn’t lackadaisical, apathetic or lazy. Jesus isn’t unable to hear. Jesus doesn’t lack compassion.

To be like Jesus means to pursue His attributes while avoiding those things He is not.

Jesus, the loving servant who glorified His Father.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

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