Imitational Living

Real or imitation, that was always the debate on Memorial Day in our family.  Dad despised imitation flowers and only fresh would do for him.  That has stuck with me over the years and I too would rather have real flowers and plants rather than imitation.  Yet I have been challenged to be imitation.  Ephesians 5:1 says to imitate God.  My actions and life should be a reflection of Him and no longer myself.  I must live for Christ and walk worthy that others would see Him in me and that I might be an example to others.  For once imitation is a good thing…

So I pondered, “What does it mean to live for Christ?”  “What does that look like?”  Paul writes in Ephesians 4:1 that we are to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling which you have been called…”(ESV)  This walk begins at the cross and it is the call to “run the race with endurance” (Hebrews 12:1)  As Christians there are times we forget that we are saved by grace, God’s grace, not our own achievements.  When this occurs our walk with Christ looks less like Him and more like the world.  Paul challenges us to walk the walk and talk the talk here in Ephesians and gives us 5 characteristics of a worthy walk with Christ.

1.     Humility:  Our walk must start with the understanding that we are not in Christ by any other means except grace “lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:9).  We were once sinners and now we are saved by grace through faith and we must not forget that.  Humility means remembering from where we came and whom we serve.  Philippians 2 gives us the greatest example of humility found in Christ Jesus that we might imitate that to others.

2.     Gentleness:  Galatians 5:23 lists gentleness (meekness) as a marker of bearing the fruit of the Spirit.   Jesus states in Matthew 5:5 “blessed are the meek…”  There is a call for a spirit that is meek, not to be confused with timidity which Paul warned Timothy of in 2 Tim 1:7, but a Spirit that bears well with others.  The example of Christ is one who died for those that opposed Him (Rom 5:6).  Christ reveals a spirit of gentleness towards us as sinners and calls for us to do the same.

3.     Patience:  Yet another fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22.  Patience is often lost when things are going opposite of our desire.  Yet Christ calls for us to manifest patience in all things that He might be known.  As Christ hangs humiliated on the cross we find that He is reviled yet instead of reviling back, losing His patience and lashing out, He brings forth salvation and hope instead (1 Peter 2:23-24).  Oh if our patience reflected His.

4.     Bearing with one another:  Paul writes in Colossians 3:13 that we are to bear with (put up with) one another and forgive each other remembering that Christ has forgiven us.  Often we find it a burden to put up with someone – to bear with someone who is either different than us or “annoys” us.  Yet we forget again our example of the walk, Christ, who bore our sins (He was bearing us) and imputed righteousness to us that did not deserve it (2 Cor 5:21).  When we bear like Christ we will forgive as He forgave.

5.     Maintain unity in the body:  When we walk like Christ we strive to build up, not tear down, the body of Christ – His church which is His bride which is you and I in that have come by grace through faith to Him seeking repentance and receiving righteousness.  The church in Acts 2:42-47 is one that came together to walk in Christ as one.  Throughout the Pauline espistles Paul is striving for the Church to walk unified in Christ Jesus that as we gather we manifest His presence greater.  Do you look to maintain peace or create division?

Paul challenges us to walk in a manner worthy and causes us to evaluate how we are walking with Christ and others.  We are called to walk worthy of the grace we have received that we, like Paul, might boldy say “…imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11:1)  Shalom!