Be Like Christ

By Randy Case, Jr.

The life of Christ is almost incomprehensible to the mere human. Leaving Heaven, a place where we strive to go, Jesus came to earth to fulfill God's plan. He took the form of a servant and fully obeyed the Father, humbly being put to death (Philippians 2:3-8).

We must follow Christ, imitating God and walking in love (Ephesians 5:1-2). We should WANT to fully comply with this command, after all it was Christ who 'gave Himself for us' (Ephesians 5:1).  He willingly endured the pain of the cross for us to be reconciled to God upon our obedience to His plan.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and in doing so became the greatest servant...to God and to others. This was exemplified during His life even with the words He spoke while on the cross. A servant's mentality is one of seeking out the needs of others and doing what he can do to meet those needs.

Scripture records seven statements of Jesus on the cross. Looking at the order of these, we gain further insight about His character. The first statement is in Luke 23:34, where Jesus asks God to forgive those who persecuted Him. As He hung on the cross, Jesus was focused on others, showing a love and concern for them. The second statement is in Luke 23:43, where Jesus told the thief that he would be with Him in paradise that very day. Again, a love and concern for this person. The third statement is in John 19:26-27, where Jesus addresses His mother. He made provisions for her to be taken care of by John. Jesus wasn't so preoccupied with His own suffering and death that He neglected the needs of His mother. In the fifth statement, Jesus said 'I am thirsty' (John 19:28). The humanity of Jesus is evident here and throughout the New Testament, having traits that we have (hunger, fatigue, sorrow, etc). Now, He makes a personal request.

In looking at these words, we gain insight into Jesus' priorities. Serving God and being fully obedient to His word took precedence in His life. God must be our main priority (Matthew 6:33), not family, friends or the world. Second, He was concerned with others. Even in the face of death and horrific pain, He expressed a concern for others. We should be concerned about our brethren, the sick, the shut in and those who are struggling spiritually and do what we can to help.

Being a servant is a great honor. It involves humility, obedience, joy and loyalty. In a me-first society, we should learn that we come last. Matthew 20:16 tells us that the first will be last and the last will be first. It's not all about us. A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain him honor (Proverbs 29:23).

Self is the root of many problems. Selflessness is a characteristic that Christians must develop and maintain if we are to be pleasing to God. Jesus was the greatest example of a servant, lowly and humble, giving to others all that He could.

Add To Your Faith

By Randy Case, Jr.

Growth is a requirement for all Christians if they desire to be pleasing to God.  The Hebrew writer rebuked the brethren for not growing as they should.  The writer states that they ought to have been teachers, but they still needed the milk of the word and were unable to handle solid food (Hebrews 5:12-13).  They failed to apply themselves to spiritual matters.  Therefore, they were still in need of teaching and were unable to teach others.

Many individuals put on Christ in baptism, but they do not grow as the Scriptures command.  God demands Christians to develop certain characteristics.  The book of 2 Peter was written to encourage Christians to continue to grow spiritually.  Peter tells us that we must add certain things to our faith (2 Peter 1:5).  Faith, the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), is the foundation.  Peter gives us seven qualities that are extremely important in 2 Peter 1:5-7.  As children of God we must possess virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love.  Virtue is defined as moral excellence.  Knowledge is spiritual discernment or understanding what is morally right or wrong.  Self-control indicates discipline.  Steadfastness refers to patience and the ability to maintain self-control.  Godliness is characterized by a God-like attitude, doing what pleases Him.  Brotherly kindness denotes a fondness and caring for individuals.  And love seeks the best for the object of our affections.  Peter states that these characteristics must be found in us and they must increase (v. 8).  If these abound, then we will not be ineffective or idle as Christians.

In Galatians 5, Paul gives us a list similar to Peter’s.  Paul describes the “Fruit of the Spirit” as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Love is the foundational element upon which everything else stands.  It is an “agape” love, which is the highest form of love.  The joy that we are to have is not based on outward circumstances.  A Christian’s joy comes from knowing that they have the hope of heaven as promised by the Creator, despite their situation.  We must have a peace with God, with ourselves and with others.  This peace is a tranquility of mind that no one outside of Christ should have.  Patience indicates being long tempered.  We must seek to be kind to all, willing to help those in need, especially Christians.  Goodness refers to moral excellence that does not tolerate error.  Christians have a standard to live by and that is found in Scripture.  Faithfulness is a characteristic that simply carries the idea of being loyal.  Our loyalty and allegiance must be to God in EVERY circumstance that we encounter.  Gentleness or meekness is strength under control.  And self-control requires us to restrain, or keep, ourselves from giving in to Satan’s temptations. 

Baptism is an important part in obtaining salvation.  But, it is only the beginning.  If we fail to develop the characteristics that Paul and Peter talk about, we become near-sighted, forgetting that we have been cleansed from our former sins (1 Peter 1:9).  We should never be satisfied with our present growth.  Let us always add to our faith!