Follower or Imitator- Conclusions and Final Thoughts

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Follower. Imitator.

After a careful review of the previous six posts that allowed us to dig into the characteristics that Christ manifested in flesh - can you now see the stark difference between these two terms?

A follower is one who simply goes where another leads.

An imitator is one who strives to become like the one they follow.

I believe that the early church was full of disciples, those who truly desired not only to follow Christ, but to become more like Him every day.

They were passionate pursuers of the truth that He lived out, and proclaimed it with boldness. They learned to lay their lives down in sacrifice and humility and faithfully serve one another as they served Jesus. And they worshiped- oh did they worship! For the freedom they had found in Christ. For the life they lived. For the love He so freely bestowed upon them.

Shall we not live to do the same?

Father, may our lives be a fragrant aroma, constantly being poured out for you. May the path of true discipleship be the goal of our lives. Let us remain steadfast in pursuit of this. May we pursue you passionately. May we be people of boldness, unafraid and unashamed to proclaim the truth of your name. Let us sacrifice in love, with no thought of recompense. May we walk in humility before you and others, in an honest assessment of who we are in light of the cross. And may we worship - for You alone are worthy of our highest praise and glory. May every moment of our lives be a stream of praise rising to the heavens, and may we join our voices together in one accord to you! ~~ Amen

Comments

The "Birthing" Season

Anyone who tells you that childbirth is easy is lying. This person is not your friend, and you should run…run away as fast as possible 😊 The reality is, birth is likely the hardest task a woman will ever undertake in her life. Pregnancy and birth is the culmination of “giving up” of self – of one’s physical appearance and body image, of one’s normal bodily functions, of one’s time and freedom, but most of all…of one’s heart and soul. As a mother prepares for the arrival of her child, she passes through many levels of self-sacrifice. There are the countless hours spent nursing nausea and fatigue. The constant press on your body to provide; not only for your life and sustenance, but that of the o...

Follower or Imitator- Where is Your Worship?

All we are...All we ever will be...found only at the Cross One of the greatest blessings of Christian fellowship is the mystery of worship. The God of the universe, creator of all things, ruler of the stars, longs and desires to fellowship with us. In fact, He is jealous over His time with us; seen in Exodus 34:14 as we are told “you must worship no other Gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you”. What an honor and privilege to worship. Worship is inherent in creation. Luke 19:40 shows Jesus answering the Pharisees who commanded Him to silence the disciples from offering worship, and Jesus stated “I tell you, He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.” All creation was designed to offer worship and praise to the creator. The winds blow praise. The waves crash in praise. The mountains stand majestic in praise. The creatures of the earth and see proclaim...

Let Us...

Have you ever wondered what it would take to have a successful year? Not just the kind of year that you get through, or the kind that you feel OK about. I am talking about a truly life-altering kind of year. The kind that causes you to look back and shout "Hallelujah!!" when you see all the growth and transition God has brought forth in you. What would it take for 2018 to be that year for us? At the beginning of 2018, when everyone was knee-deep in their resolution making process, I had the privilege of listening to a series of messages by world-renowned Bible teacher, Derek Prince. If you have not experienced the pleasure and the challenge of his teaching, I would encourage you to seek him out (derekprinceministries.org) . In this series, entitled Twelve Steps to a Good Year , Derek walks us through the book of Hebrews, and points out twelve specific verses that point us towards a life more set on God -- more set on service -- and much less s...

Chosen for God's Purpose

Search This Blog