Walking after His Image...

I recently saw a message on a church board that said: "Every Christian preaches a sermon every day" I thought about this for awhile trying to determine what exactly the message was saying. I finally settled on the motto that I often hear and keep near to my heart, "your greatest testimony is your everyday life".

It is said that "actions speak louder than words". Apostle Paul called the church members at Corinth "a letter from Christ" — living epistles (2 Corinthians 3:1-3). If these things are so, we should ask ourselves a few questions.
What message are we proclaiming?
Do we practice what we preach, or do our actions contradict and void our words?
Who is reading Christ's letter that is being written upon our life?



Paul answered that last question... speaking generally: "Known and read by everybody". More specifically, our family (especially our children), our friends, our co-workers (superiors, peers, & subordinates), our neighbors, our customers, and even those who are merely our acquaintances. Basically anyone that could possibly have contact with on a daily basis is someone tat is capable of reading our letters. Some only scan the headlines, quickly form a first impression and never bother to look closer, let alone read any fine print. Others know our story intimately... even "better than ourselves".


Is the Spirit of the living God writing upon your heart creating your letter? Or are you the chief story-writer and senior editor? How can you tell? Simple: do you conform to the image of this world, or do you conform to the image Jesus Christ?  Do you submit to the will of God and what He has for your life or are you running and seeking your own path and selfish destiny. Gods word says that there is a way that seems right unto a man that leads to death (Proverbs 14:12) Certainly, we are all a work in progress. We should not consider ourselves as having arrived and we surely should take heed to the warning of thinking higher of ourselves than we ought to, but we should be committed to making progress each day. If we are indeed a letter of Christ, we should bear some resemblance to His handiwork, we should bear His mark and be walking after the characteristics of Jesus Christ.


With that said, we cannot completely conform ourselves to the image of Christ through our own effort. It is the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and His Word. Our only part is to submit our lives as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). That submission begins with simple obedience and holiness (1 Peter 1:13-16). It involves a conscious commitment to follow Him daily, even imitate, the life and ministry of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). The process can be slow at times and steadfast at others but we can rest assured that it is thoroughly, eventually brought to completion by God Himself (Romans 8:29, Philippians 3:20-21).

Paul's testimony was: "I die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31)." and "...I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me... (Galatians 2:20, cf Philippians 1:20-21)."


So what does living the Christian day to day life look like? What does "right" look like?
Many thinks that it means substituting the personality of Jesus for our own; but God creates us to be unique. Every measure, every difference, every attribute, God placed in us to be used for His glory. We shouldn't abandon who we are, rather seek Him for the transforming of the areas that are not of Him so that we can be used for His glory in the ministry in which He set aside for each of us.


Rather, it means we adopt the character, the motives, and the roles of Jesus according to the biblical record of the time He walked upon the earth.


The Bible gives us very few character traits of Jesus. Most notable are Gentle, humble, and meek. But it doesn't give us a Boy Scout role model... loyal, brave, trustworthy, etc., that we can pattern ourselves after. Instead, the Bible reveals Jesus' character in action. Rather, the motives He acted upon and the roles He acted within. His life was a winning testimony to many.


His motives, what energized Him and drove Him, are clearly stated: "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."


The roles of Jesus are seen in His "I am..." statements scattered throughout the gospels. Several are given, but they can be summarized into four: I am The Light, I am The Life, I am The Truth, and I am The Way. ALL POWERFUL!


Jesus said: "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." If this world is to know Jesus, they must see Him living through us. Doing the will of the ONE who sends us, and fulfilling His work. Shining the light, sharing the life, proclaiming the truth, and pointing the way to true eternal life through redemption and salvation.

Let all of our lives be living testimonies toward the path of the one true King. Amen.
-Sis. S. Richard