How to Imitate Christ

Have you noticed that your choice of clothing, shoes, and jewelry and hair styles conforms to what others are doing?  Why are you dressed the way you are?  Why is your hair cut or styled the way it is?  Isn’t it because you want to belong, to be accepted, to be connected with others?  And that can be good or bad, depending on who it is that you are imitating or following.  Even those in “counter culture” dress and lifestyles are imitating others that they admire.  Styles come and go with the times.   We change with the times because we do not wish to appear “odd” or “out of place.”  It is appropriate to fit in and “become all things to all people” as long as we obey the teachings of Jesus (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).  

Television, movies, magazines, music, celebrities, sports figures, technology, fashions, political parties, social events, education, family, work associates and friends influence us.  We are the product of our age, the people we admire, where we were born or grew up, where we went to school, our religious teaching and training and the way we were reared in our families.        

 People around us influence us by what they think, say and do.  The biggest temptation for believers is to forget God and follow the world.  The Bible says, “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong” (Exodus 23:2).  The way of Satan is the way of “fleshly passions and desires” that opposes God (Galatians 5:16-17, 10-21).  The way of God follows his Spirit that produces in us a life like Jesus, a life of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (5:22).  

The ways of the world will perish but whoever does the will of God will live forever.  The Apostle John wrote,  

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)  

The world will think it strange that we do not think, talk and act like they do.  They may even mock, ridicule and slander us (1 Peter 4:3-5).  We are to “walk in Christ, rooted and built up in him” and be wary of God-opposing views.  The Apostle Paul cautioned, “ See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:7-8).  Paul told us how we can stand against the evils of our day: 

Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:10-13)