Imitating Christ - The need for Deeper Discipleship (Reflection on 1 Corinthians 4:14-16)

When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth he challenged them about how issues like divisiveness, improper appraisal of leaders, and spiritual hero worship were marks of their spiritual immaturity.* Their approach to a discipleship path was careless. Paul outlined the disciples’ willingness to endure hardship. He refused to indulge their interest in personality cults. He asserted that God’s will for every Christian is consistent maturity in Christ-like character. His will is for us to participate in helping each other actively and deliberately grow up fully into all the things of Christ. Paul repeatedly said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ. ”If you could reproduce the kind of follower of Jesus that you are and turn it loose on the world, would that be a good thing? 

Imitate Christ out of Healthy Self-Interest, v.14. The Corinthians' behavior as Christians wasn’t helpful to them, or their faith community, nor was it beneficial to the movement of Christ’s Kingdom in the world. Christianity is an as-you-are-going faith. We carry it with us into all of our commitments and connections. A good question is, what are we carrying? Poet John Donne said, “No man is an island.” This was part of a poem/funeral dirge bout loss and community from a crisis chaplain.** He added, “Any man’s death diminishes me." 

Your importance cannot be separated from your affect on everyone else. Each person’s life has incredible importance. Each person is created in God’s image and has an important part to contribute in His Kingdom. Ephesians 2:10 says that you are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God foreordained for you to do. The Greek word for workmanship is poiema. God formed you with poignancy and precision to live a life to glorify Him in connection with others.

As we Imitate Christ we Grow up, v.15. Paul was poorly treated by some of the people in Corinth. They glommed on to celebrity pastors and held him in unreasonable contempt. But Paul demonstrated maturity by not reciprocating their treatment. He said, "There aren’t many spiritual fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up” (MSG).

And growing up is so vital in churches. Spiritual community can’t thrive and grow if there is no adult supervision. Without spiritual grown-ups church will resemble a playground where decision making is determined by the loudest tantrums. The Gospel is the entry point to eternal life, but there is still so much more. 

There are pictures of me somewhere graduating from K-5 with a snaggle-toothed smile, but it was assumed that would not be the end of my education. Even so, salvation is the rescue, but there is still a race set before us (Hebrews 12:1-2). Receiving Christ is the first step, but walking with Him is the continuing journey. Christ’s objective is that we grow up, which is learning to internalize Biblical truth so that it becomes mature behavior.

The Imitation of Christ has Distinct, Mature Markers, v.16. To imitate is to follow another’s example. Sometimes athletes will disavow the idea that they are role models, but Paul embraced this responsibility. If we imitate Jesus, what will be like? What is the portrait of Jesus we see in Scripture?

A. Jesus despised moralistic religion as a substitute for grace. He was always embroiled in controversy with the religionists of His day who could not see their own need for forgiveness. Everyone was a sinner, except them. This is the subplot of the Gospels.

B. Jesus was all in on rescuing people from destruction.  Think of the value we place on lost keys, or remotes. But what if you lose your kid in a crowd? That's is a whole other level. Think of the joy when that child is found safe. “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7) We who are safe on the shore ought to expend wild, frantic, drastic energy to rescue those being swept off and drowning.

C. Jesus obeyed His Father. Charles Finney said, “A revival is nothing less than a new beginning of obedience to God.” People are always saying, “We need revival.” And what I think they mean is, “We wish people’s morals were different.” But revival is the practice of obedience to God. I know that starts to get difficult for us to think through. “Have I dotted the ‘i’s and crossed the ‘t’s? But John said that “His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” What is the disposition of your heart? Start there. Is it to “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). I don’t know any perfect people, but I know some people who regularly demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). I know people who, even though they have a bad day or a bad moment, this is the default setting they get back to. They care about obedience. They recognize its inherent relationship to grace. They know that ethics don’t save them, but saved people have Biblical ethics.

Conclusion – So, if you could reproduce the kind of follower of Jesus you are and turn it loose on the world, would it be a good thing? Would the world be more likely to be a more compassionate place? A more holy place? A more just place? Would it be a safer place for people who are hurting? If you could reproduce yourself would there be more spiritual grown-ups in the world? Would your neighbors be more likely to experience the love of Christ and hear the Gospel? Would there be fewer church splits? Would there be more prayer? Would there be more generosity? Would there be more people in the world who deeply love Jesus? Are you actively working to reproduce the kind of follower of Jesus that you are?

* This was excerpted from a recent sermon titled, "A Life Worthy of Imitating – 1 Corinthians 4:14-16."

**Dunne was a poet and pastor during the Black Plague in London where 40,000 people died. He himself suffered and recovered from grave sickness.