Just Like Jesus

"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.  Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:3-6)

It seems obvious, but somehow we miss this truth.  We who claim salvation by faith in Jesus - that we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God and worship our Father in spirit and in truth - are often remarkably unlike our Savior.

What causes such incongruity in our lives?  Do we want only the benefits of salvation without its responsibilities?  Do we grab the "free gift" of grace while forgetting the cross-carrying side of discipleship?  Whatever our reason, we are not alone.  Every religion has adherents who claim to follow its precepts but are noticeably indifferent to them.  Christians are adept at such games as well.  We fool ourselves into thinking that agreement with the gospel equals living it.  But it doesn't.

Perhaps, as John wrote this sentence, he was recalling the sharp words of Jesus when He asked His disciples a penetrating question: "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46)  John had seen crowds surround the miracle-working Jesus with admiration and even worship, and he had also seen them walk away when the teaching got tough.  Are we only miracle seekers as well?  Do we seek a salvation that doesn't disrupt our lives?  Do we claim to live in Him and yet not live like Him?

First John was written to help believers know whether their faith was genuine or not.  High on the list of indicators for authenticity is a consistent lifestyle.  John tells us, in essence, that there is no such thing as an un-Christlike Christian.  He acknowledges our imperfection and our need to confess, of course, but he never implies that we can claim saving faith without a serious regard for the way we live.  We must be like Him.  Students resemble their teachers.  Servants resemble their masters.  Children resemble their parents.  And Christians resemble Christ.  It's a given.

Devote all diligence to this truth.  The watching world is skeptical of the faith because it has seen un-Christlike "Christians."  God's Word calls His witnesses to be like Him.

"A Christian's life should be nothing but a visible representation of Christ." - Thomas Brooks