IMITATION CHRISTIANS

"Oh, I believe Christ was our Great Example. I always

ask myself, 'What would Jesus do?' and then I try to do

it."

Sorry, friend, no place in the New Testament that

comments on following the example of Jesus in any way

confirms the doctrine of "salvation by imitation."

The apostle Peter mentioned Christ (in I Peter 2:21

ff.) as an example who was sinless even under gross

mistreatment and who entrusted Himself completely in His

suffering to His Father. Peter continues, "He himself bore

our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to

sins and live for righteousness; for by his wounds you have

been healed." (I Peter 2:24 NIV)

The biggest problem with being saved by following

Christ's example is that we've already blown it. It's

awfully hard to imitate someone with a perfect record,

especially when the only "passing grade" in that system is

PERFECTION (see Matthew 5:48 and I John 1:10).

But Peter tells us, quoting from Isaiah 53:4 and 11,

that Messiah is not only our EXAMPLE but He is also our

SUBSTITUTE. He took the consequences of our sin upon

Himself so that through faith in Him we might receive

forgiveness and healing and abundant eternal life.

Are you an "imitation Christian" or the real thing?

If you are trying to follow your own concept of what you

think Jesus would do, when you examine the Scriptures

you'll probably find that the God of the Scriptures and the

Jesus of the New Testament say and do things that don't fit

your personal notions. Even if your concept is close, when

you try to "be like Jesus" in your own strength, you are

doomed to frustration. You can't do it. It takes the

power of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life.

You must transfer your trust from your own "trying" to

the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. You must divorce your

notions of what you THINK Jesus would do, and accept the

Scriptures as the standard for what you believe and do.

And put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the

cross and arose again from the dead, to be your only Savior

and the King of your life.

We're here to help you. We'd like to meet you. But

you don't have to wait. Put your trust in Jesus, right

now.

---

Index of Articles of Interest    Home

  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 131 | 132 | 133 | 134 | 135 | 136 | 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 148 | 149 | 150 | 151 | 152 | 153 | 154 | 155 | 156 | 157 | 158 | 159 | 160 | 161 | 162 | 163 | 164 | 165 | 166 | 167 | 168 | 169 | 170 | 171 | 172 | 173 | 174 | 175 | 176 | 177 | 178 | 179 | 180 | 181 | 182 | 183 | 184 | 185 | 186 | 187 | 188 | 189 | 190 | 191 | 192 | 193 | 194 | 195 | 196 | 197 | 198 | 199 | 200 | 201 | 202 | 203 | 204 | 205 | 206 | 207 | 208 | 209 | 210 | 211 | 212 | 213 | 214 | 215 | 217 | 218 | 219 | 220 | 221 | 222 | 223 | 224 | 225 | 226 | 227 | 228 | 229 | 230 | 231 | 232 | 233 | 235 | 236 | 237 | 238 | 239 | 240 | 241 | 242 | 243 | 244 | 245 | 246 | 247 | 248 | 249 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 253 | 254 | 255 | 256 | 257 | 258 | 259 | 260 | 261 | 262 | 263 | 264 | 265 | 266 | 267 | 268 | 269 | 270 | 271 | 272 | 273 | 274 | 275 | 276 | 277 | 278 | 279 | 280 | 281 | 282 | 283 | 284 | 285 | 286 | 287 | 288 | 289 | 290 | 291 | 292 | 293 | 294 | 295 | 296 | 297 | 298 | 299 | 300 | 301 | 302 | 303 | 304 | 305 | 306 | 307 | 308 | 309 | 310 | 311 | 312 | 313 | 314 | 315 | 317 | 318 | 319 | 320 | 321 | 322 | 323 | 324 | 325 | 326 | 327 | 328 | 329 | 330 | 331 | 332 | 333