Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8–10).
The apostle Paul urged his readers to: “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Because “the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). The Lord Jesus Christ fulfills every single one of these characteristics fully—the pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. And the apostolic charge, the divine charge, is that we strive to become like Him: “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’ ” (1 Peter 1:15–16).
Notice that righteous men are not our standard: Paul didn’t urge the Corinthians to imitate him, per se, but to imitate him as he imitated Jesus Christ. Jesus is our standard—“For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” (2 Corinthians 10:12).
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love (Ephesians 4:11–16).
Growth is essential to life: if we’re not growing, then we’re dying. But spiritual growth that will reach into eternity is not growth for the sake of growth, rather it is growth based upon the word of Christ (Romans 10:17; 14:23; Colossians 1:4–6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14). Again, Christ being our only standard.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1–3).
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8–12).
So how do we go about this pursuit of Christ’s holiness? Is it even possible? “With man it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27; Acts 17:27; Hebrews 11:6).
Our pursuit begins with a desire to know of Him (Luke 9:23–27; Romans 10:17; 2 Peter 3:18). We go to the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. When was the last time we read through the gospels?
Jesus is not just another historical figure. Jesus is God with us (Matthew 1:23; John 1:1–5, 14–18). As He said to His apostles, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
In closing, notice how many passages show us that Jesus wants us to follow Him—Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21; Mark 1:17; 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Luke 5:27; 9:23, 59; 18:22; John 1:43; 10:27; 12:26; 13:36; 21:19, 22. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). He has revealed Himself to us so that we can, through Him, live eternally (John 3:16; Philippians 3:20–21).
