lan Warner
Follow me as I follow Christ are some of the many powerful words written by the Apostle Paul. The instructions are so simple, and they lay a foundation for how we should be living our lives. For example, the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If we are to make disciples of Christ, it means that we must first be following Christ. There is an assumption that you are following Christ so closely that you should have no problem telling others to follow you because if they do, you will be pointing them to your true savior in Jesus Christ.
Other Versions of 1 Corinthians 11:1
New International Version
Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.
English Standard Version
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
New King James Version
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
Let The Flesh Die and Follow Him
“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Phillippians 1:21
“Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming.” Colossians 3:5-6
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. – Romans 6: 1-4
One of the biggest issues with being a Christian in our modern culture is that people want to be unique and memorable. We still want to see our flesh rein. The problem is that we are called to let our flesh die.
When we believe in Jesus, we get to be raised new with him. Since Jesus beat death, we get to beat death through him as well. We love that part, but what we talk about less is how we walk in the newness of life. Meaning we put our old ways to death, and we are ready to pick up our cross and follow him.
When you think about gaining many followers on social media, it’s often because of being unique. What Jesus calls us to do is follow him so closely that anyone who follows you will follow Christ as a by-product. Part of letting your flesh die means realizing that everything you do needs to be for the Glory of God.
Use Your Time – Talents – Resources to Glorify God
You may have to work for a living, but that means you should be doing it to glorify his name. You may also have talents, spiritual gifts, and other resources, and that is ok as long as you use them to glorify God.
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” –1 Corinthians 10:31
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
One of the easiest ways for people to tell if you follow Christ is to look at the fruit that your life is producing (Matthew 12:33-37). Good trees will also produce good fruit. If you are or anyone you now claim to be a Christian, but you do not see the fruit of these works, there is a problem.
Fruit can show up in many different ways. But, first, your own heart should change and want to follow Christ, and as a result, you should see some of the following things:
- More time in prayer
- More reliance on the Holy Spirit
- Looking for ways to love others
- The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) present in your life
- Be Attending and committed to a local church
- Serving at your church
- Giving money to your church
- Growing need to know God more
It does not mean that you will be perfect in these areas, but you and others will be able to see a significant improvement in the fruit being produced in your life. But, again, this is because God will be using you for his purposes.
Follow Me As I Follow Christ
The only way to know and follow Christ is to spend time in his word. You have to know who Christ is first before you can truly follow him. One thing that has made me want to know Jesus more is knowing how many self-proclaimed Christians barely know the Gospel. If people who go to church all of the time don’t, then imagine the hearts of people who have only heard of Jesus.
I was talking with one of my childhood friends the other day, and he was telling me how he hated the Bible, and his reasoning was because of past hurt. But what was interesting about the conversation was how much he THOUGHT he knew Jesus. He had heard Jesus say this or that from a friend or some movie. But he himself never spent any time in the word of God. He did not know God at all, but in his mind, he knew everything about him.
Let this not be you. If you are going to Boast in the Name of Christ, you have to want to know everything you possibly can about him. So pray for God to give you the heart to know who he is. Then, as you learn more about who he is and your heart changes more and more, you will be able to tell others to follow you as you follow Christ.
