Imitate Me

When Paul tells the Corinthians to imitate him as he imitates Christ, he is calling them into a pattern—the pattern of incarnation lived out before them. Though Paul was given full freedom in Christ, he emptied himself of his rights in order to bring more people to Christ. He lived with the discipline of an athlete—giving up his freedoms in order to steer clear of apostasy and remain faithful to Christ. We, too, must be watchful to hear and respond to the places where the Spirit is shedding the light of conviction on our lives. Because Jesus has taken our judgment, we don’t have to fear or hide when he exposes these things in us. Instead, we can let go of the things that are holding us back from fullness of joy and fruit in our walk with Christ. Just as Paul set this pattern for us, emptying himself for the sake of Christ‚ God calls us to enter into the same lifestyle, so that we can say to others: “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”