Have you ever been approached by a stranger in need of directions? Depending on how complicated those directions were, did you ever find it easier to simply drop what you were doing to show them the way? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you’ve acted, in similar ways to the early Christian church leaders—one in particular.
During the formative years of the Christian church, the people of Corinth had already begun to adopt many unscrupulous and iniquitous practices. Marital discord and contempt of the poor were both heavily on the rise and rather than observing the Lord’s holy sacrament, the wealthy were making a mockery of it. Believe it or not, these 1st Century Christians were rampantly feeding their flesh, indulging in carnality and living out their personal lusts and passions. As a result, there was widespread division throughout the church.
In response to the Corinthians illicit behaviors, the apostle Paul penned these six words:
“Follow me as I follow Christ.”
(I Cor. 11:1)
Was Paul making a bold statement? Perhaps for the average Jo (or Joann)--YES–but, for one who's been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and has surrendered their life to following Christ, that same statement becomes just a simple truth. Later in scripture, Paul would go on to say that, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil.1:21).” Everyone with eyes could see that living a Christ-centered life was the primary focus of Paul’s existence and his life was devoted to making sure that others followed suit. Could the same be said of you?
While we may never have the chance to preach to thousands, like the apostle Paul, each day, God blesses us with the opportunity to lead by example. Will you, like Paul, pattern your life after Jesus, or…will you selfishly choose the low road and mirror your life to those 1st Century Christians? Anyone can follow, but when it comes to Christianity, it takes someone with a “souled out” faith to lead.
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