WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO MIMIC?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;
by His wounds you have been healed.”
(1Peter 2:24)

MEDITATION:
When you think about someone you admire, what are some of the
outstanding qualities that come to mind? Do you admire them for:
    Being a hard worker?
    Being kind, gentle, and self-controlled?
    Being considerate?
    Being a good speaker?
    Having intelligence and wisdom?
    Putting others ahead of themselves?
    Having high morals?
    Defending those under attack from others?
    Being successful in the business world?
    Having a sincere faith in God?
    Having an exceptional talent or physical ability?
    Being consistent and dependable?
    Being a leader who is respected?

I’m sure we could add many more to the list, but what if
you knew someone with the following virtues and abilities:
    A carpenter.
    Can turn water into wine.
    Can give sight to the blind.
    Can give hearing to the deaf.
    Can give the dumb the ability to speak.
    Can raise a dead person to life.
    Can teach as one with authority.
    Has the courage to point out the hypocrisy in others.
    Presented an ethical program of morals for all mankind.

That’s a pretty good resume, wouldn’t you agree?
This a person who could easily be admired by many.

But what if this person had one more item to add to His resume?
What if He took the place of each person and subjected Himself
to the punishment we deserved? What if He died for everyone
because of His sincere love for each person as an individual and
for everyone collectively? How could anyone not admire (and
even love) someone like that? Of course, we are talking about
Jesus, the Son of God!

Whenever you admire someone, do you think about mimicking their
qualities and characteristics in your own life? For instance, if you are
listening to an eloquent speaker, do you have a desire to speak in the
same manner? Do you imagine how much respect and admiration you
would receive from others if you could speak in the same manner as
the one who captivates you?

Or maybe you have a desire to sing like a great singer, play like a great
pianist, or perform like a great athlete. Whatever you admire in others,
maybe you would like for people to see and admire in you. It’s human
nature to have these kinds of thoughts, isn’t it?

Did you notice the middle part of the passage for today? Jesus took our
punishment so that we could develop His admirable characteristics. He
‘bore our sins’ and went to the cross (tree) so that we could have the
opportunity to “die to our sins” AND “live for righteousness”. There are
times when two things cannot coexist at the same time; one has to stop
before the other can start (we must ‘die’ before we can ‘live’).

The last part of the verse is equally important (as is the case with all of God’s
Word). It tells us that we are healed, as a result of the suffering of Jesus. What
are we healed from? We are healed from the cancer of sin, and because we are
healed, we can now live!

We can read about Jesus bringing the physically dead back to life. When we
think about it, that’s exactly what He did for us too, isn’t it? We were dead
to life and alive in sin, but the sacrifice of Jesus reversed it all for us. He gave
us the opportunity to be alive in righteousness and dead to sin!

The scriptures tell us that Jesus gave us even more!
He gave us the opportunity to spend eternity with the One we love the most
(and His Father). No matter how much we admire someone in our world, they
can never measure up to the admiration and love we should have for Jesus,
can they? Rather than spending time trying to develop the characteristics of
others, we should be devoting our efforts to becoming more like Jesus.
    But that is not the way you learned Christ! Assuming that
    you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the
    truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to
    your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful
    desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to
    put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true
    righteousness and holiness.
    (Ephesians 4:20-24)

ACTION:
Have you ever thought very much about what Jesus did for you? Has He
affected your life to the point that you want to mimic His characteristics?
Is selfishness still dominating your life, even though He was unselfish? Are
you focused on your own world and what pleases you, even though you
know that He showed His concern for others? Considering the ultimate
sacrifice He made for you, what sacrifices have you made for Him?

He went to the cross for you…do you go to His House of Worship for Him?
He suffered a brutal and embarrassing six hours on the cross for you; are
you embarrassed to talk to others about Him? Is your faith and love for
Jesus on display for all others to see?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, when I consider how Jesus proclaimed the
‘good news’ while walking the earth in human form, and how
it led to His supreme sacrifice for me, I pray that all I do will
glorify Him, and You. I pray that others will be able to easily
see my love, admiration and appreciation for Jesus by the way
I live my life while awaiting my time of eternity with You, and
with Jesus, my Savior! Teach me to be bold whenever I express
the importance of Jesus in my life, and give me the courage to
never be embarrassed or ashamed to mention His name, no
matter what circumstance or environment I am in. He took the
punishment and was humiliated for me; help me to never allow
anything or anyone to create obstacles which inhibit or prevent
me from praising Him and openly expressing my thankfulness
for all He has done for me, and everyone else.”

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