31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble,
whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
To begin with, I would personally like to express my sincerest gratitude to those of you who called, sent cards of sympathy and wrote messages of condolences on Facebook concerning the passing of my mother on Monday, August 20th.
It was an emotionally and physically challenging seven days from the time Eliana and I traveled to my mother’s home in Fairview Heights, IL, to the day of her going home to be with the Lord. We were bringing her to our home with the intention for her to spend a week or more with us.
During the seven days, it was my sincere desire of being an example of who Christ is in my life, no matter how I felt emotionally or physically because of the situation. I prayerfully and intentionally always wanted to be Christ’s example first to my mother but also to the doctors and nurses who attended to my mother’s needs, and even the woman who daily cleaned her hospital room.
I knew that my mother was always in God’s care and I made sure, as often and as best as I could that she knew that. I not only did that with a departing prayer or occasionally quoting scripture, but it also was primarily with my attitude and my carefully chosen words.
In spite of the situation, and how I felt emotionally and physically, my constant desire was to always glorify Christ by demonstrating Christ’s character in and through me. I wanted to be His light and His example that was experienced by everyone I came in contact with. It is not easy to let your light shine as Jesus says when you are in the emergency room after driving more than ten hours and not sleeping all night.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16
I frequently say in my sermons, “If you squeeze a grape, you get grape juice. If you squeeze a lemon, you get lemon juice. But when a challenging situation squeezes a Christian, what comes out?”
As my mother’s condition continually improved, I finally had the opportunity Saturday to prepare my message for Sunday the 19th, “Is our life an of Christ example to others?” With the events of the previous four days still clear on my mind, this topic was one that I was actively putting into practice.
The apostle Paul writing to various congregations to encourage them in their life or walk with the Jesus, repeatedly stated something that has to do with the lifestyle of a Christian and the way we are being an example to those outside of the church-nonbelievers and those of the church.
Paul told the spiritually immature Corinthian congregation in 1 Corinthians 4:16 to imitate him. “Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” A person who does not know what it is to live a life loving God and submitting to Him would consider this statement as egotistical. Paul was able to tell the Corinthians to imitate him because he knew that the one and a half years he lived with them, his life was transparent to everyone, to the believer in Christ and to those who were persecuting him. He had nothing to hide; he was not living a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde life”, being a pious Christian with some and no different from a non-believer with others.
Paul meant what he said, “Therefore I urge you to imitate me” so much so, he was not embarrassed or apologetic concerning his transparent life in Christ. In verse seventeen, he continues saying, 17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. Paul lived and practiced what he preached and it was no different where ever he went, to the extent that his spiritual son Timothy was being sent to them to remind them of Paul’s “way of life in Christ Jesus”. Can we say that about ourselves to others, to imitate our way of life in Christ Jesus as they have experienced it when they we were with them? How we acted and what we said when were tired and stressed out, was that a good example to others of who Christ Jesus is in us?
In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul again tells this congregation, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” But why, why is the Christian’s example of their life in Christ so important? Why is it so important for a Christian to live a life transparent to believers and non-believers?
Paul stated his purpose and motivation of living a life that is an example to others in the previous three verses, (1 Corinthians 10:31-33). In verse thirty-one he states why the Corinthians should, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” “…or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Are our lives an example to others of a life in Christ that it glorifies God? Paul also stated to whom and why our lives should be an example of who Christ is in us. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Are we living our lives doing “…whatever you do”, (v-31) for our own benefit or to make ourselves always look good, or is our purpose and motivation in what we do and how we live is always “for the glory of God”?
It is important to note that what Paul is telling the Corinthian congregation to do as they follow his example of living a Christian life as he follows the example of Christ, (“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”) naturally achieves what Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37-39. “37 Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
If we understand the value and importance of our salvation in Christ Jesus, we are going to want the same for others, which will also motivate us to live our lives as transparent examples of who Christ is in us, no matter the challenging situations we might be confronting.
Pastor John
