Imitation

"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." -1 Corinthians 11:1 

In Scripture, there are not many verses more beautiful and more difficult that this one. Imitate Paul as he imitates Christ. 

It's difficult because this idea flows out of his previous words on glorifying God in all that we do. Living fully on purpose toward God. Seeking the good of our neighbors. Caring for one another for the sake of conscience. Trying to please everyone over my own advantage. This is difficult work, and we all fail at it miserably. 

But this text is also beautiful because you get to do it. The other option is wrath for your sin and separation from the Creator. But in Christ, you are free to live like Christ. To imitate him. In his care for others, even those really different. In his sacrificial ministry, seeking the benefit of those who believe to their own expense. You are given the right to pursue this when before you had no hope to. 

Here is the really good news, though, whether your imitation is spot on or not: you still wear Christ's righteousness and will be glorified with him. Because of his life, death, and resurrection, you are secure no matter how much of the difficult work gets done. It is solely on his work that you lean. 

Frankly, this makes the imitation all the easier. It is simply living out who we already are in Jesus. Let's be about that today.

This is an excerpt from Depths a daily devotional written by Jonathan Shradar.

Repentance as Good News

"So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people." -Luke 3:18 

John the Baptist is preparing the way for the ministry of Jesus. He is calling the sinners of Israel back to obedience by way of repentance. Turn from your wicked ways and live anew, different, as you are supposed to. Then, “with many other exhortations he preached good news.” 

In the Christian context, we think of good news as the Gospel — it's actually what the word means. The Gospel of Jesus is his substitutionary life and death for us to redeem us and bring us to God. This is the good news of covered sins, freedom, and the gift of righteousness. 

But the Baptizer, in preparing the way for Jesus, preached good news to the people too. His good news was repentance. That was his whole message. He was saying, “You are people far missing the mark, and it is time to repent before God and come back to obedience.” Repentance is central to the good news that Jesus, and the rest of the New Testament, would proclaim. 

We don't like talking about sin, let alone turning from it. But this is good news, that we are invited by God to turn from sin and turn to him instead. His loving kindness leads us to a place where we can repent, own our sin, and set it aside, determined to run after Jesus instead of to our former slave master. 

Today, repent and rejoice that you get to by the grace of God. It really is good news.

This is an excerpt from Depths a daily devotional written by Jonathan Shradar.