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FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE
"All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
"Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do." Philippians 3:15-17.
Paul sounds rather arrogant, doesn't he? Follow my example! What right did he have to set himself up as an example? Didn't Jesus say that, if we judge others, the same measure we use to judge will be used against us? What do we use to measure other people? Usually ourselves. So how Paul could set himself up as an example for other people to follow?
Paul was not being self-righteous or arrogant, as we would suppose. He was acting like a true rabbi. A rabbi's job was to model his "yoke", his teachings based on the way he understood the Torah - the Law of Moses - and the way he put his teachings into practice in his own life, and to "bind" his yoke on his disciples - those whom he called to follow him.
"Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1.
On the Damascus road, Paul had become a follower of his rabbi, Jesus. As he had learned his rabbi's yoke and put it into practice in his life, being "loosed" from the yoke of Pharisaism which he had followed from his youth, so it was his duty to bind his yoke on his followers. In no way did Paul set himself up as the measure of righteousness. Jesus was the standard and, just as Jesus modelled the life of a son and invited people to follow him, so Paul followed Jesus as his pattern, and called people to follow him. He was simply making visible to the next generation what Jesus had made visible to His disciples.
It is reassuring to know that, at the same time, Paul did not expect perfection from his followers. He knew that maturing was a process which took a lifetime to work out. All he could do was to be the model and urge believers to follow him and put it into practice in their daily lives. He also depended on the Holy Spirit to reveal the way to them and to enable them to obey as they understood and believed what Paul had taught them.
The main hindrance which Paul understood very well, was translating their understanding into everyday living. It was no use having the knowledge in their heads, but not doing what they knew and believed.
"...Everything that does not come from faith is sin." Romans 14:32b.
This opens us a truth we need to understand. It is possible to have two opposing beliefs at the same time. Let me explain. You may believe that God will provide everything you need because He is your Father. That belief will work for you as long as you are earning a steady income. But what would happen if you were to lose your job? You would go into a tailspin of anxiety and worry. Why? Your experience and the emotions it has produced has cancelled out your trust unless your previous experience has been of God's provision in times of crisis.
Your mind will tell you one thing; your emotions will tell you another, and usually your emotions win. You will believe what feels true, not what is true and respond to that belief instead of to God's promise.
"So," Paul said, "let's not go backwards by failing to live up to the measure of maturity we have already attained." Life is a journey. As believers in Jesus, we are all going somewhere. Paul called it "maturity". What is maturity? According to him, maturity has to do with becoming one in Christ.
"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13.
Paul's counsel was, "Keep moving. If you stop, you'll start going backwards." Now that's good advice, don't you think?
Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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