Should Believers Today Imitate Jesus of Nazareth?

By Arthur J Licursi

'In His Steps,' a book published in 1896, is a best-seller written by Charles Monroe Sheldon. It alleges that Christians today should try to 'imitate' Jesus of Nazareth. Though variations of its subtitle "What would Jesus do" have been used by Christians for centuries as a form of imitatio dei, the imitation of God as a standard for Christian living gained much greater favor following publication of the book. Thus many today erroneously believe to "follow Christ" is to try to 'imitate' Jesus of Nazareth in all that He did and said in His earthly ministry to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt 15:24) as “minister to the circumcision” (Rom 15:18).

As you will see in reading this paper and according to the Pauline Scriptures cited herein, this concept is simply Not True for grace believers today... not for anyone in whom Christ's "Spirit of life" now dwells. In fact, this erroneous idea actually gets in the way of Christians understanding and experiencing the life of Christ operating within their lives.

Our key texts, quoting "Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom 11:13) is below.

      1 Cor 11:1 Be ye followers of me (Paul), even as (in the same way that) I also am (a follower) of Christ.

1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me (Paul) first (Gk., protos, as the prototype) Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, For 'A Pattern'  to (Gk., hypotyposis, to typify for) them which should hereafter believe on (trust in) him to life everlasting.

If we are to 'follow Christ' as Paul did, this then begs the question, how did Paul 'follow Christ'?

Scripture tells us Paul became the “pattern” or 'prototype' (cf. 1 Timothy 1:16) for believers today. Paul "followed" the resurrected "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" because Jesus TODAY is the indwelling “Spirit of life” in and one with every believer’s ‘spirit.’ Thus the resurrected Christ guides, restrains and prompts us as he did Paul… from within. Believers today are to walk in dependence upon the Lord, in the very same way as Paul did.

We, as regenerated believers, born of God, are NOT to be imitators of Christ, because we have His very life (cf. Col 3:4a) within us (Col 1:27) to be our new life. Having His life in us, we have the DNA of the Godhead. Our New Life “in Christ” is the New Us … to become expressed in place of the Old Us!

So we are NOT imitators, or mimics, or mimes. These are mere copies of another. These words indicate separation from the original. Rather we are in UNION with ORIGINAL, we are bearers of the very Life of Christ as He moves within us... so no imitation is necessary!

TODAY, the resurrected Christ as "the Head' of 'the (Gentile) church, which is His body" is different than 'Jesus of Nazareth' was in His earthly ministry to Israel.  TODAY Christ is "the Spirit of life" (cf. Rom 8:2) who lives 'IN' the human spirit of every regenerated believer.

Thus Paul wrote; Colossians 1:27 ...This Mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ In You, The Hope of Glory (God's expression):

Paul actually tells us we should not pay any attention to what Jesus of Nazareth said or did in His ministry to the nations Israel... rather, Paul preached Jesus' birth, death, burial, and resurrection (cf. Matt 15:24, Rom 15:8, 1Cor 15:3-4).

2 Corinthians 5:16 ... though we have known Christ after the flesh (in His human ministry toward Israel as Jesus of Nazareth), yet NOW henceforth know we him no more.

Peter said Jesus of Nazareth has become "both Lord and Christ" (Act 2:36). In His resurrection, Jesus also "became the Life-Giving Spirit" (1Cor 15:45b). Now Jesus is in His spirit-form. Thereby "the Spirit of life in Christ" can be deposited into and dwell within the believer's human spirit (cf., 1Cor 6:17)... so He may live HIS LIFE… through the believer!

Paul as "the Apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom 11:13) is the one who teaches us about Christ as "the life-giving Spirit." Paul in fact is the 'prototype' for all who would also follow the indwelling "Spirit of life in Christ" by our co-operating with His will made known within us... just as Paul did. Paul tells us; "NOW the Lord (Jesus Christ) is that Spirit" (2 Cor 3:17a.)

1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me (Paul) first (Gk., protos, as the prototype) Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, For 'A Pattern'  to (Gk., hypotyposis, to typify for) them which should hereafter believe on (trust in) him to life everlasting.

Philippians 2:13 (NOW) it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Paul became the "pattern" for believers... in the way of his walk in and by his Spirit-Union with the "Spirit of Christ" within him. (cf. Rom 8:9-10). Paul was the first of all "Christ-life" people. Paul was the first of all God's children, who bear within them the indwelling life and nature of Christ Himself, to have understanding of this new, intimate, relationship with the Lord.

So Christians today are to follow Paul in Paul's way of following Christ. Paul did NOT 'imitate' Jesus of Nazareth, but rather Paul followed the indwelling Christ, trusting and yielding to His will, as we also should.

Then we might ask; how exactly did Jesus of Nazareth walk in His earthly ministry?

Jesus of Nazareth walked in accord with His Spirit-Union with 'the Father.' Here below Jesus of Nazareth tells us what governed how He lived His life and ministry on earth.

John 5:19 Jesus... said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do Nothing of Himself, BUT what he seeth The Father do: for what things soever he (the Father) doeth, these also Doeth the Son Likewise.

Jesus didn’t live by His own self-will, independent of the Father. Jesus laid down the independence of His human soul-life, as well as His body life. This was so He could do the will of the Father, saying, “Thy will be done.”

Paul says we as grace believers today need to adopt Christ Jesus' 'mindset.' Jesus' mindset, which was "to do the will of the Father" (John 5:30) with whom He shared the very same core Spirit-LIFE.

Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind (Gk., phroneo, mindset or attitude) be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even (that is) the death of the cross.

Paul admonishes believers today to walk in accord with and follow the will of "the Spirit of Christ" who indwells their spirit... in the very same way that Paul learned to walk in accord with or follow the "Spirit of Christ" within him.

Gal 5:16, 18, 25 ... I say then, Walk in (union with) the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 25 If (since) we live in (by) the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.