Last Sunday, our Deacon Ryan, shared on the pulpit from the passage of Ephesians 4 on the topic of the Unity in the Body. Reminding us always to be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s fault because of God’s love. And making every effort to keep ourselves united in Spirit, binding ourselves together with peace.
The sermon reminded me of a book written by a long time Navigator worker, Jim White entitled “Christlikeness”. An old book published back in 1976. Some forty years back! It is a small book with only less than 40 pages.
In the last chapter entitled “Putting into Practice”, Jim White quoted Ephesians 5:1-2 to encourage his readers to consider:
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children and live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering… “
On this side of eternity, one of the hardest things that we always end up thinking, is that we will never be able to emulate and understand the characteristics of Jesus. But God is merciful to us in that we are not expected to be perfect overnight in the things of God.
Jim White gave four simple instructions on how we could put into practice, so that we can be more Christlike each day. And they are:
- We need to ASK God to work these qualities into our life and keep us increasingly concerned about them.
- We need to REMEMBER that we will become what the Bible teaches us about Christ (John 13:15 – I have set you an example that you should do as I have done!).
- We need to OBSERVE/EMULATE love in the lives of godly Christians whom God put into our path.
- We need to SEEK our sufficiency in CHRIST alone. Having CHRIST is our security then will He also be our “boss”.
The importance of the unity of Body of Christ can only be achieved if the body members of the Church are themselves imitators of Christ! A tall order but we all do know it is the Lord’s desire for her church to be so. God wants us to speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church (Eph 5:15).
Be imitators of God because in Jesus, there is no minus but only plus!
Andrew Lim
