WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?

"Whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself." (1 John 2:6, AMP). Simply, if we say we live in Christ. we must walk as He walked. “If you long to be more like Christ, then act like Him, and walk as He walked.” ~ Jonathan Edwards, 18th Century preacher. I like to imagine a different take on the famous "Footprints" poem, where there's only one set of footprints because every step I take is directly in one of Jesus' existing footprints as a result of endeavoring to walk as He walked. 

There's a beautiful song entitled, "The Servant Song" written by Richard Gillard. Some of the lyrics say, "Sister, let me be your servant, Let me be as Christ to you, Pray that I may have the grace, To let you be my servant too, We are pilgrims on the journey, We are travelers on the road, We are here to help each other, Walk the mile and bear the load." Our family sings this beautiful song when we wash one another's feet before Passover. In John 13, Jesus washes the disciple's feet and asks in verse 12, "Do you understand what I have done for you?” This question is answered in verse 15 when Jesus says, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."  Let's follow Jesus' example by "taking on the very nature of a servant" (Philippians 2:5-8).

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed" (Mark 1:35). "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16). In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done,  on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Jesus humbly taught us to be committed to prayer, to get alone with God, to praise God, to pray for the Kingdom and will of God, to pray for provision, to pray for forgiveness, and to pray against sin. What a beautiful example to follow! 

Perhaps the most beautiful words Jesus ever spoke were in the Garden of Gethsemane when He said, "Not My will but Yours be done." (Luke 22.42). This humble attitude should color every word we speak, every deed we do, every prayer we offer, and every thought we think.  These words should captivate the corners of our mind, the depths of our hearts, the innermost core of our souls, and the totality of our lives. If we trust God when He says, "My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9), surrender is our desire. 19th Century preacher Charles Spurgeon said, "A person who is really saved by Grace does not need to be told that he is under solemn obligations to serve Christ. The new life within him tells him that. Instead of regarding it as a burden, he gladly surrenders himself, body, soul, and spirit, to the Lord."