Walk Like Christ

As Christians, we have two overarching purposes here on Earth – to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Being that Jesus Christ is the perfect reflection of God’s glory, in order for us to glorify him, we must strive to be like Jesus. God does not present these as mere suggestions or requests but as commands. For those of us who call Jesus “Lord,” he commands us to behave in such a way that imitates God as Jesus Christ demonstrated for us when he walked the earth. (1 John 2:6 – Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.)

In order to imitate someone, you must have a pristine understanding of who they are and how they behave. Naturally, then, we will start by familiarizing ourselves with the nature of Jesus Christ.

(Disclaimer: Jesus is very much alive! The past tense here refers to his presence on earth as a man.)

Jesus was dependent. When Jesus walked the earth as a man, he realized that he was fully dependent on the power of God to carry out his ministry. He never tried to act independently of the Father. He made his desires known but ultimately submitted to the will of God, even when that meant being beaten, humiliated, and brutally murdered (Luke 22:42). Jesus proudly expressed the revelation that apart from God, he was nothing (John 5:19).

Jesus was bold. He often opposed the corruption and hypocrisy of his time, making public displays of discontentment for the cynicism within the Jewish community, and blatantly disregarding the misguided figureheads of the religion (Matthew 21:12-13).

Jesus was merciful. As he was being ruthlessly beaten, headed toward the cross where he would be crucified, he prayed for his murders. He asked God to display forgiveness toward them (Luke 23:34).

Jesus was inclusive. He made it a point to extend God’s love and God’s forgiveness to the groups of people that were considered unworthy. It didn’t matter their birth place, native religion, skin color, occupation, or past sins – Jesus looked on everyone with the same eyes of adoration and encouraged his followers to do the same (John 4; Matthew 8:2-3; Luke 19:5-7).

Jesus was humble. He turned way from pride and gave all of the glory to his Father in heaven. When he completed miracles, he didn’t want boasting or bragging – he turned attention to the God above who was the source of his strength (John 7:16-18).

Jesus was vulnerable. When he was sad, he wept (John 11:35). When he was happy, he celebrated (John 2; Luke 10:21). When he was in distress, he presented his feelings to God (Luke 22:42). Jesus made no effort to conceal his emotions as though they made him weak or inadequate. Jesus recognized that the only way that God can help you through your strife is if you offer it up to him so that he has permission to fix it.

Jesus was intuitive. He recognized the needs of the people around him and was confident enough in the power of God flowing through him to intervene (Mark 5:25-34; John 4).

Jesus was consecrated or set apart (John 17:19). Jesus frequented the company of sinners without succumbing to sin himself. Instead of letting them bring him into their sin, he brought them into his holiness (See: Mary Magdalene in Luke 8 and John 20; The Samaritan Woman in John 4).

Jesus was fully human when he walked the earth. The reason that he was able to operate in such power was because he was so intimately in tune with God’s spirit within him. What we as Christians do not actively realize in many cases is that the exact same power that gave Jesus the ability to heal the sick and raise the dead lives within us as a gift from God. The more we allow God to mold our character into the image of himself, the more we can utilize the power he placed on the inside. God calls us his beloved children and he needs us to do his work here on earth. When he formed you he gave you a purpose. You are the solution to a problem that is going on with the people around you. To fulfill your purpose, you must grow in the ways of the creator who made you.

How do we exemplify these Christ-like traits? What does that look like today in 2025?

Dependent – Submit to the Lord in everything that you do. Before you start your day, acknowledge Holy Spirit within you. Dedicate the day to the Lord. Ask God what he wants you to accomplish today and actually let him order your steps as time goes by.

Bold – Do not be afraid to declare your faith. Christianity is not always “cool” or “popular” but that’s okay. Confidently proclaim your beliefs in the face of opposition because we live not for the approval of man but the approval of our Heavenly Father (Galatians 1:10; Colossians 3:23-24).

Merciful – Extend the same grace and mercy that God gives to us. Before you get mad at someone, consider what they may be going through. Consider what might’ve influenced their behavior – spoiler alert: it might not have anything to do with you at all. If all else fails, just imagine if God treated you how you’re getting ready to treat them because they made a mistake. Then respond accordingly.

Inclusive – Go out of your way to make someone feel included. Reach out someone that you haven’t spoken to in a while. Extend a gesture of peace or kindness to someone that you would normally avoid. Maybe spend a little extra time with the person that no one seems to like. When you were filthy and undesirable, Jesus made an effort to get close to you.

Humble – Give all of the glory to God. Step away from your pride for a moment. When you find yourself getting offended over something that happens, humble yourself. Remember that you too were created from dirt. Who are you to be offended? Jesus was a perfect man, he never did a single thing wrong, and they still spit in his face. How much less are you that you should be offended?

Vulnerable – God can’t help us through our problems if we aren’t honest about them. That means honest with ourselves and him. If you’re struggling with pride say “God please help me kill my ego. I am proud, I am boastful, I am vain. Please take those things away and make me more like you.” If you are struggling with lust, “God the lust of my flesh is my downfall. I need your help. I can’t conquer this sin without you. Please help me.” When you’re mad at God or disappointed in God, tell him those things. He will never get mad at you for being honest with him. In truth, he already knows! He’s just waiting for your honesty so he can intervene.

Intuitive – Have a keen ear for the voice of Holy Spirit. Before you make a decision, make sure that you have peace in the Lord. When you hear that still small voice that tells you to take a different route to work, listen to it. When you have a strong feeling that you need to reach out to someone that you wouldn’t normally talk to, talk to them. By obeying the voice of God in the little things, we prepare ourselves to be familiar with his instructions when major issues arise.

Consecrated – Step away from that conversation that goes outside of the character and will of God. Even if they’re not talking to you but the topic doesn’t align with your beliefs, excuse yourself. Become comfortable with being different. Get acclimated to being by yourself and missing out on events. Every environment is not for you. Being in a risqué environment is often an act of agreement with Satan even if you don’t partake. If you’re not actively evangelizing, you’re saying “this is okay” and inviting the enemy to have territory in your life. Separate yourself and become okay with being different.

Ephesians 5: 1-2 -  Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.