brothers, i entreat you, become as i am, for i also have become as you are. you did me no wrong. you know it was because of a bodily ailment that i preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. [galatians 4:12-14]
become as i am,
“is your discipleship of Jesus Christ, how you follow him with your life – worth imitating?” – marc sikma
there is a call for us to imitate the faith of those who are humble devoted followers of Jesus and his gospel. equally, i believe we are called to have other younger believers imitate our faith. may these passages stir us to be disciples and disciple makers. who are you imitating? who is imitating you?
- brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. [phil 3:17]
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and you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, [1 thess 1:6]
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for you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in judea. for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the jews, [1 thess 2:14]
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for you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, [2 thess 3:7]
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it was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. [2 thess 3:9]
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so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. [heb 6:12]
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remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. [heb 13:7]
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beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. [3 john 11]
~ john ryan