But whoever keeps His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: by this we know that we are in Him. He that says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, EVEN as He walked. 1 John 2:5-6
Many would react to this, or ignore this, thinking that it is too extreme to expect anyone to live as Jesus lived.
Note that John says EVEN as. Not just walk as Jesus walked, but walk EVEN as Jesus walked, signifying something very unusual and even hard to accept.
Oftentimes we wanted to be like someone we regard as a hero of the faith : to be more like them than like Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is rarely our prime example.
In our hearts we think it will cost us too much if we walk as Jesus walked. (walk = live)
Continued in Comments
October 26, 2011 at 11:45 pm
To walk as Jesus walked is not primarily to do with the physical actions. To walk as He walked doesn’t mean you believe you are Jesus.
Even if someone could do most of the miracles that Jesus did, that itself doesn’t mean they are walking as He walked. Their nature could be quite different.
Our life will look quite different, outwardly, from the life of Jesus of Nazareth, yet still, by the Spirit of God, in relationship to the Father, we walk as He walked.
Walking as He walked doesn’t mean that clones of Jesus are produced.
It means that a person has the same faith that He had/has, by virtue of Him living inside them and producing the same fruit : the nature is the same.
It means a person lives by the same truth and believes the same as Jesus of Nazareth.
If the same Jesus of Nazareth lives inside us, and we believe the truth, how could we not live as He lived?
If it is truly Him who is living in us, how could we not live as He lived?
October 27, 2011 at 1:26 am
Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out demons? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
(Matthew 7:21-23)
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
(Matthew 24:24)
In the above category of false prophets, we can conclude that, potentially, a false prophet can do the same miracles which Jesus did, and he can even have a “technically correct” gospel and doctrine of salvation, yet where he clashes with Jesus is in his nature and therefore in his “life”.
Outwardly, some may say he is walking as Jesus walked, yet his nature is the opposite.
When you meet such a person, the one thing you know about them is that YOU DON’T WANT TO BECOME THE SAME TYPE OF PERSON THEY ARE. There is a clash of natures.
Yes, he has correct doctrines, and the miracles are undeniable, yet HE IS IN LOVE WITH HIMSELF and loves the praise of men. His love for money, fame and attention is always thinly veiled by a carefully crafted false humility, a mask (and he will often tell stories to prove how humble he is).
When you ask him questions he always skillfully avoids answering truthfully. He runs people around in circles with his gobbledygook.
October 27, 2011 at 3:36 am
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.
[This passage is connected to the next in its subject matter]
Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; by which we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
(1 John 2:15-19)
See the connection between loving the world, and the spirit of antichrist, the great endtime delusion?
This is what i was trying to explain: A false prophet may have all the correct orthodox doctrine, and yet still love the world and the things in it, the lust of the flesh and eyes, and the pride of life, and therefore not have the love of the Father in him.
He may have learned all the correct theology simply by the power of his intellect, alone, without the Holy Spirit.