Everything that I do shall be pleasant in God’s eyes; I will imitate Christ

From: June 24 – 30, 2008

Pastor: Edith Cruz

Study # 547

TOPIC: “Everything that I do shall be pleasant in God’s eyes; I will imitate Christ” 1 Corinthians 11:1 We should always ask ourselves if everything we do is pleasant in God’s eyes. If we were faithful imitators of Christ like Paul was, we would avoid many discomforts. Our acts cry out aggressively if we are or not imitators of Christ, because with our mouth we can say whatever we want playing with words trying to impress. But our acts cry out if we are imitators of Christ or not. Sometimes the least we think about is if our acts imitate Christ day by day. For the love of Christ, let us be capable of refusing to do what is unpleasant to the Master. A disciple bears fruits of the Spirit. A true Christian has to love in all circumstances. We struggle not to do any harm, although we have to neglect ourselves no matter what. Sometimes the lack of love makes us act or live in some mistaken way. When will we be able to say that our lives are pleasant before God? Our existence should be to make God happy, to please Him; that should be our joy. Because once we have God happy, we will also make happy all those who surround us. When we understand that we live to have God happy, then we will be imitators of Christ. When imitating a person it is necessary to study that person, to know the person well. Paul told the church to imitate him just as he imitated Christ. Let us have Paul present to see how he moved. We should get to know Christ well so that no one will confuse us and we will not be mistaken. We can be deceived, but it is when we have not acquired the knowledge. Jesus will come to get those who imitate Him. That is to walk, to think and to act like Him. For anyone to imitate us, first we have to imitate Christ. When there are tears, it doesn't always mean that there is repentance. Because in true repentance there are fruits, there is embarrassment for what has been done wrong. When God sees that there are fruits of repentance in us, then He believes us. The only way that we can raise and leave with God in the rapture of the Church is if we are imitators of Christ. The sad thing nowadays is that one does not know who the real church is, the imitators of Christ. The day we decide to please God, to make Him happy with our thoughts, while we speak, etc., will be when we have a true desire of imitating our Lord Jesus. We imitate Jesus, but not for the benefits that He can give us. Every temptation comes to all humans, but when we want to be imitators of Christ we refuse them, because Christ would also refuse them. Philippians 1:6 We have to be imitators of Christ. The years go by perfecting us. Timothy lived with the faith that he had learned from his grandmother and his mother. He watched his family walk in faith, for that reason he also walked in faith. To be an imitator of Christ we need to have dedication. We should decide to imitate Paul, and imitate Christ as he did. We cannot give the devil the right to control our body. To keep the devil from touching us we have to be imitators of Christ. The one who started the good deed in us will take it to perfection. We imitate Christ because He has the essence and this has not ended. The soul is prompt for condemnation, it is willing; this is the soul Christ came to conquer and to give eternal life. When there are difficulties in our lives we stop praying and searching. Those days pass in vain and the devil takes control. All that time we spent not searching for Christ is time lost for our children because they will receive what we receive. When we stop to imitate Christ for one month, for one year, our loved ones will learn to do the same. The greatness of Christ is that He is perfect. We never lose with Him, the more we serve Him and get to know Him, the more we have to gain. If we decide not to imitate Christ, we will have loss. If we are not imitators of Christ we will live

the consequences. A disciple learns from his teacher to imitate him. With our example we can reprehend, correct and teach others. This is not a game. Our acts say more than our mouths. Luke 14:26 In the sin of fornication is where most leaders, pastors and sheep fall. As imitators of Christ we would never want to look at anyone to desire them or do any harm. We should be very ashamed and know to be imitators of Christ. He never made a gesture to look and harm anyone. We give so much pleasure to the body instead of hating it. If we don't hate ourselves we cannot be disciples and if we don't allow Him to discipline us, there will be great shame. In order to be a disciple we need to hate what is wrong in us. Let us be imitators of Christ in all that is possible. Our acts and what we live through speak of us. What we don't hate in us will be what the weak will imitate. It is wrong to make the weak fall. The infidels know our rules, but their punishment is worse. Luke 14:33 Those who do not renounce to all that they possess cannot be disciples. The Lord asks us to give up what can keep us from doing His will. The Lord asks of us to give up our pride. Christ gave up everything because of His love for us. He took our illnesses, misfortunes and sins. Having the foundations we must watch out not to interrupt the construction. Let us see what can provoke us to fall and toss it out. Those who are prosperous are those who give everything for the cause of Christ, receive greater benefits in this world and eternal life in the coming world. They obtain the best possessions and take the wealth with them beyond the grave. The body, which we give so much pleasure, becomes dust. Let us be imitators of Christ. John 13:35 If we have love for one another we are disciples. Only this is gratifying in this world. The church is the place where we receive more pleasure and we can share the piece of bread with love in memory of Christ and in communion. Those who love cannot harm others; we would be doing it to ourselves. We must do what is right and not to harm others. A disciple does not harm anyone, he gives and doesn’t sin. A disciple lives from glory to glory, because the God whom we serve is a God of glory. There are no men and women wiser than those who deal with the situations in their homes day and night. John 15:8 Those who belong to Christ give fruit. When there is hatred in us we cannot be imitators of Christ. When we live under licentiousness, the day will declare things and shame and defeat will come. We must be imitators of Christ as Paul was. Selfishness interrupts the Gospel of Christ. Those who do not become imitators of God will have bad days, but the sad thing is that they will leave a heritage of sin to their own. Those who imitate Christ walk away from everything that is sin and rejoice in pleasing God in everything they do. Amen.