Everything That I Do Shall Be Pleasant In God's Eyes; I Will Imitate Christ

From: June 24 – 30, 2008

TOPIC: “Everything That I Do Shall Be Pleasant In God's Eyes; I Will Imitate Christ” 1 Corinthian 11:1

In everything we do we should always ask ourselves if that is pleasant before God. 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 it is our acts that 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 live loving in all circumstances. We struggle not to do any harm, although we have to neglect ourselves no matter what. Sometimes it is the lack of love what makes us act or live in some mistaken way. When will we be able to say that our lives are pleasant for God? Our existence should be to have 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 brothers to imitate him just as he imitated Christ. Let us have Paul present to see how he moved. We should know Christ well so that no one will confuse us, and not be mistaken. We can be deceived, but it is when we have not acquired the knowledge. Jesus is coming 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 rise and leave with God in the rapture of the Church is if we are imitators of Christ. The sad thing nowadays is that it is not known who the church is, who the imitators of Christ are. When we have the desire to be imitators of the Lord Jesus, that will be the day we decide to please God, to make Him happy in everything, in our thoughts, while speaking, etc. We imitate Jesus, but not for the benefits that He can give us. Every temptation comes to every mortal, but when we want to be imitators of Christ we refuse them, because Christ would not do it. 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. Let us 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 and having a right over our body, 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 willful; and that 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 go by in vain and it is the devil who takes control. In the episodes where we do not remain searching for Christ, our children receive the same. When we stop imitating Christ for one month, for one year, one of 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. The less we decide to imitate Christ, the more losses we will have. 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 to harm them. We should bathe ourselves with shame and know how to be imitators of Christ. He never even made a gesture to look and harm anyone. We give so much pleasure to the body instead of hating it. If we don't abhor ourselves we cannot be disciples, and in the things we don't allow Him to discipline us we will go thru great shame. 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 speaks 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 the punishment is worse. Luke 14:33 Those who do not renounce to all that they possess cannot be His disciple. The Lord asks us to renounce to what can cut off our legs. The Lord asks of us to give up our pride. What Christ did the most was to renounce to 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 and take out of our lives what can make us fall. Those who are really prosperous are those who give everything for the cause of Christ, and finds the best of all 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 do not harm others; we would be doing it to ourselves. We must do what is right to not do any harm. A disciple does not do any harm, he gives himself and does not 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 are not imitators of Christ. When one lives under licentiousness, the day will declare things and shame and defeat will come. Let us be imitators of Christ as Paul was. Selfishness interrupts the Gospel of Christ. Those who do not become imitators of God will only have bad days, and 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.