Follow Me As I Follow Christ: 12 Bible Tips to Imitate Jesus!

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Do you love God? Jesus asked His disciples this same question. He wanted His disciple to know that to love and follow God is NOT easy. It involves forgiving the very people that hurt you, loving others when you are in pain, and trusting God when everything is falling apart.

Paul understood this truth. He followed Jesus Christ’s example to the death. He understood the power of forgiveness, Holy purity, love, the Holy Spirit, and what Jesus did at the cross. Paul also preached these truths to people hoping that it would set them free from the need to sin.

At first Paul did not believe in Jesus and the message of forgiveness. Saul (renamed Paul) was guilty of killing many innocent Christians. However, Jesus came to forgive even Paul.

Paul said that his old nature "died" with Christ. Meaning, His "old self" was a murderer. But, once He saw the "light" He realized that He was wrong and started a "new life" or "new self". 

Related Article: Dying To Self: 4 Tips To Crucify the Flesh!

What does “I have been crucified with Christ” mean?

The Apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 means that Paul’s flesh has died (old nature) and he now lives sacrificially and selflessly to bring others into the Kingdom of God.

Paul was the perfect candidate to continue the work of Jesus. Paul understand that forgiveness is a FREE gift and no man can earn it and no man deserves it. This truth empowered him to give away forgiveness to those that sought to kill him. Sadly, the people stoned him, accused, and hurt him for simply talking about the freedom you can only find in Jesus. Do you love God more than anything? Do you choose to believe even though everything may be going wrong in your life?

Jesus wants to make us aware that Christianity isn't a popularity club nor a get rich quick scheme. 

Christianity is sacrificing our own desires to help bring others from darkness into light. So, Jesus asked his disciple the question for the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” “Lord, You know all things,” he replied. “You know I love You.”

Related Article: Dying To Self: 4 Tips To Crucify the Flesh!

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.” – John 21:18

What does being crucified mean?

True Christianity is submitting to God’s will for your life, a situation, and this earth. We often want situations to go our way and end perfectly. But, Christ’s way ended perfectly in death. This is displayed in 1 Corinthians 11:1: “Follow Me (Paul’s suffering for the Gospel) As I Follow Christ (Like Jesus, Paul layed down his life to preach the Gospel to sinners).”

Thank GOD we have more religious freedoms than the early disciples experienced. So, our suffering usually looks a little different now a days (in some countries). Ultimately being crucified means that we will be put in situations where it literally feels like you are dying. It feels like you’re dying because the situations will be used to burn out the impurities in you: selfishness, distrust, control, jealousy, defensiveness, rebellion, manipulation, fear, etc.

Your crucifixion situation may be a bad financial situation, emotional healing, preaching the Gospel in a tense atmosphere, praying for a dysfunctional spouse, believing for the healing of a child, etc. Everyone’s refinement process is different. One of the situations that refined me was creating this website. I quit my full time job and took a huge salary cut. But, I had dreams were God confirming I should create this website and I felt the call. So, I had to die to my pride, selfishness, greed, fear, and distrust. Another dying to flesh situation is my singleness, you can read more about my waiting here.

If God has called you to persevere in a tough situation… He will give you the grace to do it. Keep praying, reading the Bible, being a good person to EVERYONE, and believing that God will work it out… He will show up powerfully in your life. “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

And remember, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Jesus was tempted in every way yet he did not sin. Jesus only did what he heard the father doing. And, Jesus forgave, loved, and brought many into the knowledge of the father.  In this way, we should initiate Jesus Christ. We should strive to love people, even when it's hard, so they too can experience the healing and miraculous power off the Cross.

What are the benefits of following Christ?

There are many benefits to following Christ. Some of those benefits include receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual ability to avoid sin, eternal life, a relationship with God, the ability to hear God via dream/prophetic, a purpose filled life, peace in hard situations, strength when we’re tired, an unshakable word, and a community of believers that God will bring to help you move forward in your destiny.

How do you become a follower of Jesus?

You can become a follower of Jesus by accepting Christ, understanding what He has done for you, learning about your holy inheritance, accessing God’s power to avoid sin, and activating your purpose as a world changer who will help bring heaven to earth.

How can we follow Jesus in our daily lives?

1. Learn more about God by reading the word and listening to sermons.
2. Spend time in prayer for everyone to come into the revelation of God. And, that everyone would exit the cycle of sin and pain in the world.
3. Heal your generational curses and renew your mind from things you didn’t even know the world taught you.
4. Learn to love who we are and find the talents that God has given us.
5. Find out your piece of the puzzle in changing the world.

Related Article: 5 Tips To Be More Like Jesus Christ

What did Jesus mean by follow me?

Jesus wanted us to follow him in His mission to bring salvation and the truth to legalistic men, non-believers, and those whom a lukewarm. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:19-20

Jesus said follow me and you will always know which way to go. Following Jesus’ example helps to follow the path to have a strong relationship with God and have the skills to change the world with love. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

10 Examples Jesus Set for Us to Follow:

We should follow the perfect example of Jesus and mimic everything that he does in the Bible because we are called to do greater things than He. We are called to transform the world by teaching the Gospel and bringing people into the love of Christ. Jesus teaches us how to do it with his actions!

1. Love sinners
2. Have a lot of quiet prayer time
3. Forgive sins
4. Judge no one harshly
5. Repent & change behavior
6. Live truthful and not hypocritically
7. Disciple + teach others about God
8. Model how to pray for others
9. Love the Father + do only what the father is doing
10. Live righteously and without sin (which is possible through the Holy Spirit)

"If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." 1 John 4:12

Related Article: 5 Tips To Be More Like Jesus Christ

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was Matthew when Jesus said follow me? According to Matthew 9:9, Matthew was at the tax collector’s booth when Jesus said follow me.

Who said imitate me imitate Christ? Paul wants us to Imitate me (copy him) as I Imitate Christ (as Paul copies Jesus’ behavior and righteousness). “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.” 1 Corinthians 11:1-2

Follow Christ Verses and Scriptures

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Luke 18:22

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” Matthew 16:24

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." Matthew 7:21-23

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“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” Mark 8:34-37