Have you ever wondered why Paul bid people to follow his example as he followed Christ?
Follow me as I follow Christ is one of the statements derived from scripture that is very instructive and insightful. One would ask, What does it mean?
Well, this article will help you get answers to that and even more. Grab a cup of tea (or whatever you like) and have a seat if you have not already (smiles).
Meanwhile, have you had a chance to check out my article titled, His Eye Is On The Sparrow? You should give it a read.
What Does It Mean To Follow Christ?
To follow is to come or go after a person, an object, or an instruction. In this case, Christ is the focus. Therefore, to follow Christ means to go after Christ while he calls you to come.
In Matthew 4, Jesus’ ministerial work was disclosed. Having preached the kingdom of God, He walked by the sea of Galilee and met two fishermen, Simon and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea.
According to Matthew 4:19 and 20, “He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.”
Three things to note there are:
- He told them to follow Him.
- They left their nets.
- And they followed Him.
In following Christ, one has to let go of what they held on to and allow Christ to lead them.
Like in marriage, you leave to cleave. In this case, you leave the former to cleave to the latter. You will understand this better in the life of Brother Paul, who made a statement paraphrased, Follow me as I follow Christ.
Is It Hard To Follow Christ?
Many people assume it is hard to follow Christ. The expression of some people originates from the impression they get from reading some statements Jesus Christ made in the Gospels concerning those who are worthy of Him.
However, we must understand time and again that this dispensation is different from the others in that groups of people and cultures differ.
In Matthew 11:30, Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Therefore, to follow Christ is a service one renders to others; it is not a hard one from the Lord Himself.
Following Christ is a culture on its own. It is a culture of love for the Lord and all humanity.
How To Follow Christ
Before Jesus made the statement I quoted above, he had said in the same Matthew 11:28–29 KJV:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Let me point out that “Come unto me’ is not the same as “Come after me.” The first suggests a position (to a person), while the second suggests a motion (after a person).
Those who come unto are those with heavy burdens, while those who come after are those whose own have been taken care of. The latter are those who follow Christ.
To follow Christ, you must first come to Him and decisively learn of Him. The coming to Him and studying of Him are two in one. By so doing, you will know Him as meek and gentle or lowly in heart.
Then, you will understand His commandments and find rest in your souls; you will be at peace in your innermost. From there, you live out the life of Christ in you.
Follow Me As I Follow Christ
The statement, Follow Me As I Follow Christ, otherwise said, Be imitators of me as I imitate Christ or follow my example as I follow Christ, constitutes three personalities. I put it this way: the speaker, the ones spoken to, and the one spoken of.
A better presentation would be in this order: the audience, Paul, and Christ. The audience was the people he was addressing in that passage.
By saying Follow me, it seemed Paul was pointing people to himself, but the introduction of simile in that statement changes the whole picture.
“Follow me as I follow Christ” would mean to follow Paul’s footsteps in the light of Christ. While the subject is the life of Paul and the object is Christ, we must consider the difference in his life.
Before his encounter with Christ, Paul the Apostle, also known as Saul of Tarsus, was a lawyer and a persecutor of the church of Christ. He was said to be zealous in his beliefs, and you know what that means; he could even kill to defend them.
Well, life took a new turn for Paul when he had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ on the way to Damascus. Afterward, the path he followed was different from the previous one. It was the opposite of it. Christ was the path he followed.
When he told them, Follow me as I follow Christ, he must have taught them Christ and told them to see how he followed and do likewise. The point is to follow Christ under the tutorship of Brother Paul.
There were standards of living from Christ for His people. Therefore, the following was not only in words but in deeds.
In 1 Corinthians 10:31–33 WEB, Brother Paul said, “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Give no occasions for stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God;
even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.”
“Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 WEB).
So Brother Paul presented himself worthy of emulation in Christ and taught likewise.
Ultimately, it was the works of love and a walk in love that he bade them (including us) to follow. It is the Spirit that leads, even to the saving of many, to the glory of God.
