Abstract: The Church must follow the incarnational example of Jesus and make herself visible in the world. The Church does this by embodying the way of Jesus in our daily living, our mental models, our politics and ethics, our attitudes of the heart, and our speech. I suggest a few places we begin to comprehend how to embody Jesus in the world are Romans 12:1-2, John 15:1-17, and Philippians 2:1-8. These passages demonstrate Jesus’ own living out the gospel of God’s Kingdom and invite us into the same embodiment.
It has now become abundantly clear that the Church is struggling with discipleship. As clamoring for individual rights grow, it is if we have forgotten why the Church even exists. There are obviously louder voices that have our attention other than scripture. So, it is my desire to turn our attention again toward Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith.”[1]
A disciple is someone who gives one’s self fully to the teaching and practice of another. In the Christian’s case, this is Jesus. Scripture refers to us as pilgrims or sojourners on a journey of faith discovery growing love for God and neighbor. What does it mean to be a student of Jesus? How might we more reflect the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? How might we live and speak Christianly?
I want to share three passages (this is not an all inclusive list) that assist us in answering the aforementioned questions. The first is Romans 12:1-2.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We have to offer our selves over to God, and this requires sacrifice. The passage tells us this is true worship. Recently, I was in a Bible study with adults. Almost all of them were older than me, and I posed the question: What does it mean or look like to offer our selves as living sacrifices? And according the Philippians 2:17 what does it mean that Paul finds joy in being a sacrifice for others? Crickets. Why? Could it be possible we have a faith that requires very little of us?
This must require a transformation according to Paul. Our minds must be made new. We don’t go chasing after every American ideology, and we do not settle for preferred politics. Our minds are transformed so we may discern the will of God. Again, not so we might follow the agenda presented by media or culture, but we may truly follow the footsteps of Jesus. The proof of God’s will is in the living. “If we obediently live lives that are good, acceptable, and moving toward the perfect, we will discover that those are the lives that serve God’s kingdom, that worship and glorify God.”[2] This starts with a transformed way of thinking. We must embody Christ with our minds.
The second passage we must consider is John 15:1:17. In order for us to live in the power of Jesus’ transforming work, we have to make our dwelling in him. Furthermore, the things that are not of God we must cast off. For many of us we live dual lives. Occasionally, I have to ask myself, How do I reconcile that thought, that attitude, that speech, or that action with who Jesus is? It is my observation that we are simply not willing to take the kind of inventory necessary to answer this question. Jesus desires to abide is us, but it starts with us claiming residence in him. This is evidenced in our total love for him and neighbor. As Christ, the God man has come to us in the flesh, we also must embody the one who displayed his love for us by laying down his life as we deny our self, take our cross, and follow him.[3]
Lastly, we must consider Philippians 2:1-8.
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.
Here, we find Paul instructing us disciples in the ways of following Jesus. He admonishes us to take on the mind of Christ, to live out the love of Christ, and to please stop being selfish. Instead he says, seek humility. The same kind of humility Jesus demonstrates in washing his disciples’ feet and giving himself up to death. Out of love, Jesus considers us worthy enough to die for. We are called to embody that same kind of love. Do we?
Do we lay down our rights in order to empty our self for the sake of the world that Jesus loves and dies for? Do we take on the form of a servant in order that others may experience Christ’s love? Do we humble ourselves in order to walk in obedience to God’s call on our lives?
We are called to embody Christ’s love in the world. We cannot be this if we are focused on our individual rights. We cannot be this if the measure of our spirituality is confined to solely going to church. We cannot be this is if spiritual formation only occurs in the windows of fours hours a week. We cannot be this if our minds are filled with other narratives contrary to the way of Jesus. We must embody Christ and actually be the Church God has called us to be.
How can we do this?
I will give just a few possibilities.
Let’s begin at home. God help me embody the attitude of Christ in my marriage and as a father. May I be reminded that I must lay down my life for my family as Christ has laid down his live for the Church.
Let’s devote our self to reading scripture. Over time we have replaced the authority of scripture with the opinion pieces we hear on TV or radio. It is well documented that we, as Christians, do not have a good grasp on scripture. Thus, should we be surprised that we struggle to live it out?
Give yourself to people who care for you, but are willing to speak truth in love. Give your self to people who have a different worldview. These folks can be some of our greatest teachers.
Social media has accelerated the variety of voices that shouting for attention. So, we surround ourselves virtual and in real time with people who think like us. There is a danger in this. It is a statement of refusing humility. It is a statement of insecurity in self and in God. It is a statement of arrival, which stunts spiritual growth and refuses a transformation of the mind and heart.
The Church must be the embodiment of God that is so vast a building or a time slot cannot contain her. So, why have settled for so much less?