Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
Therefore
if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any
comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one
mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in
humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own
interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your
relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ
Jesus... (Philippians 2:2-5 NIV).
Today
in Sunday school a class member (Julius) who has heard about me in the neighborhood for years said “I hope you
don't take this the wrong way Wayne—but you are like God.” For
non-Christians this is a red flag possibly descriptive of someone
with an insane ego or on a power trip. But for the Christian this is a
humbling compliment. All my life I have closely identified with
Christ—during one unstable period even thinking I was Christ. But
now I understand as do other Christians that such a comment is in no
way whatever an invitation for an ego trip or overweening
pride. As Jesus said, we are to strive for Godly perfection—or
like Saint Paul said, we are to imitate the humility of Christ. Thus
becoming more like God and Christ—ultimately becoming a blue-flame
witness for them on earth—is not an indicator of blasphemy or
arrogance, but of humble commitment even unto death. So when the
class member this morning made his comment about me, I was not in any
way taken aback or embarrassed, I only smiled and said: “I know
what you mean. Like everyone in this room, I strive to be a
faithful witness of Christ and to humbly do God's will.”
Print Page
