The Model Citizen

Read: 1 John 2:4-6

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6

IN WORD

It isn’t easy to learn a new culture. Immigrants to a new country often stick out for the clothes they wear, the mannerisms they express, and the values they hold. The acculturation process goes relatively quickly for some, but others never quite blend in. The multitude of unwritten social cues and expectations can be overwhelming.

We can be thankful that God is patient with us as we learn the Kingdom culture. Sometimes we get lost in the details too, just as a foreigner does when adjusting to a strange land. But fitting into the Kingdom of God isn’t primarily a matter of analyzing the culture like a social scientist would. God has made it much simpler for us. If we want to know the culture of our Kingdom, all we need to do is look at the attitudes and actions of the King.

John put it another way to his readers: If we say His life is in us and we live in His Kingdom, we must live as Jesus lived and walk as He walked. Looking around at Kingdom citizens today, we might conclude that not many people know this. The twenty-first-century church hardly looks like first-century Galilee, so the visible Kingdom will naturally vary from the King’s original environment. But do we speak as He spoke? Are we driven by the same purpose that drove Him? Do we have the same compassion and commitment? Do we love, heal, and forgive, as He loved, healed, and forgave? Are we visible manifestations of the character of God?

These are penetrating questions, even for those who claim to have followed Him for years. We easily call ourselves Christians, but can we easily call ourselves Christlike? We must if we want to thrive in His Kingdom.

IN DEED

Learn the Kingdom culture well by looking at the King. Don’t embrace any models of Christianity that don’t look a lot like Christ. Measure yourself by no other standard. In everything you do, be like Him.

ADDITIONAL READING: Ephesians 5:1-2

It is time that Christians were judged more by their likeness to Christ than their notions of Christ.

LUCRETIA MOTT