MORE THAN AN EXAMPLE
And after you have borne these sufferings a very little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to share his eternal splendor through Christ, will himself make you whole and secure and strong. 1 Peter 5:10, Phillips.
I am an avid musician. Unfortunately, the only musical instrument I have ever learned to play is the phonograph. And so, I have to content myself with being an appreciative listener as my wife lets Debussy flow through her fingertips on our piano. I listen with rapture on my stereo system as great orchestras play Vaughn Williams, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Copland. I have fantasized about being able to sit down at the keyboard of a massive organ and make the walls shake and the audience weep.
Would it work if I were simply to stand behind E. Power Biggs (or a similar great organist), and watch him play an organ for a time, then just "follow his example"? If he plays a Bach cantata perfectly, and I watch closely, shouldn't I also be able to play it perfectly? The idea is, of course, ludicrous--all the more so when you know how clumsy I am with my fingers!
The apostle Peter tells us that Jesus is an example for us, that we should follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). But I am so glad that he didn't stop there. Otherwise, I can imagine people simply looking at the life of Christ, watching closely as He behaved in such a flawless manner, with perfect spirit and tact, then saying, "All right; now I'll just do the same." The outcome is about as promising as my mimicking Biggs playing Bach.
Even more so than being a musician, being Christlike requires a movement within the soul. I can, in time, copy a C scale on the piano by rote memory and practice. But I can love an unlovely person only after my heart is healed by Christ's divine love. I can care about the needs of others, even at my own expense and inconvenience, only after I have been made secure by Jesus' meeting of my needs. Though I may be able to say nice words to another person, I can succeed in imparting genuine strength to another struggling soul only when I am in bonded union with Him who is truly strong. Our Father Himself will make us whole, secure, and strong, not by waving some magic wand over us, but by drawing us into vital union with Himself.
And after you have borne these sufferings a very little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to share his eternal splendor through Christ, will himself make you whole and secure and strong. 1 Peter 5:10, Phillips.
I am an avid musician. Unfortunately, the only musical instrument I have ever learned to play is the phonograph. And so, I have to content myself with being an appreciative listener as my wife lets Debussy flow through her fingertips on our piano. I listen with rapture on my stereo system as great orchestras play Vaughn Williams, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Copland. I have fantasized about being able to sit down at the keyboard of a massive organ and make the walls shake and the audience weep.
Would it work if I were simply to stand behind E. Power Biggs (or a similar great organist), and watch him play an organ for a time, then just "follow his example"? If he plays a Bach cantata perfectly, and I watch closely, shouldn't I also be able to play it perfectly? The idea is, of course, ludicrous--all the more so when you know how clumsy I am with my fingers!
The apostle Peter tells us that Jesus is an example for us, that we should follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). But I am so glad that he didn't stop there. Otherwise, I can imagine people simply looking at the life of Christ, watching closely as He behaved in such a flawless manner, with perfect spirit and tact, then saying, "All right; now I'll just do the same." The outcome is about as promising as my mimicking Biggs playing Bach.
Even more so than being a musician, being Christlike requires a movement within the soul. I can, in time, copy a C scale on the piano by rote memory and practice. But I can love an unlovely person only after my heart is healed by Christ's divine love. I can care about the needs of others, even at my own expense and inconvenience, only after I have been made secure by Jesus' meeting of my needs. Though I may be able to say nice words to another person, I can succeed in imparting genuine strength to another struggling soul only when I am in bonded union with Him who is truly strong. Our Father Himself will make us whole, secure, and strong, not by waving some magic wand over us, but by drawing us into vital union with Himself.
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