"False Christs will arise," Jesus prophesied. And it has been so. There have been religious quacks advancing great claims for themselves, and poor psychotics saying, "I am Jesus Christ." There have also been misrepresentations of Christ, caricatures, which depict him as fiery zealot, failed superstar or circus clown. And coming nearer home, there are our own distorted images of Jesus.
"Follow me," he said. "Yes, Lord," comes our glib reply, "We will follow you." But which Christ are we following? The Christ some follow breathes love but never judgment, brings comfort but never challenge, while others among us are alert to his commission to evangelize, but have somehow never heard his call to care for the poor, the sick, the hungry and the deprived.
The apostles took up the theme of following Jesus. We are to "imitate" him, they wrote, "to follow in his steps." What it will mean to do this depends on our understanding of the Jesus in whose shoes we are to walk. So let's look again for the real Jesus, the authentic Jesus of the gospel records, over against the popular dreams which men have dreamed. Certainly our Christian lifestyle depends on the kind of Christ we envisage and believe in.
John Stott, Authentic Christianity
"Follow me," he said. "Yes, Lord," comes our glib reply, "We will follow you." But which Christ are we following? The Christ some follow breathes love but never judgment, brings comfort but never challenge, while others among us are alert to his commission to evangelize, but have somehow never heard his call to care for the poor, the sick, the hungry and the deprived.
The apostles took up the theme of following Jesus. We are to "imitate" him, they wrote, "to follow in his steps." What it will mean to do this depends on our understanding of the Jesus in whose shoes we are to walk. So let's look again for the real Jesus, the authentic Jesus of the gospel records, over against the popular dreams which men have dreamed. Certainly our Christian lifestyle depends on the kind of Christ we envisage and believe in.
John Stott, Authentic Christianity
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