Jesus Christ, Part 8

Shawn McCraney emphasizes the need for believers to embody Christ-like attributes such as humility, selflessness, and righteousness, by enduring suffering, and living sacrificially for others, paralleling Jesus' example as highlighted in 1 Peter 2:17-24. He advises immature Christians to start with the fundamentals of the faith and grow spiritually through the "milk of the Word," while encouraging the more mature to follow the path of suffering, accepting injustices without retaliation, and serving others selflessly despite potential abuse, as part of their calling in the Body of Christ.

Followers of Christ are called to endure suffering as Jesus did, using His life as an 'example' or 'hupogrammas' to trace and replicate faithfully in their own lives, highlighting the importance of Scripture for understanding His teachings and ensuring they are following the true image of Him. Paul emphasizes that experiencing Christ through suffering could lead to a superior resurrection, highlighting the importance of aligning one's life with Christ’s example to achieve this spiritual aspiration.

Peter instructs us to emulate Jesus not only in appearance but also in action, emphasizing that we should model His pattern and ways, particularly through love, and take responsibility for how well we replicate His character. Despite facing criticism and suffering, Jesus responded without retaliation or threats, entrusting Himself to God, who judges righteously, and this is the foundation for Christian conduct.

By choosing not to retaliate against wrongdoing and instead living righteously, Christians acknowledge Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, where He bore humanity's sins, allowing believers to live free from the bondage of sin. This teaching emphasizes embracing freedom from sin as one would embrace freedom from a pest, recognizing Jesus' act as the ultimate eradication of sin's power over our lives.

Shawn emphasizes that believers are completely free from sin due to Christ's sacrifice, and that living in fear of sin undermines faith in Jesus' transformative work. Christians should embrace this freedom by living fearlessly and lovingly, as exemplified by Jesus, without fixating on the past presence of sin.