The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis, is a famous Catholic book. In His Steps, by Charles M Sheldon, is a well-known Protestant book. Both books encourage Christians to follow Christ’s example – to walk as he walked. Both books promote spiritual exercise, self-discipline, and self-sacrifice.
The Apostle Paul wrote that he and Titus “walked in the same steps” – did things the same way. Titus did not need to imitate Paul because he knew what Paul would do in the same circumstance.
The word “spirit” depends on the context: Paul could be referring to the Holy Spirit or to his own spirit. It doesn’t really matter. 2 Corinthians 12:18 refers to the identical attitude of both men in regard to money. As Paul’s spiritual son Titus behaved the same as Paul would. In his father’s absence a son does what his father would do if present. He doesn’t so much imitate him as reflect him!
Titus walked in Paul’s “steps” because he walked in his “spirit” — his attitude. When we walk in the spirit of Jesus, we do what he would do because we have his attitude toward people.
In Romans 8:4-10, Paul contrasts “walking after the Spirit” with “walking after the flesh.” The body of the believer is legally “dead” because of sin, but the spirit is “alive” because of righteousness.
To yield to old impulses is carnal (in the Greek it means, a chunk of raw flesh), but the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. To walk in the steps of Jesus we need to be filled with the “spirit of Christ” – the Holy Spirit. Otherwise we end up playing a religious version of Twister – which can be painful!
Those who worship God must worship him “in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) “In spirit” meaning as opposed to the kind of ritualistic worship at Jerusalem (unacceptable to God after the sacrifice of Jesus for sin); and “in truth” meaning as opposed to the deceptive worship at Mt Gerazim by the Samaritans.
The Jews knew what they worshipped, the Samaritans did not. But neither the original nor the copycat worship would be acceptable to God – only the worship of the Father “in spirit and in truth”.
In Philippians 3:3, Paul contrasts the inner circumcision of the heart with circumcision of the flesh. He worships God, rejoices in Christ Jesus, and has “no confidence in the flesh”. He has discarded as valueless his former confidence in family genealogy and religious standing, in order to gain “the priceless knowledge of Christ” (Phil. 3:7).
It is clear that Paul’s former status no longer matters to him – all that matters is the true worship of the Father in the Spirit, and the ability to rejoice in the knowledge of Jesus Christ his Lord – everything else is garbage!
Paul’s desire is to know the power of his Lord’s resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and that he be made conformable to his death. (Philippians 3:10) But these goals are not Paul’s ultimate goal, which is to attain the resurrection “out from among” (Greek: exanastasis) the dead. This “first resurrection” is distinct from the final resurrection, which is to condemnation.
Paul showed this “first resurrection” mystery to the church at Thessalonica “by the word of the Lord” – a phrase used often in the Old Testament but only in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 in the New Testament. Paul writes by prophetic revelation. It is the “first resurrection” of Revelation 20:6, which comes before the “thousand year” reign of Jesus and the second resurrection of all the dead.
“Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection, for on them the second death has no power…” (Revelation 20:11-15) They cannot die because their bodies are immortal!
Paul saw that goal as being worth the loss of everything else in life – do you? If you would walk in the steps of Jesus and Paul, and countless other Christians since, you must walk in the same spirit they did. (1 Corinthians 15:23, 51, 52)
The biggest hindrances to spiritual worship are the long-held traditions of established religion, the kind Paul threw away in order to know Christ, and substitute beliefs of the kind the woman of Samaria clung to, since to her they seemed original and genuine.
No common ground exists between our upward call in Jesus Christ and the things that seek to draw us back, i.e. dead religion or cultic doctrine. We must move onward and upward to win the ultimate prize!
We will all stand before our Lord and give an account to him of what we did. Did we walk in the Spirit, or did we walk in the flesh, just doing the best we could to follow in his steps?
Ask yourself these questions:
• Do I worship the Father “in Spirit and truth” or do I rely on my church’s ritualism and its historic traditions for my spiritual welfare?
• Do I think badly of other believers who know Jesus as their Lord, but who don’t yet know that many of their beliefs are unscriptural?
• Do I make melody in my heart to the Lord, or do I prefer shrieking electric guitars and the beat of pounding drums? Do I need a gifted worship leader to get into God’s presence?
• Am I walking in the Spirit and steps of Jesus without conscious forethought or effort, or am I seeking to imitate Jesus, in an effort to walk in his steps and live the way he lived?
What is your goal in life? The Apostle Paul’s goal was to rise in the First Resurrection. It was so valuable to him that he discarded as worthless all else that would hinder him from reaching it. You must rise to gain the prize – if you don’t you won’t! It’s now time to get back into regular church fellowship and to seek the Lord in the way you once did!