Is It Okay To Be An Imitator?

Holy Land Picture of the Day

Jerusalem Today's picture is a bird's eye view of the city of Jerusalem. It reminds us of Matthew 16:21; "From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third dayI  Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children" (Eph. 5:1) Hey Gang:  When I was a little squeezer I tried to be an imitator of all my heroes.  Saturday morning was a ritual in my life, I would get my chores done as quickly as I could and then truck off to the movie theater and watch the Roy Rogers, Gene Autry's, Lone Ranger's and all the heroes of that day.  And then on the way home I would visualize myself on a great stallion with a white hat and the conqueror of evil.  Is it okay to be an imitator?  Paul said if you really want to be great in God's kingdom then be an imitator of God.    He also wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians, "For in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.  Therefore I exhort you to be imitators of me".  (1 Cor. 4:15b-16).  Do you think it would be alright to be an imitator of Paul? But notice, Paul recognized to be an imitator could be a very dangerous exercise, if we are not connected firmly to God's power supply.  He warned "Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good" (I Thess. 5:21).  Jesus warned that in the latter days even the very elect will be deceived by the evil one, if we lose sight of Christ as Lord and become imitators of the world. Jesus, in His Olivet Discourse, warned "For false Christ and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead possible, even the elect.  Behold I have told you in advance" (Matt. 24:24-25).  Today, many, even many who would tell you they are children of God, are being lead astray by false teachers and false prophets.  To believe in Replacement Theology, that teaches Israel is no longer the "apple of God's Eye", is to deny the truths found in the Word of God.  To believe that there is more than one path to the Father and it does not matter which path you chose is contrary to Jesus' words,  "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6)." To accept the growing belief that to believe is sufficient, and how we live after we commit our lives to Christ is covered by the blood of the cross is also contrary to Scripture. Sooooo, And how do we protect ourselves from being led down the Prime-Rose-Path into deception?  By being "Imitator of God as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma" (Eph. 5:1-2).  Have you checked out your armor lately? Blessings, Gramps