Reflecting Jesus Part 2

             In my last blog post, I talked about what it looks like to reflect Jesus in our lives.  Today, I would like to expand on that post. 

During a recent podcast, Bible teacher, Kristi McClelland, asked, “Why were the followers of Jesus first called Christians at Antioch?”  I have always accepted that as fact since the Scripture states it plainly in Acts 11:26, but I had never questioned why.  After all, it would have made more sense for them to be called Christians in Jerusalem, where the church began on the day of Pentecost.  However, we all know that God’s ways do not always make sense to our feeble brains. 

So, why Antioch?  Being a major trade center and the third largest city in the Roman Empire meant that it was a diverse city.  There were many pagan religions and cults in addition to the “worship” of the Roman emperor.  It was also a large city with a population of somewhere between 100,000 and 500,000, which was a lot for that time.  It was also a Roman military post.

So, what made the Christians stand out?  First, they worshipped the one true God and refused to bow to Caesar or any other pagan god.  In that culture, the refusal to worship the Roman Emperor could bring persecution of all kinds, including death, but still, they remained true to God Almighty.  That stand would have made them stand out like a sore thumb.  It would have not only branded them as different but it might have caused people to wonder why they were different.  In addition to their stand against pagan worship, unlike the Romans, they valued human life—another characteristic that would have made them stand out from the crowd. 

My point is that reflecting Christ in our lives begins with growing in the fruit of the Spirit, but unless those characteristics are exhibited in how we live our lives, they accomplish nothing.  The Christians in Antioch didn’t just believe in Christ, they lived Him out in their daily lives.  They exhibited Christ’s characteristics despite the danger.  Reflecting Christ is not just about being.  It also requires doing—doing the right things according to God’s teaching, regardless of the consequences. 

The ultimate question for me and you is, “If all someone knew about us were our actions, would they call us ‘Christians’?”  I guess that is a question each of us will have to answer for ourselves.

Acts 11: 26

Ephesians 5: 22 – 23

James 2: 14 - 26

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hi, I'm the Sun Porch Lady

  Hi, I’m the Sun Porch Lady. I recently retired and while most of the world thinks that is a wonderful thing, I've found it to be anything but wonderful. I've been going to school and/or working since I was six years old so finding myself with nothing, but free time is a whole new experience.   I have no structure, no daily schedule, and seemingly no purpose in my life.   While that may sound like heaven, I believe that Christians never retire.   God just repurposes them. As I struggled to find new purpose and bring some structure back to my life, I turned to writing.   Over the years, I have often written devotional thoughts or put various ideas to paper.   I can’t say that I’ve ever been very good at journaling but from time to time, I have written about events in my life that taught me values or made me more aware of God working in my life.   So, to keep busy and hopefully spark an interest in others I've decided to create this blog. I’m callin...
Read more

Is there a "Banana Cake" for you in 2025?

                 Most families have at least one Christmas tradition.   Our family is no exception.   One of our traditions when I was growing up was my Mom’s banana cake.   She only made it once a year, at Christmas time, and the whole family loved it—even my Father who was a very picky eater.   Once the cake cooled, Mom would cut it down the middle and then hide half of it.   She wanted to make sure that we would still have some when friends or family dropped in.   We knew better than to search for her hiding place, and she knew that if she didn’t hide part of it, we would eat it all.               When my Mom got sick and could no longer bake the cake, my Dad decided that it was my job.   As my closest friends know, I am not much of a cook—although I’ve seen some improvement since I retired.   That first year was a disaster.   Th...
Read more

Freedom Isn't Free!

             On Christmas night, 1776, George Washington engineered a surprise attack on Britain’s German allies, capturing 1000 Hessian troops.   The story of him and his troops crossing the icy Delaware that night gave hope to a new nation fighting for its life.   Regrettably, the celebration was short-lived.   Just a week later, the enlistments of most of his troops were ending, and it seemed unlikely that they would stay to continue the fight for freedom.   As he faced that prospect, Washington lined up his troops and offered this plea. “My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than can be reasonably expected; but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses and all that you hold dear. You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty, and to your cou...
Read more