1 Peter 2:21 - Copy Cat

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

So sharing a verse every day hasn’t worked out so well…Mark and I spent all Friday afternoon trying to clear out a frozen sewer pipe. Mark definitely got the worse end of that deal. And by worse end – I mean really worse…imagine about 40 feet of backed up sewer line draining at your feet while in an enclosed area…oh dear.

Speaking of suffering, we continue with our discussion of Christian suffering.

The Greek word for “an example” literally means “a writing or drawing that a student reproduces”. Peter is saying that we are called to painstakingly copy the drawing of Christ’s life with our life. What does that mean? What do you think? Take a moment and consider the implications of the idea that we are to copy the life of Jesus.

So, what does it mean? I think it means that we are to live as Jesus lived. We are to consider others more important than ourselves, we are to humbly serve those around us, we are to teach the Word of God with the authority of the Holy Spirit, we are to give our lives up for others, we are to live only to please God, we are to do nothing except what God has told us to do, we are to love sinners and confront the self-righteous in love, and yes, we are to suffer for the sake of God’s Kingdom. We are to be little copies of Christ.

Jesus is always walking forward and further into the mess of this world so that the Glory of God will be known. Are you willing to walk in His footsteps? That is our call – He suffered for us, so we are to suffer for Him. That is your call as a Christian.

A little bonus for today. One of my commentaries says that the call to suffer is the final of God’s “Seven Sovereign Summonses”:

- The Call to Salvation (Romans 8:30)

- The Call to Sonship (1 John 3:1)

- The Call to Sanctification (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

- The Call to Service (Mark 10:43-44)

- The Call to Separation (2 Corinthians 6:17-18)

- The Call To Subjection

· Children to Parents (Ephesians 6:1)

· Wives to Husbands (Ephesians 5:22)…and I would add, husbands and wives should submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)

· Employees to Employers (1 Peter 2:18)

· Citizens to Government (1 Peter 2:13-14)

· All Believers to God (Romans 12:1-2)

- The Call to Suffering (1 Peter 2:21; Philippians 1:29)

That is just a little bonus for you today. Those seven calls would be an interesting study all by itself…

“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” – Dietrich Bonheoffer