Emulating Jesus in a Dark WorldSample

Examining the Characteristics of Jesus

Christ has so many beautiful qualities that we must examine in order to emulate Him as His disciple.

Emulating is imitating. We are called to this as believers. "Following" Jesus involves imitating His ways, Words, and character. (1 Cor. 4:16, Eph. 5:1)

Most of Jesus's characteristics can be examined by looking at The Fruit of The Spirit. The "one" Fruit of the Spirit involves nine different factors. (Gal. 5: 22-23) It's like an orange. The orange is "one fruit" but consists of multiple pieces within that same fruit. The orange is still one whole fruit in and of itself. Each piece of that fruit is suitable for consumption unless one piece starts to rot. One piece rotting affects the other pieces next to it; before you know it, the whole thing can get ruined quickly. It is the same with the nine different "pieces" within The Fruit of The Spirit.

Jesus perfected all nine areas of the Fruit of the Spirit:

• Love. Jesus demonstrated it continually and commands it of us.
• Joy. The Gift of Jesus's salvation should remind us that we must impart this attribute of Him to others. Jesus consistently exuded God's great joy.
• Peace. Jesus is the ultimate Peace. Because of this, we should strive to be that peacemaker as Peace Himself ushers into the room when we walk in "because of" Him living inside us.
• Patience. If you study Jesus's relationship with His 12 disciples, you will see patience throughout His persona.
• Kindness. Being kind can be challenging when you are being attacked or mistreated, but it's still doable with the power of the Holy Spirit. We must model the mind of Christ, which is always kind.
• Goodness. God always shows His goodness in many ways; hence, we should also express goodness to all.
• Faithfulness. God's constant, unwavering faithfulness is a testament to how we must live to emulate Him and affect others for the kingdom.
• Gentleness. We'd be in big trouble if we all got what we deserved, but God, in His gentleness, corrects and protects us in the most loving parental way...and so should we treat others in every situation.
• Self-Control. One of the most complex parts of the Fruit for many, but when The Holy Spirit is given free rein, we can better let Him manage our choices.

Examine me, Lord, & make me more like You.