Christ our Exemplar.

Two serious mistakes have been made by men, in taking or not taking Christ for their example, and it is difficult to determine which is the more evil and fatal of the two.

First, there have been those who held up the perfect life of the Lord Jesus before the unconverted, and maintained that they must imitate the same in order to find acceptance with God. In other words, they made the emulating of Christ "the way of salvation" unto lost sinners. This is a fundamental error, which cannot be resisted too strenuously. It repudiates the total depravity and spiritual helplessness of fallen men. It denies the imperative necessity for the new birth. It nullifies the Atonement, by emphasizing Christ's flawless life at the expense of His sacrificial death. It substitutes works for faith, creature efforts for Divine grace, man's faulty doings for the Redeemer's finished work. If the Acts and Epistles are searched, it will be found that the Apostles never preached the imitating of Christ as the way to obtain forgiveness of sins and secure peace with God.

But in recent generations the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme. If a century ago the example which Christ has left His people was made too much of, our moderns make far too little of it. If they gave it a place when preaching to the unsaved, which Scripture does not warrant—we have sadly failed to press it upon Christians to the extent that Scripture requires. If they are to be blamed for misusing the example of Christ in connection with justification, we are guilty of failing to use it in connection with sanctification.

While it is true that the moral perfections which Christ so illustriously displayed during His earthly sojourn are still extolled in many places—yet how rarely one now hears (or reads) of those who insist that the emulating of Christ is absolutely essential for the believer's preservation and ultimate salvation—yes, would not the great majority of "orthodox" preachers be positively afraid to make any such assertion lest they be charged with "legality"?

The Lord Jesus Christ is not only a perfect and glorious Pattern of all graces, holiness, virtue and obedience, to be preferred above all others—but He alone is such. In the lives of the best of the saints, Scripture records that which it is our bounden duty to avoid—as well as that which we ought tofollow—so that sometimes one is puzzled to know whether it is safe to conform unto them or not. But God has graciously supplied us with a sure rule which effectually solves that problem, and if heeded by us we shall never be at a loss to perceive our duty. The holy men and women of Scripture are to be imitated by us—only as far as they were themselves conformed unto Christ—see 1 Corinthians 11:1. The best of their graces, the highest of their attainments, the most perfect of their duties—were spoiled by spots and blemishes. But in Christ is no imperfection whatever, for He had no sin and did no sin.

Christ is not only the perfect Man, but also the pattern Man—and therefore is His example suitable for all believers. This remarkable fact presents a feature which has not received the attention it deserves. There is nothing so distinctive in personality, as racial and national characteristics. The greatest of men bear unmistakable marks of their heredity and environment. Racial peculiarities are imperishable—to the last fiber of his being Luther was German, Knox a Scot; with all his largeness of heart Paul was a Jew. Now in sharp and blessed contrast, Jesus Christ rose above heredity and environment—nothing local, transient, national, or sectarian dwarfed His wondrous personality. Christ is the only truly catholic man. He belongs to allages and is related to all men, because He is "the Son of man." This it is, which underlies the universal suitability of Christ's example to believers of all nations, who one and all may find in Him the perfect realization of their ideal.

This is indeed a miracle and exhibits a transcendent perfection in the Man Christ Jesus, which is rarely pondered. How remarkable it is that the converted Englishman may find in Christ's character and conduct a pattern as well suited to him—as to a saved Chinaman! His example is as appropriate for the regenerated Zulu—as it is for a born-again German.

The needs of Lord Bacon and Sir Isaac Newton were as truly met in Christ—as were those of the half-witted youth who said, "I am a poor sinner and nothing at all. But Jesus Christ is my all in all." How remarkable that the example of Christ is as appropriate for believers of the twentieth century as it was for those of the first, that it is as suitable for a Christian child as for his grandparent! There is nothing effeminate about Christ—yet Christianwomen can take Him for their example as well as may Christian men. Christ rises above all human limitations—He is perfect Man, and therefore is His example perfectly suited to all believers.

He is appointed by God for this very purpose. One end why God sent His Son to become flesh and tabernacle in the world—was that He might set before us an example in our own nature. In Christ is One who was like unto us in all things, sin alone excepted, thereby exhibiting to us of that renewal to His image in us, of that return unto Him from sin and apostasy and of that holy obedience which He requires of us. Such an example was needful that we might never be at a lost about the will of God in His commandments, having a glorious representation of it before our eyes and that could be given us no otherwise than in our own nature.

The angelic nature was not suited to set us an example of obedience, especially as to the exercise of such graces as we specially stand in need of in this world. What example could angels set us in themselves of patience in afflictions, or quietness in sufferings—when their nature is incapable of such things? Nor could we have had a complete and perfect example in our nature, except in One who was holy and "separate from sinners."

Many are the Scriptures which present Christ as the believer's Exemplar, the principal of which are the following, "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me—for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matt. 11:29). Learn by the course of My life as well as by the word of My mouth. "When He puts forth His own sheep, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him" (John 10:4). He requires no more of us than He rendered Himself. "I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15). "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus" (Romans 15:5). "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). "Let us run with patience, the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:1, 2). "If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps" (1 Peter 2:20, 21). "He who says he abides in Him—ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2:6).

Example is better than precept. Why? Because a precept is more or less an abstraction, whereas an example sets before us a concrete presentation,and therefore has more aptitude to incite the mind unto imitation. The conduct of those with whom we are in close association exerts a considerable influence upon us, either for good or evil.

That fact is clearly recognized in the Scriptures. For instance, we are enjoined, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared" (Proverbs 22:24, 25). It was for this reason (among others) that God commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy all the inhabitants of Canaan, so that they might not learn their evil ways and be contaminated by them (Deut. 7:2-4). Contrariwise, the example of the pious exerts an influence for good—that is why they are called "the salt of the earth."

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