"He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." [1 Jn 2:6]
There is a rule in Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians, which we also see in nature, which states, “be not deceived: evil companionships are corrupting good habits.” [1 Cor 15:33] In God’s creation, which reveals “the invisible things of [God]…even His eternal power and Godhead,” [Rom 1:20] we see what Paul admonishes against played out. For example, we can see the corruption of good fruit after being subjected to an environment containing bad fruit; we can see that a single drop of poisonous substance, mixed in with pure water, defiles the whole lot – similar to what Solomon wrote, “dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor…” [Ecc 10:1] – or that a wound left open rarely stays contained, but rather spreads. So too, a person who engages in intimate fellowship/partnership with sinful men, or with sin itself, will eventually come to acquire himself those bad habits or conditions.
In general, corruptness wears off onto the pure, and usually never the opposite. This is even shown to us in the law. For it says,
“If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.” [Hag 2:12-13]
We see here that holiness cannot be transferred in the same way uncleanness can. Among other things, it teaches us that we cannot obtain purity and holiness indirectly from God, but only directly: only through a personal and intimate fellowship with Him through His Son, Jesus. But let us examine a case where the influence is opposed to what we have presently seen. For Jesus says, “the disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” [Lk 6:40] Jesus says a man will become like his master. Thus, if a man’s master is Christ, that man shall become more like Christ; and being complete, shall be like Him through-and-through. This is a case where good character, the character of Jesus, infects and changes the one who fellowships with it in the person of Jesus, and not the other way around, as we have seen in Corinthians and in nature. And herein we find our next proof of true Christianity; as John says, “he that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” [1 Jn 2:6]
John reveals to us that the man who abides in Jesus, whose master is Christ alone, shall be becoming more like Him, being ever in a transformation of character: that from his old man to the new man, Jesus Christ. This truth is shown to us in Romans as well:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” [Rom 8:28-29]
All things in the believer’s life work together as a unified whole, like the instruments in an orchestra or ingredients in a recipe, to make that man more like Jesus Christ. “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son.” That which is spoken of our new bodies, may also be spoken of our present lives, that, “as we have born the image of the earthy, [that is of Adam], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly, [that is, of Christ, The Last Adam].” [1 Cor 15:49] For we are promised, and not just regarding future resurrection, “but if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also give life to your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” [Rom 8:11] See then, that it is a necessity the true Christian is growing in likeness to Jesus and is walking as Jesus walked. Though he may not perfectly, flawlessly, reflect Jesus: yet, in part he does, and he is continuing to grow in this respect. Remember Peter’s second epistle, when he admonishes us to, “add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge; and…self control; and…endurance; and…godliness; and…brotherly love; and…love,” and then says, indicating to us that growth is necessary and expected, “he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” [2 Pe 1:5-10]
We may see this necessity also from the following word,
“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of The Lord, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by The Spirit of The Lord.” [2 Cor 3:18]
The true disciple and believer of Christ is abiding in His word, thus beholding Jesus’ glory through such; as Jesus said, “if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” [Jn 8:31] Therefore, the true Christian will be, since he is continually beholding Jesus’ glory through the scriptures, be being changed into that very image to which He stares and studies. And notice that this is a process, as Paul says, “being changed.”
We see then, from John, that for a man’s Christianity to be valid and pass this examination, he must be in a process of walking as Jesus walked – thus necessitating one, the conformation to Jesus’ image; and two, the continual progress that walking implies. John does not say that the man who once walked as Jesus, but the man who walks as Jesus; and seeing as it is God’s ultimate purpose to conform us into Jesus’ image, the true Christian will also be growing in such conformation. So then, are you sure in this respect? Does your salvation include this as well? Do you walk as Jesus walked, and are you being changed into His image? Can you say that today you are closer to and more like Christ than a year ago? For if you cannot, it may be that you have never known Christ truly: for we have a promise from Him that we shall be made like Him.
To see past and future posts in this series of Testing Your Salvation, click here.