SpiritLed Woman

Spotlight

Living the Life of Jesus

We may have many mentors, but Christ is our supreme role model.

Joy Dawson, a New Zealand missionary, has been a Bible teacher since 1970. Her latest book, Jesus the Model, shows the example Jesus set as the standard for Christian living.

“Jesus is the most exciting, mysterious, intriguing person who is amazingly unpredictable in His ways, yet totally predictable in His character,” Dawson says. “The success of Jesus’ earthly life was undoubtedly His incomprehensible humility. We need to ‘follow in His steps,'” she adds.

When we are not living the example Jesus set, we are misrepresenting Him. Dawson explains: “Because we fail to take the time to diligently study His character, we have a distorted view of Him. That distortion is then conveyed. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says His three main attributes are loving kindness [mercy], justice [judgment] and righteousness [holiness].

“We don’t take seriously all that He taught. We water down His requirements for discipleship. We bypass ‘the cross’ element in our lives—death to self. … We don’t convey the incredible adventure and rewards that accompany following Him wholly.”

Believers can realign their lives to become more like Jesus. “Choose to make Christ-likeness the ultimate goal of life,” Dawson says. “This will include knowing [understanding] Him, in order to make Him known, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Believe that one of the purposes of Jesus coming to earth was to show us how to live. Study the principles from the Bible that tell us how Jesus related to His Father God when Jesus was on earth. … Make these principles your principles, as you daily relate to Jesus.”

Dawson believes that “to be conformed to Christ’s image is the biggest challenge, and the ultimate fulfillment. All else is frustration!”

But the esteemed Bible teacher offers hope. “The Holy Spirit is committed to bringing us into the fulfillment. He is not intimidated by the size of the project. He just wants us to be equally committed to the same goal.”
Leigh DeVore
Read a sample chapter from Jesus the Model (Charisma House). Log on at spiritled woman.com/dawson.

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