Following the example or copying the actions of another person. Christians are called upon to become Christlike. Becoming like Jesus Christ is, however, the result, not the condition, of conversion.
The people of God are to imitate God
Leviticus 11:44–45 See also Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7, Leviticus 20:26, Leviticus 21:8; 1 Peter 1:16; Ephesians 5:1
For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground. For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
The people of God are to imitate Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the example for believers
Matthew 16:24 parallels Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23John 13:15 See also Matthew 11:29; John 13:34; Romans 13:14; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 5:2; Philippians 2:5; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:21, 1 Peter 4:1
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.
God works in believers making them like Jesus Christ
Romans 8:29 See also 2 Corinthians 4:10–12; Colossians 3:9–10
For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
Good examples to imitate
Paul's example
1 Corinthians 4:16 See also 1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17, Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9
Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
Christians are to imitate the good example of other believers
2 Corinthians 9:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; Hebrews 6:12
Christian leaders are to set examples which can be imitated
1 Timothy 4:12 See also Titus 2:7–8; Hebrews 13:7; 1 Peter 5:3
Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
Believers are to imitate the good example of those who have gone before
God's people are not to imitate bad examples
Israel must not imitate other nations
Leviticus 20:23; Deuteronomy 18:9; 2 Kings 17:15
God's people must not imitate the ungodly
Exodus 23:2; Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 1:10–15; Matthew 23:2–3; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Peter 3:17; 1 John 3:11–12; Revelation 2:14
No-one can obtain salvation by imitating Jesus Christ
John 3:16–18 Jesus Christ teaches that salvation (eternal life) is a consequence of faith in him. He never links salvation with imitating him or any other act or acts. See also Ephesians 2:8–9; 2 Timothy 1:8–9
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.