Although the reality of having Christ within us is real because of being baptized into Him, we are still called to “imitate” Him. This is because we are both sinner and saint. Our sinful natures force us to be reminded of who we are and to live out our true identity in Christ.
Even so, the cruciform life is not merely one of example to others. We are, instead, to be living icons of Christ, the face of Christ to others in our lives. The cruciform life of the Christian is not an end in itself, but something that Christ uses to shape us into Himself, so we might be a living icon of Him to the world.
Caregiving Truths to be Ingrained in our Thinking (Part 2)
Situation: Financial Problems
| God | Scripture Passage | Truth |
| cares about our needs and can provide for them | 2 Kings 4:1-7: A widow has nothing left but a jar with little oil. A creditor is coming to take her two sons as slaves to satisfy a debt. Elisha, the Lord’s prophet, tells her to gather many empty jars and fill them with the oil she has. As she pours, the oil continues to flow until all the jars are full. She sells the oil, pays the debt, and has enough left over for her family to live on. | Matthew 6:28-30: [Jesus said,] “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the wildflowers of the field and how they grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you–you of little faith?” |
| gives us peace | Luke 8:22-25: Jesus’ disciples are afraid during a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus calms the storm. | Isaiah 26:3: “[God] will keep perfectly peaceful the one who remains rooted in [Him], because he remains in you.” |
| gives us wisdom | 2 Chronicles 1:7-12: When his father dies, Solomon becomes king. Solomon asks God for wisdom to handle his responsibilities. God grants this request. | James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” |
Situation: Feeling Guilty
| God | Scripture Passage | Truth |
| still loves us after all that we have done | Mark 14:16-72; John 21:1-9: When Peter is arrested, he claims he doesn’t know Jesus. Nonetheless, Jesus still forgives Peter and restores him to his place as a disciple. | Isaiah 57:15: “For this is what the high and exalted One says, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I live in height and in holiness, but also with the one who is humble and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the lowly.’”
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| offers mercy and forgiveness when we don’t deserve it | 2 Samuel 11:2-12:13: David commits adultery with another man’s wife and then has her husband killed. Nathan, a prophet of the Lord, confronts David with his sin. When David repents, Nathan speaks God’s forgiveness to him. | Romans 5:6-8: “For while we were still powerlesss, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. Rarely will someone die for a righteous person. Perhaps, for a good person, someone might dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” |
| gives us a fresh start | John 8:3-11: A crowd wants to stone a woman who has committed adultery. Jesus stops them and says, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” When the crowd disperses, Jesus forgives her sin, and tells her to go and leave her life of sin. | 2 Corinthians 5:17: “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!” |
Situation: Feeling Lonely
| God | Scripture Passage | Truth |
| has the time to care for everyone
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Mark10:13-16: When parents bring their small children to Jesus for His blessing, the disciples try to send them away. Jesus stops the disciples, takes the children in His arms, and blesses them.
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Isaiah 49:15: “Can a woman forget the baby at her breast, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Although she may forget, I will not forget you!” |
Situation: Feeling Worthless
| God | Scripture Passage | Truth |
| values us highly | Luke 15:4-7: Jesus tells a story about a shepherd who realizes that one of his 100 sheep is missing. He leaves the others and looks for the lost sheep. When he finds it, he carries it home on his shoulders, celebrating. Jesus says that this is the same way God celebrates over us when God brings us home. | Isaiah 43:4: “Since you’re precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give up people in your place, and nations in exchange for your life.” |
| cares for those whom others have rejected | John 4:5-26: Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman, even though the Jews despised and rejected her people. Jesus offers her salvation. | Luke 1:52: “He has toppled the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.” |
Situation: Problems with Family Relationships
| God | Scripture Passage | Truth |
| knows what’s its like to grieve for a lost or rebellious child | Luke 15:11-32: A young man asks his father for his inheritance, and goes to a foreign country, where he wastes it all. When he has lost everything, he comes to his senses and returns home. His father welcomes him joyfully. | Isaiah 43:5-7: “Do not fear, for I am with you; I’ll bring your children from the east, and gather you from the west. I’ll say to the north, ‘Give them up’! and to the south, ‘Don’t keep them back!’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” |
| knows family rejection | John 7:1-5: Jesus’ relatives belittle Him, accusing Him of wanting to make a name for Himself as the Messiah. | Psalm 27:10: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will take me in.” |
| seeks us out and welcomes us, even when those we care about are alienated from us | John 9:1-38: When Jesus heals a man born blind, the Pharisees question the man’s parents, who become frightened and abandon their son. After explaining what happened, the man is, nonetheless, thrown out of the synagogue. Jesus hears about it and finds him. The man worships Jesus. | Psalm 27:10: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will take me in.” |
Situation: Problems with Friendships
| God | Scripture Passage | Truth |
| knows what it’s like to be disappointed in others | John 13:31-38; 18:15-17, 25-27; 21:15-17: Peter promises that he will always stay with Jesus, even if he has to die for it. But when Jesus is arrested, Peter denies even knowing Him. After His resurrection, Jesus forgives Peter. | Hebrews 13:5b: “I will never leave you or abandon you.” |
| knows rejection from others | Matthew 27:15-26: At Jesus’ trial, Pilate offers to release Jesus, but the crowd demands that another man be set free and Jesus crucified. | Isaiah 53:5: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, and he was crushed for our iniquities, and the punishment that made us whole was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” |
| knows what it’s like to be betrayed | Matthew 26:14-16, 20-25, 47-50: Jesus is betrayed by one of His own disciples, a man He called a friend. | Psalm 89:33: “I will not withdraw my faithful love from him or betray my faithfulness.” |
| will not let us down | 1 Kings 19:1-18: After the Queen threatens his life, the Prophet Elijah hides in a mountain. There, he complains to God about being the only follower of God left. God listens and encourages Elijah, and gives him food, drink, and a chance to rest. Then God sends him out on a new mission. | Hebrews 13:5b-6: “God has said, ‘I will never leave you or abandon you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can others do to me?’” |
| understands anger | John 2:14-16: Jesus sees people inside the Temple buying and selling animals for sacrifice. Angry at the way they are treating God’s house, Jesus chases the animals out and turns over the money tables and says, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a place of business.” | Psalm 85:4-6: “Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your displeasure toward us. Will you be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger for all generations? Will you not revive us again, so your people may rejoice in you?” |
Situation: Separated from Loved Ones
| God | Scripture Passage | Truth |
| watches over our loved ones | Genesis 37:12-36; 39:2-6; 41:41-45: Joseph’s jealous brothers sell him as a slave and tell their father that Joseph has been killed. Joseph is finally taken to Egypt, where he rises to second-in-command over the country. | Joshua 1:9b: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or panic, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” |
Situation: Facing Temptation
| God | Scripture Passage | Truth |
| knows what it’s like to be tempted | Matthew 4:1-11: The devil tempts Jesus to go against God’s will, but Jesus resists. | Hebrews 2:18: “Because [Jesus] himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” |
| gives us the power to resist temptation | Genesis 39:7-10: The wife of Joseph’s employer tries to seduce him. Joseph resists, saying that he cannot “sin against God.” | 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No trial has overtaken you that others have not also faced. God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, so you can endure it.” |
