Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth

[Zant Law]

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By Thomas von Kempen

Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth
HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness,” says the Lord. (John 8:12 .)
By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.
What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom—to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
Often recall the proverb: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing.” (Eccles. 1:8.) Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.

[Proa42]

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Do you suppose that we are really called to "Imitate" the Christ?

Imitation is just a mimic of someone. Perhaps the concept loses something as time passes and usage changes. I do not see "Following" as "Imitation". To the extent that we follow the Christs example of doing always those things which are pleasing to our Father, I suppose one could say we are imitating that behavior.

Nor is it true that, "This is the greatest wisdom—to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world."
Hardly "the Greatest Wisdom"

You seek the Kingdom of God, by loving God, and seeking Him.

We are linear creatures. While we may wish it, we can only travel in one direction at a time. Therefore, if we are seeking God, we can not be seeking anything else. And, what is our motivation?

Love -- not contempt.

[Zant Law]

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This is the greatest wisdom—to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.

Nor is it true that, "This is the greatest wisdom—to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world."
Hardly "the Greatest Wisdom"

Well I don't know about that. Christ seem to put some stock in that wisdom.

 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul ? "For what will a man give in exchange for his soul ? "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."

 "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven ; and come, follow Me."


 "I have given them Your word ; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. "Sanctify them in the truth ; Your word is truth. "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word ; that they may all be one ; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

James said:
Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted ; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure !

Yes LOVE but not love for the world.