“As I follow Christ”

Paul’s intention here (1Cor 11:1) is not related to that of becoming a Christian, but rather to that of what a Christian does—“Walk as He walked” (1John 2:6). It could not be related to being born again because one must be born again to “follow Christ.” This has to do with the issue of believer’s being “workers together with Him” (Christ; 2Cor 6:1)—is the prime objective of glorifying our Father (Mat 5:16) through the life of Christ.

As Jesus came not to “glorify” Himself but to glorify the Father (the Father glorifies the Son), so Paul’s desire was not for “vain glory” (self-glory; Gal 5:26) but to also glorify God, therefore following Paul in his work, which is to follow Christ in His work. It must be learned that the believer’s part is only to “bear fruit” (John 15:8), and not produce it, which is an impossibility considering it being solely a work of God; for it is the Vine which produces, and the branch displays (“bears”) it.

There is instruction in knowing the Father uses our lives to manifest the work (fruit) He produces in us, hence it is not our lives being manifested (“not I but Christ”; Gal 2:20) but rather being used for His manifestation, for “Christ is our life” (Col 3:4). Not that God is replacing the believer’s life with Christ’s, but that our lives are conjoined with the Lord Jesus’ life; and it’s not the life containing the “old man” which is conjoined but the “new man,” which “is created in righteousness and true holiness,” and “after the image of Him that created him” (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10). This means the person-hood and character (minus the old nature, plus the new nature) of who we are is with what God desires fellowship.

Therefore, knowing that it is God who produces, and the believer who manifests, we can understandably work more effectually in knowing our part!

 

Myself, I like comprehending the idea of "following" as being brought along, more than going along, and this comforts me more because it involves Him holding onto us (Jude 1:24) rather than the inverse!!