← All studies

Study 08 of 10

Christ Our Example

To imitate Christ is to live in God, with God, and for God, receiving strength through communion with the Father and expressing it in a life of self-denying, cross-bearing service.

Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.

Synopsis

Prescott unfolds what it means to 'take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me' through three connected experiences of Christ's life: living in God (His hidden root and dependence on the Father, like the branch of Zechariah 6:12), living with God (His communion and fellowship, seeking strength in prayer before facing each day's demands), and living for God (His life poured out in sacrificial service to others). Christ's example is not to be admired from a distance but repeated in us, since God's design is that the very life lived in Jesus Christ be lived again in His followers through the Spirit. This life for God centers on denying self, spelled out through the letters of 'cross': Crucifixion, Resurrection, Obedience, Sacrifice, Service. Prescott closes with Paul's spiritual 'degrees'—Born Again, Moulded Afresh, Delivered Debtor, and a Life Lovingly Dedicated—as the true curriculum of the school of Christ, open to every believer regardless of natural ability or background.

Key points

  • Christ's example unfolds in three stages: life in God (dependence), life with God (communion and prayer), and life for God (sacrificial service).
  • Christ prayed to receive from the Father what He would give to the people, showing that our strength for service must likewise come from communion with God.
  • Following Christ means bearing the cross, spelled out as Crucifixion, Resurrection, Obedience, Sacrifice, and Service—the death and daily death of self.
  • God's purpose is not merely to admire Christ's life but to have that same life lived again in believers through the indwelling Spirit.

Key texts

  • Matthew 11:28-30
  • Zechariah 6:12
  • Mark 1:35
  • Galatians 2:20

From the book

Sermon 7 · The Christian Life · Read this chapter

  • “We are to imitate the example of Christ in living in God and with God and for God.” (sermon 7)
  • “In the morning rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” (sermon 7)
  • “Deny self, disinherit self, let self die, and keep it dead, too.” (sermon 7)

Put it into practice

  • Begin the day, as Christ did, seeking communion with the Father before facing its demands.
  • Identify one area where self is asserting itself and consciously deny it through faith in Christ.
  • Look for an opportunity today to pour out in service the strength received in prayer.
  1. Comprehension

    1. What are the three aspects of Christ's example that Prescott identifies?

  2. Scripture

    2. How does Zechariah's image of Christ as 'the Branch' illustrate His life in God?

  3. Comprehension

    3. Why did Christ rise a great while before day to pray?

  4. Doctrinal Clarity

    4. What is the significance of the order Crucifixion, Resurrection, Obedience, Sacrifice, Service in the 'cross' acrostic?

  5. Contrast

    5. How does Prescott explain that self can 'rise up' even after being crucified?

  6. Scripture

    6. What did Paul mean by counting all his prior credentials 'as loss' for the excellency of knowing Christ?

  7. Comprehension

    7. What are the four 'degrees' Prescott says Paul earned in the school of Christ?

  8. Application

    8. Where in your daily schedule could you build in time to seek strength from God before facing the day's demands, as Christ did?