"I urge you, then, be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power" (1 Cor. 4:18-20).
The Apostle Paul powerfully advanced the kingdom of God not by being a smooth talking, motivational speaker, but by being a reflection of Jesus Christ. Regarding the term “Kingdom of God” Jesus said, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-22). The term kingdom of God does not just refer to a realm but a rule—not just a place but a person. The kingdom of God speaks of the reign of Christ not only in Heaven but in the hearts of men. Paul wrote, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17). “We tend to think of a kingdom as a place. But for Jesus and for Paul it almost never has that meaning. Rather it means the reign or the rule of God. You can see that here: Where the Holy Spirit is bringing about righteousness and peace and joy, the kingdom (that is, the reign of God) is being manifested” (Piper).
Paul could say, "Be imitators of me" (1 Cor. 4:18) because he was a genuine imitator of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). When Paul wrote, “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power" He meant that when Christ is genuinely at work in a person life it will be evident not just in his talk but in his life. When Jesus is at work in the heart of a believer through the power of the Spirit there will be a visible and supernatural manifestation of that work. There will be righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost—there will be a compelling likeness to Jesus. Talk is cheap apart from the evidences of a change life that glorifies Jesus Christ (makes Jesus look good). In a letter to a newly ordained missionary, R. M. McCheyne wrote, "It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God."
It’s been said that the best argument for Christianity is a Christian and the best argument against Christianity is also a Christian. On one of his campaigns, Alexander the Great received a message that one of his soldiers had been continually, and seriously, misbehaving and thereby shedding a bad light on the character of all the Greek troops. And what made it even worse was that this soldier`s name was also Alexander. When the commander learned this, he sent word that he wanted to talk to the errant soldier in person. When the young man arrived at the tent of Alexander the Great, the commander asked him, “What is your name?” The reply came back, “Alexander, sir”. The commander looked him straight in the eye and said forcefully, “soldier, either change your behavior or change your name.”
It’s our likeness to Jesus that will open the hearts of others and allow us to authoritatively share the hope of Jesus with them. But when our walk doesn’t match our talk we can cause others to further harden their hearts to the message of the cross. Christian, change your name or change your conduct. Strive to share Jesus with your lips and show him with your life.
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