A True Child in the Faith

Paul greets Timothy in his epistles to the young preacher, “To Timothy, my true child in the faith.” Even in Paul’s simple greeting we find a lesson from which every one of us can benefit. Paul refers to Timothy as his “true child.” While Paul may be referring to the fact that he baptized Timothy, we are told to be “like little children” throughout the New Testament. We could point out many ways the Bible instructs us to be like little children, but one of the most exemplary characteristics of little children is that they are always learning and growing. It’s not uncommon to see a child imitating his or her parents. Sometimes, we even see children imitating the immoral behavior of his or her parents.

Paul exhorts the Corinthians in I Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me even as I also imitate Christ.” And indeed, what a wonderful example he is to us. Likewise, the disciples in Acts 4 give us an excellent example when, after being beaten, “they went on their way… rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.” Timothy, just like a good son, was following in Paul’s footsteps. He had become Paul’s traveling companion, preaching the Gospel throughout the world. We have the same examples set before us, and we have the same instructions to imitate them like a little child would.

But we are not only children of our forefathers in Christ; we are children of God Himself. And as His children, we are called upon to imitate Him. Jesus says in Matthew 5:48, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be imitators of God as dear children.” But how is it that we, being lowly sinful human beings can possibly imitate a divine, all powerful, all knowing and entirely perfect God?

The answer is this: “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). We have our example spelled out for us. Jesus lived a perfect life. We are to imitate Him. In fact, that is the fundamental message of the Gospel. Throughout the New Testament we find instructions to be like Christ. We are to pray like He did – without ceasing (Mark 14:35-38, I Thessalonians 5:17). We should be willing to humble ourselves in service to others the way He did (Philippians 2:5-6). We need to speak the truth boldly even in the face of opposition like He did (Matthew 26:64-65). We should be willing to “suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41) even to the point of death, the way Christ did. (Matthew 16:24, Revelation 2:10). Let us all be true children in the faith. Let us be true disciples of our Lord.

John tells us in his third letter, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.” He says this in the middle of a brief discussion about two men. One, who is full of arrogance and selfish ambition, “does not receive the brethren… and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church” (3 John 10). In contrast, the other man had “received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself.” Which man would you be if John had included your name in his epistle? “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God” (1 John 3:10). Who are we imitating? Whose children are we? Are we children of God or are we children of the devil?