The Imitation of Christ, lesson 1, is a reading on Book 1, Chapter 1 ("The Imitation of Christ and Contempt for the Vanities of the World"). The reading is followed by a meditation on Thomas à Kempis' words, before closing with a few words of practical application. The entire podcast is 9 minutes in length.
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Book I, Chapter I Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth
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1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. Often recall the proverb: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing.” 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. Version above: From Christian Classics Ethereal Library, translated by Aloysius Croft and Harold Bolton, 1940. Version read in podcast: James Watkins (image below), 2015.
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Scriptures
Cited or alluded to in the selection above: Eph 5:1-2; John 8:12; Rev 2:17; Rom 8:9; [1 Cor 13:3]; Ecc 1:2; Deut 6:13; Gal 5:16; Ecc 1:8.
Application
1. Imitating Christ entails internalizing his teaching. Just because I go to church doesn't mean I am living as Christ wills. Are there other things than Christ and his Word that have captured our heart, imagination, or enthusiasm?2. Apart from a life of service to God, everything is ultimately meaningless. After all, what is eternal? The good life -- whether the party scene of youth or the comfortable "retirement" of age -- is vain, in the light of eternity.
3. We must be vigilant lest our appetites erode conscience and faith. Confidence, credibility, and ministry impact are all affected when we give in to fleshly desires.
4. Sheer productivity (easily a fleshly desire) isn't the goal -- nor passion, conviction, or flurry of activity -- but the heart of Christ.
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Tomorrow: "Offering All We Have to God and Praying for Others" (original chapter title) Cool à Kempis quotes:
- Take pains to be patient in bearing the faults and weaknesses of others, for you too have many flaws that others must put up with.
- The man who is not yet wholly dead to self, is soon tempted, and is overcome in small and trifling matters.
