Have you ever tried making a photocopy of a photocopy? The first print looks fine, but by the time you’re on the fifth or sixth round, the image is faded, the lines are blurry, and you’re left squinting, wondering what went wrong. The same thing can happen in the church.
When new people walk through the doors, they look around, observe what everyone else is doing, and think, “Ah, so this is how Christians act!” They mimic the behavior they see. The problem? Those Christians they’re imitating might just be mimicking someone else. It’s a copy of a copy of a copy—and you can imagine how far that is from the original.
Jesus never said, “Watch Peter, James, and John—do what they do.” No, He said, “Follow Me.” He is the original, the blueprint, the unblurred image of what it means to live a Spirit-filled life. When we shift our eyes from Him to each other, it’s no surprise the power, joy, and vibrancy of the church can start to feel, well, a little…pixelated.
The Danger of Copies
Jesus declared in John 14:12,
“He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
That’s not a small promise—it’s a jaw-dropper! But let’s be honest: how often do we actually see those “greater works” happening? Could it be because we’re trying to emulate someone else’s version of Christianity instead of living out the full potential of the Spirit-filled life Jesus modeled?
When Jesus walked the earth, He wasn’t just performing miracles to dazzle the crowds; Jesus was demonstrating what’s possible when someone is fully empowered by the Holy Spirit. He didn’t say, “This is only for Me because, you know, I’m the Son of God.” He lived as a man to show us the template, the original image.
But here’s the catch: if we keep copying each other, we’re not going to get closer to that original. In fact, we’ll keep drifting further away. It’s not that people are intentionally leading others astray. Most Christians are sincere, doing the best they can with what they know. But sincerity isn’t enough if the reference point is wrong. Even the best-intentioned copy of a copy is still just a copy.
Returning to the Original
Here’s the good news: we don’t have to settle for blurry photocopies. The original is still available. We don’t have to guess what a Spirit-filled life looks like; Jesus demonstrated it perfectly.
Think about it: Jesus was compassionate but bold, humble yet powerful. He prayed deeply, loved fiercely, healed miraculously, and preached fearlessly. He wasn’t concerned with looking “religious” or fitting into anyone else’s expectations. He lived in complete obedience to the Father and full dependence on the Holy Spirit. That’s the life He’s calling us to imitate—not your pastor’s style of preaching, your neighbor’s prayer habits, or your Bible study leader’s tone of voice.
When we fix our eyes on Jesus as our ultimate example, the power of the Spirit becomes evident in our lives. The fruit of the Spirit begins to flourish, and those “greater works” don’t seem so far-fetched anymore.
Stop Copying, Start Following
Let’s face it: the world doesn’t need another faded version of Christianity. It doesn’t need Christians who are merely good at mimicking each other. What the world desperately needs is a church that looks like Jesus—alive, vibrant, Spirit-filled, and unstoppable.
So, let’s stop copying a copy of the copy. Let’s go straight to the source. Dust off the Gospels. Spend time with the Original. And let’s live lives that are clear, sharp, and unmistakably Christ-like. After all, nobody ever changed the world with a blurry image.
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