GOSPEL DELTA

Hero Worship vs. Holy Emulation

// February 17th, 2010 // Affection, Life

Oftentimes people ask me about my love of pastors, preachers, and authors, and wonder if it is an unhealthy thing that I listen to and read the thoughts of men whose opinions most Christians could care less about. Many of my friends in Christian community hear me quoting Puritans and other dead and living theologians like Tim Keller, D.A. Carson or John Piper and write me off as another “fan-boy” of celebrity Christian culture, if there were such a thing as celebrity in this small corner of Christian world known as “The New Reformed.” They call it being a “second-hander” or “hero-worship.”

But there is a difference in my mind between “hero worship” and “holy emulation.” Throughout his letters, the Apostle Paul exhorts others to imitate him, as he is imitating Christ. Most notably in 1 Cor 11:11 (“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”) and Phil 3:17 (“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us”). If another brother in Christ speaks truth to me, or reflects Christ to me, or illumines my mind with spiritual thoughts in such a way as to renew my spirit with the Gospel, I love that brother for it. And if they do so on a consistent basis, ministering the Gospel to my soul through their preaching, writing, or leading, then I am drawn to emulate them, and want to be like them…and I thank Jesus that through them he is shining his divine and supernatural light upon me.

True to form, and in ironic fashion, I will quote Puritan Thomas Brooks to conclude my point. In The Secret Key to Heaven, Brooks wrote this about holy emulation:

Bad men are wonderfully in love with bad examples…. Oh, that we were as much in love with the examples of good men as others are in love with the examples of bad men.

Shall we love to look upon the pictures of our friends; and shall we not love to look upon the pious examples of those that are the lively and lovely picture of Christ? The pious examples of others should be the mirrors by which we should dress ourselves.

He is the best and wisest Christian…that imitates those Christians that are most imminent in grace…. It is noble to live by the examples of the most eminent saints. (12-13)

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” – Romans 10:14-15