You Are a Good Ensample
“that you were ensamples to all that believe” I Thessalonians 1:7
Are you a good ensample of Jesus? An “ensample,” defined by biblical precept, is a person that one can pattern oneself after in every way, if possible, because he is precisely what one is supposed to be.”
There is a difference in an ensample (obsolete) and an example. An ensample is a pattern or model for imitation while example is something that is representative of all such things in a group.
Having defined an ensample, now an illustration. Consider a soft malleable plate of wax. With your fist you strike it. When you remove your fist that which remains is an ensample of your fist. The word is used to describe the imprint on a coin left by a dye.
Are you a good ensample of Jesus? Is His impression on you obvious? Do you bear the mark of Jesus in your life? Do others see Jesus in you?
Being a good ensample requires closeness. That is, it bears a close resemblance.
Persons speak of being far from God. Of Israel it was lamented, “Their heart is far from me.” The reference does not refer to physical distance, but likeness. Their conduct was not that which was becoming of God. It is dissimilarity that causes a sense of remoteness between a believer and God.
Conversely, one may be remote from a friend geographically, and feel a closeness because of their oneness of spirit. It is the likeness of spirit and will to the Father, not the locations, that causes closeness. When our will conforms to His others see Jesus in us.
This is being written on a computer with which I have limited knowledge. I am gaining familiarity with how it works. Even then I hit the wrong keys, move the screen in the wrong direction, and have the heartbreak of deleting items unintentionally. In the process I have gained confidence in the computer. It can make no mistakes. Every problem that arises demands that I depend on the computer. I have to do what the computer demands. When I do, the results are remarkable. As I am forced to learn new capacities and controls of the machine, I have increased confidence in its capacity.
The parallels with our relationship with Jesus teach us that He is dependable, error free, and when we operate according to His will life works better and we become a better ensample of Jesus. Go show Him to those in your world. They will see your difficulties, and that you are “being ENSAMPLES to the flock.” ( I Peter 5:3)
May you so live that you can say with Paul, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” (I Corinthians 11: 1)