How One Who Identifies as a “Christ-Imitator” Might Criticize the Exchanged Life View
Reader, please note that this is simply a working document on my thoughts regarding this topic and are very much in the process of being shaped.
1. They might say the exchanged life minimizes human effort or responsibility.
Critique: “The exchanged life sounds passive. It focuses so much on ‘letting Christ live through you’ that it risks paralyzing obedience. The New Testament is full of active, imperative commands. We are called to run the race (Heb. 12:1), press on (Phil. 3:14), put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13), and discipline ourselves for godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). These are not passive responses—they require our active participation.”
Biblical Support:
Romans 12:1 – “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice...”
Philippians 2:12 – “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling...”
1 Corinthians 9:27 – “I discipline my body and keep it under control...”
2. They might emphasize the numerous biblical calls to imitation.
Critique: “Paul repeatedly tells believers to imitate Christ and imitate him. Imitation is not just a legalistic striving—it’s a form of discipleship. The point is not to earn salvation but to respond to grace through practical obedience. Jesus said, ‘Follow Me.’ That includes doing what He did, living as He lived.”
Biblical Support:
1 Corinthians 11:1 – “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 – “Be imitators of God... and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you.”
1 Peter 2:21 – “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.”
Luke 9:23 – “Take up your cross daily and follow Me.”
3. They might argue that overemphasizing “Christ in you” can distort sanctification.
Critique: “Yes, Christ lives in the believer, but sanctification isn’t automatic or effortless. It requires cooperation. Galatians 5 speaks of ‘walking by the Spirit’—a daily, volitional choice. Exchanged life teaching can sound like sanctification will just happen to me, rather than through my Spirit-enabled obedience.”
Biblical Support:
Galatians 5:16 – “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
James 1:22 – “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
Colossians 3:5 – “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you...”
4. They might say the exchanged life lacks practical direction.
Critique: “Saying ‘Just trust Christ to live His life through you’ sounds nice—but how? What does that actually look like when I’m tempted, when I’m tired, when I need to speak the truth in love or fight sin? Scripture provides patterns and commands—not just promises. I need tangible guidance, not vague dependence.”
Biblical Support:
Titus 2:12 – “[Grace] trains us to renounce ungodliness... and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.”
2 Peter 1:5-7 – “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue...”
Matthew 5-7 (Sermon on the Mount) – concrete examples of kingdom living
🧠 What They’re Really Protecting
Many in the "imitate Christ" camp are rightly guarding against passivity and antinomianism. They fear that if we’re not careful, grace can become a license for inaction or a mystic passivity that avoids the commands of Scripture. They want to ensure:
Obedience is practiced
Holiness is pursued
Scripture’s imperatives are honored
The Gospel is not reduced to a feeling of rest, but results in a fruitful life
Their critiques often come from a sincere desire to uphold biblical responsibility.
✨ How You Might Graciously Respond from an Exchanged Life View
You might affirm:
“Yes, I agree that Scripture is filled with imperatives. But I see those imperatives not as commands to the flesh to try harder, but as descriptions of the Spirit-led life already made possible by union with Christ. The believer still makes choices—but from a place of rest and dependence, not self-powered effort.”
You might explain:
“Imitation without identification leads to frustration. I’m not against obedience—I just believe it flows best when it’s Christ living through me. I’m not passive; I’m dependent. I yield my body as a living sacrifice—not in self-effort, but in recognition that I’ve already died and now walk in newness of life.”
You might sum it up:
“Imitation is the fruit of identification. I do walk as He walked—but only because I’ve been made new, and His life is now mine.”