The Bible says we should follow God’s example. That makes sense, because God is perfect, and everything he does is right. God is love, and we should walk in the way of love. We should be holy as God is holy, and perfect as he is perfect. We should speak the way God would speak. We should think like Jesus and follow his ways.

Paul taught his followers to transform themselves and become like God, because God wants his people to become like him. Paul followed Jesus’s example, and we should follow Paul’s example, so that we end up following Jesus’s example too.

How can we follow God’s example, though? I mean, if we can’t see God, how can we know what kinds of things he does, so that we can do the same? We can find out what God does by reading stories about God in the Bible. That includes stories about Jesus, since according to the Bible, Jesus is God.

So, here are some things we should do in order to follow God’s example, according to the stories about God in the Bible:

• We should be perfect.
• We should tell people to obey God’s laws.
• We should tell people Jesus is the Messiah.
• We should observe the Sabbath.
• We should be wise.
• We should try to keep our lives.
• We should show everyone how good we are.
• We should keep our good deeds secret.
• We should perform supernatural signs and wonders.
• We should pray so others can hear us.
• We should only pray for those who are close to us.
• We should receive good things.
• We should refrain from stoning people if we are without sin.
• We should let foreigners enter holy places.

• We should take oaths.
• We should eat and drink excessively.
• We should celebrate.
• We should roar.
• We should be easily angered.
• We should be impatient.¹
• We should be proud.
• We should be jealous.
• We should be hateful.
• We should cause chaos.
• We should argue.

• We should call people fools.
• We should judge and condemn people.
• We should judge those who are outside the church.
• We should disrespect our parents.
• We should refuse to listen to people.
• We should refuse to forgive people who curse us.
• We should curse people.
• We should lie.
• We should bring charges against people.
• We should accuse people when they have done us no harm.²

• We should be late.
• We should desert our flock.
• We should scatter God’s people.
• We should drive away God’s people.
• We should take retribution.
• We should punish people for the sins of their ancestors.
• We should refuse to help those in need.
• We should heavily burden people.
• We should unnecessarily delay doing good to others.
• We should make people stumble.
• We should steal our neighbors’ land.
• We should return runaway slaves to their masters.

• We should get married.
• We should be married to two sisters at the same time.
• We should impregnate other people’s fiancées.
• We should impregnate our mothers.
• We should marry our daughters.³
• We should hate our wives and treat them harshly.
• We should get divorced.

• We should be violent.
• We should destroy fruit trees.
• We should be quick to destroy fig trees that aren’t fruitful.
• We should sacrifice on the mountains.
• We should harm foreigners.
• We should harm Edomites.
• We should harm Moabites.
• We should harm our enemies.
• We should harm our neighbors.
• We should plot harm against those who trust us.
• We should murder people.
• We should shed blood on a bare rock.
• We should sacrifice our children.
• We should besiege David’s city.
• We should kill the Lord’s anointed king.
• We should kill people and take their land.
• We should destroy unwelcoming towns with fire from heaven.
• We should destroy the earth.

• We should call men fathers.
• We should make images of things in heaven.
• We should work on the Sabbath.
• We should change God’s commands.
• We should reject Jesus.
• We should betray Jesus.
• We should call ourselves gods.

…Wait a minute. Those are all things the Bible says we shouldn’t do!

• We should not call ourselves gods.
• We should not betray Jesus.
• We should not reject Jesus.
• We should not change God’s commands.
• We should not work on the Sabbath.
• We should not make images of things in heaven.
• We should not call men fathers.

• We should not destroy the earth.
• We should not destroy unwelcoming towns with fire from heaven.
• We should not kill people and take their land.
• We should not kill the Lord’s anointed king.
• We should not besiege David’s city.
• We should not sacrifice our children.
• We should not shed blood on a bare rock.
• We should not murder people.
• We should not plot harm against those who trust us.
• We should not harm our neighbors.
• We should not harm our enemies.
• We should not harm Moabites.
• We should not harm Edomites.
• We should not harm foreigners.
• We should not sacrifice on the mountains.
• We should not be quick to destroy fig trees that aren’t fruitful.
• We should not destroy fruit trees.
• We should not be violent.

• We should not get divorced.
• We should not hate our wives and treat them harshly.
• We should not marry our daughters.
• We should not impregnate our mothers.
• We should not impregnate other people’s fiancées.
• We should not be married to two sisters at the same time.
• We should not get married.

• We should not return runaway slaves to their masters.
• We should not steal our neighbors’ land.
• We should not make people stumble.
• We should not unnecessarily delay doing good to others.
• We should not heavily burden people.
• We should not refuse to help those in need.
• We should not punish people for the sins of their ancestors.
• We should not take retribution.
• We should not drive away God’s people.
• We should not scatter God’s people.
• We should not desert our flock.
• We should not be late.

• We should not accuse people when they have done us no harm.
• We should not bring charges against people.
• We should not lie.
• We should not curse people.
• We should not refuse to forgive people who curse us.
• We should not refuse to listen to people.
• We should not disrespect our parents.
• We should not judge those who are outside the church.
• We should not judge and condemn people.
• We should not call people fools.

• We should not argue.
• We should not cause chaos.
• We should not be hateful.
• We should not be jealous.
• We should not be proud.
• We should not be impatient.
• We should not be easily angered.
• We should not roar.
• We should not celebrate.
• We should not eat and drink excessively.
• We should not take oaths.

• We should not let foreigners enter holy places.
• We should not refrain from stoning people if we are without sin.
• We should not receive good things.
• We should not only pray for those who are close to us.
• We should not pray so others can hear us.
• We should not perform supernatural signs and wonders.
• We should not keep our good deeds secret.
• We should not show everyone how good we are.
• We should not try to keep our lives.
• We should not be wise.
• We should not observe the Sabbath.
• We should not tell people Jesus is the Messiah.
• We should not tell people to obey God’s laws.
• And we should not be perfect.

How are we supposed to follow God’s example if he won’t allow us to do any of the things he does? I know! We can follow God’s example by being hypocrites!

…No, never mind. It looks like he doesn’t want us to follow that example either. God just doesn’t want people to be like him. When Adam and Eve became like God, knowing good and evil, God punished them and made sure they wouldn’t become even more like him by gaining immortality. He did the same when he thought humans were on the verge of becoming all-powerful. Following God’s example is clearly not something we should be doing.