The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis
Week 11: Book Three, Chapters XXXI–XLI — Self-Denial, Nature, and Grace
Read Book Three, Chapters XXXI–XLI of The Imitation of Christ. Primary Scripture: Romans 7:12–25; Philippians 4:13; John 15:9.
Previewing Week 11 of The Imitation of Christ
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 15-week guide when you’re ready.
This long central section of Book Three contains some of Thomas's most profound teaching on the deep structure of our resistance to God — and the contrast between the motions of fallen nature and the motions of divine grace.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Chapter XXXII has Christ say: 'Hold fast the short and complete saying, Renounce all things, and thou shalt find all things; give up thy lust, and thou shalt find rest.' Thomas calls this 'enclosed all the perfection of the religious.' Does renunciation feel like loss or like finding? Have you ever experienced the paradox that giving something up opened a larger life?
2.Chapter XXXIV opens: 'Behold, God is mine, and all things are mine! What will I more, and what more happy thing can I desire?' Thomas is describing a soul that has found its sufficiency in God alone. 'My God, my all! To him that understandeth, that word sufficeth.' Is 'my God, my all' a live description of your experience, an aspiration, or does it feel unreachable? What stands between you and it?
3.Chapter XXXVII has Christ say: 'Always; every hour: in that which is little, and in that which is great... I will that thou be found naked in all things.' Thomas is describing total self-surrender, not as a one-time crisis but as a continuous posture. What does it look like to practice this surrender 'in that which is little' — in small daily choices — rather than only in dramatic moments?