The Imitation of Christ · Chapter
Of pure and entire resignation of self, for the obtaining liberty of heart explained
The chapter calls for complete and continual self-resignation to God, promising inward peace, liberty of heart, and union with Christ in exchange for giving up all self-will and possessions.
What happens
The chapter calls for complete and continual self-resignation to God, promising inward peace, liberty of heart, and union with Christ in exchange for giving up all self-will and possessions.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story’s dramatic climax because the speaker reaches an emotional and psychological peak of total s…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Contempt for the World
The chapter urges the disciple to be 'naked in all things' and free from every will of his own, renouncing all worldly attachments.
- Interior Life and Solitude
The promise of 'liberty of heart' and 'great inward peace' is tied to the interior surrender of self-will and the removal of vain fancies and superfluous cares.
Characters to notice
- Jesus Christ
Addressed as 'My Son' by the divine voice; the disciple is called to follow Jesus who was made naked for him.
- The Disciple
The disciple speaks in response, asking how often and in what things he must resign himself.
- God the Father
Implied as the speaker of the exhortation to self-resignation and the promise of divine companionship.
Key passages
“My Son, lose thyself and thou shalt find Me. Stand still without all choosing and all thought of self, and thou shalt ever be a gainer.”
God tells the disciple that by abandoning self-will and ceasing to choose for himself, he will discover God and gain eternal benefit.
This captures the core teaching of the chapter: self-loss leads to divine gain.
“Give all for all; demand nothing, ask nothing in return; stand simply and with no hesitation in Me, and thou shalt possess Me.”
The disciple is instructed to surrender everything without expecting anything back, and by resting solely in God, he will come to possess God himself.
This summarizes the radical exchange of all for all that the chapter advocates.
