Being A Christian Is About Becoming Like Jesus Christ Himself

As believers who are professing Christians we are to be His disciples, pupils, students, or apprentices. Jesus said in the book of Luke 6:40, "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." We have been given the Holy Spirit who will lead and guide us into all truth and to teach us how to live and abide in Christ so that we can be perfectly trained and be like Him (John 16:13, Phil. 2:12-13; 1 John 2:27).

Our aim, goal, and purpose in life should be to know Him and become like Him (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 3:8-10). Jesus walked in love toward both God and man and as His disciples we are to do the same in our lives. We are to walk in love toward God and man and should be the primary focus of our lives as His disciples (Matt. 22:37-40; John 15:9-12; 1 John 5:1-3). As His disciples should be seeking the Lord and allowing Him to purify our hearts and desires, to change, transform, and conform us into His image and likeness (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Pet. 1:22-23).

The apostle John wrote and said, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin…" The reason he wrote is so that they or we as believers would not sin. John goes on to say in John 2:6, "He who says he abides in Him out himself also to walk just as He walked." And in John 3:3, "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." This begs the questions. Are you walking just as He walked and are you purifying yourself, just as He is pure?

The apostle Paul in the book of Romans chapter 6:1-23, summed up the process of sanctification as being dead to sin and alive to God. As disciples have been crucified with Christ and raised to new life in Christ. We are to walk in newness of life and no longer to be slaves to sin yielding ourselves to sin. We are to be slaves of righteousness and yield ourselves to obedience. We are not to live in sin, but are to be transformed into His image and likeness by the power of the Holy Spirit ( Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 2:12-13).

Becoming like Jesus and being conformed into His likeness should be the focus of our prayers, as it was the apostle Paul’s prayers when he prayed for the believers of Galatia. In Galatians 4:19, "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you" (Gal. 4:19). Being changed and transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ should be the focus of our lives and prayers. We should be seeking His face in order to become more like Him every day of our lives.

We do this by learning to walk in love toward God and others by obeying His commandments and His Word. Jesus said in John 15:9-12, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." Loving God and loving one another should be our main aim, goal, purpose, and the focus of our lives in order to become like Him. For when we obey His commandments, we reveal our love for the Lord and for one another.

It is through our obedience to His Word as we are led by the Holy Spirit, that we become more and more like Him(Rom. 8:14; 1 Pet. 1:13-17, 22-23). In short, as Christians we are not to sin, practice or live in sin, but are to walk in obedience to His commandments revealing our love for the Lord and others.

Have you totally committed and completely surrendered yourself to walk in whole hearted obedience to Him? Have you truly given yourself to be perfectly trained by Him to obey His commandment and walk in love toward God and others? How are you doing in the process of becoming like Jesus Christ?

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Is Our Worship in Vain

When prayer was removed from schools on June 25, 1962, the moral climate in America began to decline and has gone downhill ever since. In this short period of time sin in our nation has increase dramatically and the statistics are dreadfully staggering. There are millions of Christians in the United States, but according to the moral climate no one would ever know it.

Much of the responsibility for the condition of the Church largely falls on the leadership in the body of Christ. They are to set the example for others to follow, in both in word and action, and are to instruct believers in the ways of the Lord. These leaders are to make disciples of men and women, who then make disciples of men and women, who then make disciples, etc; this should continue on generation after generation (2 Tim.2:2). Their job is not to ‘fill the church (building)’ to pay the bills, their job is to make disciples, who can make then disciples. Too often the leadership in the church are too afraid to rock the boat and bring correction to the moral climate, for fear their congregation will leave and go to the "church" down the road with watered down message.

God’s Word and moral standard of righteousness and law of love has not changed. However, sin in the body of Christ is widespread, not even to mention the world at large. Many professing Christians lie on a daily basis and do not see this sin as a big deal. However, God’s Word says, that lying breaks His commandments, His law of love, any form of sin is still sin (James 2:10-11). Those who practice breaking His commandments will not inherit the kingdom of God, but will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord(1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5-6; Col. 4:-6; 2 Thess. 1:8-9). The Word of God tells us in Revelation 22:13-15,

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." -Revelation 22:13-15

According to LifeWay Research, 7 in 10 or 70% women who have had an abortion indicate their religious preference is Christian; 33% identify are Baptist, while another 31% indicated they are affiliated with Methodist 11%, Presbyterian 10%, and Lutheran 9%. Not only are these woman making a selfish choice by murdering their babies, more than likely in most cases it is an attempt to cover up their sin of fornication. How is this following the Word of God? Would their decision be different if they had been discipled? Whose responsibility was it to disciple these women? It is all of our responsibility to disciple those around to us, giving council and living a life that mirrors Christ.

Some sectors of the Church have turned the apostasy of homosexuality into something morally acceptable. Paul says in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 those who practice the homosexual lifestyle "will not inherit the kingdom of God". Jesus said in Matthew 15:8-9, "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of me." Once again I have to ask, whose responsibility was it to disciple these people?

All of this calls for a close examination of our faith and our walk (2 Cor. 13:5). Are you walking in the truth of God’s Word and His will (2 John 1:4; 3 John 1:4)? Or are you following after the world? Can you say with the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 11:1, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." Are you teaching others to follow after Christ or to follow after the world?

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Being Perfectly Trained by Christ

As professing Christians we are to be His pupils, students, apprentices, or disciples. We have been given the Holy Spirit who will lead and guide us into all truth and teach us how to live and abide in Christ. Jesus said in Luke 6:40,

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher."

Our aim, goal, and purpose in life should be to know Him and become like Him (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 3:8-10). Jesus walked in love toward both God and man; and as His disciples we are to do the same in our lives. This should be the primary focus of our lives, we should be seeking Him to purify our hearts and desires, to change, transform, and conform us into His image and likeness.

John said, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin…" The reason he wrote this is so that they (or we as believers) would not sin. John goes on to say in John 2:6, "He who says he abides in Him out himself also to walk just as He walked." And in John 3:3, "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." This begs the questions…Are you walking just as He walked? If your hope is in Him, are you purifying yourself, just as He is pure?

Paul in the book of Romans chapter 6:1-23 summed it up the process of sanctification as being “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ” (Rom. 6:11). We as disciples have been crucified with Christ and are raised to new life in Christ. We are to walk in newness of life no longer to be slaves to sin, yielding ourselves to sin. We are to be slaves of righteousness and yield ourselves to obedience. We are to overcome sin and be transformed into His image and exact likeness by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 2:12-13).

Becoming like Jesus and being conformed into His likeness and image is to be the focus of our prayers, as it was Paul’s prayers when he prayed for the believers in Galatia, "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you" (Gal. 4:19).

So let us give attention and allow ourselves to be “perfectly trained” by Him, so we may be like Him (Luke 6:40).

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