BecomingmorelikeChrist

June3,2014at3:29pm
IndealingwithBecomingmorelikeChrist,thatissomethingthatImyselfdesiretobe,anddesiretobecome.
AndwhenitcomestoBecomingmorelikeChristweneedtobelikeJesuswhoisJesusChrist
Iwanttobecomemorelikeyou,Iwanttobemorelikeyou.
Idonotwanttobeintheworldanddoingthethingsoftheworld,Imaybeintheworld
butIdonotwanttobeoftheworld.
UnderstandwhatIamsaying?

SothequestionIwanttoaskisWhatdoesitmeantobecomemorelikeChrist?

BecomingmorelikeChrististhedesireofeverybeliever,anditisencouragingtoknowthatGodhasthesamedesire
forus.Infact,theBiblesaysthatGodpredestined[believers]tobeconformedtothelikenessofhisSon(Romans
8:29).MakingusChristlikeisGodswork,andHewillseeitthroughtotheend(Philippians1:6).

However,thefactthatGodwilltransformusintoChristlikenessdoesntmeanwecansitbackandbecarriedtoheaven
onflowrybedsofease.TheprocessdemandsourwillingcooperationwiththeHolySpirit.BecomingmoreChristlike
requiresbothdivinepowerandthefulfillmentofhumanresponsibility.

TherearethreethingswhichcontributetoourbeingmoreChristlike:oursurrendertoGod,ourfreedomfromsin,and
ourspiritualgrowth.

1)BecomingmoreChristlikeistheresultofsurrendertoGod.Romans12:12saysthatworshipinvolvesatotal
selfdedicationtoGod.Wevolunteerourbodiesaslivingsacrifices,andourmindsarerenewedandtransformed.

WhenJesussaid,Followme,Levilefthismoneytablesimmediately(Mark2:14)sodowefreelysurrenderallwe
haveforthesakeoffollowingtheLord.AsJohntheBaptistsaid,HemustbecomegreaterImustbecomeless(John
3:30),sowefocusmoreandmoreonJesusandHisglory,losingourselvesinHiswill.

2)BecomingmoreChristlikeistheresultoffreedomfromsin.SinceJesuslivedasinlesslife,themoreweconsider
ourselvesdeadtosin(Romans6:11)andlivealifeofpurity,themorelikeJesuswewillbe.Asweofferourselvesto
God,sinisnolongerourmaster,andwearemoreclearlyidentifiedwithChrist(Romans6:114).

JesusinvitesustofollowHim,andwehaveHisexampleofobedience(John15:10),sacrificiallove(John15:1213),
andpatientsuffering(1Peter2:1923).Wealsohavetheexampleoftheapostles,whomodeledChrist(1Corinthians
11:1).

Whenitcomestorestrainingsininourlives,wehavedivinehelp:praisetheLordfortheWordofGod(Psalm119:11),
theintercessionofChrist(Romans8:34Hebrews7:25),andthepoweroftheSpiritwhoindwellsus(Romans
8:4Galatians5:16)!

3)BecomingmoreChristlikeistheresultofChristiangrowth.Whenwearefirstsaved,weareimmatureinwisdom
andknowledgeandinexperiencedingraceandlove.Butthenwegrow.Ineachofthesethings,ourchargeisto
becomestrongerandmoreChristlike.GrowinthegraceandknowledgeofourLordandSaviorJesusChrist(2
Peter3:18).MaytheLordmakeyourloveincreaseandoverflowforeachotherandforeveryoneelse(1
Thessalonians3:12).

Rightnow,Godworksinus:We,whowithunveiledfacesallreflecttheLord'sglory,arebeingtransformedintohis
likenesswitheverincreasingglory,whichcomesfromtheLord(2Corinthians3:18).Oneday,however,theprocess
willbecomplete:Whenheappears,weshallbelikehim,forweshallseehimasheis(1John3:2).Thepromiseof
beingfullyChristlikeinthefutureisinitselfmotivationforbecomingmoreChristlikenow:Everyonewhohasthishope
inhimpurifieshimself,justasheispure(1John3:3).

WhatitmeanstobecomemorelikeChrististolivehowChristwouldhaveyoutolivetobecomethewayGod
wouldhaveyoutobecome.
HowdowebecomemorelikeChrist?
ThisisthenextthingIwanttofocusoninthisandforthis

InbecomingmorelikeChristandinansweringthequestionHowdowebecomemorelikeChrist?

WemustoperateaccordingtothespiritofChristthatdwellsinus

BeinganexampleofwantingtobecomemorelikeChrist,notjustsayingIwanttobemorelikeChrist
butbeingaboutbecomingmorelikeChrist.
TalklikeChristwouldhaveustotalk,walkthewayChristwouldhaveustowalk,livetheway
thatChristwouldhaveustolive
BeinganexampletoChrist,andbeinganexampleforChrist

WhyisitimportanttobecomemorelikeChrist?

ItisimportanttobecomemorelikeChristsopeoplewillwanttobecomemorelikeChrist
AndinusbecomingmorelikeChrist,instrivingtobetheexampleofChrist,
andforChrist,throughourexample,throughwhatwedo,
throughwhatwesay,throughhowweliveourlives,peoplewillseeJesusinus.
AndwhentheyseeJesusinus,theywillwanttoliveaccordingtoChrist,
accordingtohiswillandhisway,andwhathewants,andhedesires,
becauseoftheexampleyouareshowing,andhaveshowntothem,
andtheywillwanthimintheirlife,andtheywillwanttoliveinChrist,andliveforChrist.

UnderstandwhatIamsaying?

Sothosearetheanswerstothosequestionsaspresentedtoyou,andpresentedforyou.

InconclusionallIhavesharedinsharingwhatIhavesharedwithyouandforyou

EverydaythatwelivewemustliveitinChristandourfocusmustbeonChrist
AsChristianswearenotonlytobeanexampletoChrist,butforChrist,
andtheexampleinChrist.
Wemuststoplivingintheoldway,andstartlivinginthenewway.
Becausewhenwebecomesaved,andwhenwebecomeachildofGod,
andtheChildrenofGodtheoldthingsasthebiblesaystheypassaway,
andwhentheoldthingspassaway,allthingstheybecomenew
ThereforeifyouareaChristianyoumustbeanexampleforChrist,andofChrist

Toothersandforothers,andinbeinganexampletoothersnotjustwitnessing,
andtellingothersaboutJesus,butalsoforothersbylettingthemsee
thatyouarenotintheworld,youarenotabouttheworld,youarenotabout
pleasingtheworld,yesyoumaybeintheworld,butitisaboutnotbeingoftheworld.

InconclusionthetwoscripturesIwanttogiveyouinSecondCorinthians5:17itsays
takenoutoftheKingJamesVersion
ThereforeifanymanbeinChrist,heisanewcreature:oldthingsarepassedawaybehold,allthingsare
becomenew

Andwhenallthingsbecomenewyoumustliveinthenew,beaboutthenew,
insteadoflivingintheOldandbeingabouttheold
becauseinthelastscriptureIwanttogiveyounowthereisotherscripturesas
wellthathavealreadybeenfocusedupon,butinthelastscriptureinConclusion
tothisJohn2:15takenfromtheKingJamesVersion

Lovenottheworld,neitherthethingsthatareintheworld.Ifanymanlovetheworld,theloveoftheFatherisnotinhim

IfweloveGodifweareaboutservingGod,ifweareaboutlivingforChrist,
wewillliveaccordingtoChristlikeStandards
becauseifweliveaccordingtotheworld,andareaboutdoingthethingsoftheworld.
andfolowingaftertheworld,youcannotservetwomasters,
youeitherhateoneorlovetheother,
youeitherserveoneorservetheother
ButinbecomingmorelikeChristwemustbelikeIwanttobecomemorelikeyou
Iwanttobecomemoreaboutyourwill,andbecomemoreaboutyourway,
andbecomemoreaboutwhatyouwantinmylife,andfrommylife
Andwhenpeoplelookatme,theylookathowItalk,howIwalk,
howIlive
andwhattheyseeinme,IwantthemtoseeinGod,becauseGodisinme,
Christisinme.

IhopeyougotsomethingoutofthisandyouunderstandwhatIhavepresented
toyouandpresentedforyouontoday.
BecomingmorelikeChrist

632014