BECOMING LIKE CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2020.

SUBJECT: BECOMING LIKE CHRIST!

Memory verse: "Till we all come to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4 vs 13.)

READ: Ephesians 3 vs 16 - 19:

3:16: that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

3:17: that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

3:18: may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the width and length, and depth and height—

3:19: to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

INTIMATION:

God created us to grow. His ultimate goal is for us to mature and develop the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Becoming like Christ, is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life. It calls for an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing. Discipleship—the process of becoming like Christ—always begins with a decision, the decision to respond when Jesus calls you. Even your response is not automatic, it may take some time. Peter, James, and John were called on three different occasions by Jesus Christ before they eventually got committed (John 1 vs 35 - 42, at the Sea of Galilee; Mark 1 vs 16 - 18, and at the Lake of Gennesaret; Luke 5 vs 1 - 11).

Accepting the invitation is all you need to start. When you accept the invitation, you become a work in progress. Your spiritual transformation commences, and developing the character of Jesus would take the rest of your life. And even then, it won't be completed here on earth. It will only be finished when you get to heaven or when Jesus returns. At that point, whatever unfinished work on your character would be wrapped up.

Sadly, millions of Christians grow older but never grow up. They are stuck in perpetual spiritual infancy, remaining in diapers and booties. The reason is that they never intended to grow. They never allow the world to pass through them while passing through the world. The Word of God they hear, the people they interact with, and the circumstances they encounter in life hardly influence them from shifting their position. 

God is more interested in building your character than He is in anything else. God is more interested in what you are than in what you do or what you have. We are human beings, not human doings. God is much more concerned about your character than your career or any other thing, because you only take your character to eternity. There can be many different careers that could be in God's Will for your life, but His utmost care is that whatever you do, you do it in a Christlike manner: (First Corinthians 10 vs 31; Colossians 3 vs 17; Colossians 3 vs 23.) 

The Scripture in First Corinthians 16 vs 14 says, “Let all you do be done with love.” In becoming like Christ, our actions must be motivated by God’s love, and His love will so permeate our motives that all we do would be for His glory, that is, “doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus." And for it to be our guiding principle, we would always ask, "Is this action glorifying God?" or "How can I honor God through this action?" You do things to bring honor to Christ in every aspect and activity of your daily living. 

As a Christian, you represent Christ at all times—whatever you do, wherever you go, and whatever you say—demonstrates christlikeness in our lives. Always ask yourself these pertinent questions, "What impression do people have of Christ when they see or talk with me? "What changes would I make in my life in order to honor Christ?" Regard whatever you do or say as an act of worship or service to God. 

So many people are in love with themselves, and put self before anything else, including God. They have abandoned living for God's great purposes and settled for personal fulfillment and emotional stability. Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives. His purpose is far deeper. He wants to make us like Himself before taking us to heaven. This is our greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny.

Prayer: Abba Father, I love you. All I have is Yours, Yours I am, and Yours I want to be. Do with me as it’s pleasing to You. Endue me with the mind of Christ that I may live a fulfilling life in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!