The secret of becoming like Jesus is to receive the image of Jesus by constantly beholding Jesus. To trust in Jesus means to believe that His death was accepted by God as payment for your guilt and sin (Colossians 2:14), that His perfect life and righteousness has been credited to you on the basis of your faith in Him (Romans 3:21–22). Abide in my love. It is defined as: "embodied in flesh; given a bodily, especially a human, form." Does He begin living our lives for us? While there are many ways for us to recognize the nearness of Jesus as we walk through life, there are certain characteristics that … They wanted to connect with God. 3:18, emphasis mine). Christ-formation takes place in the context of intimate relationships with God and other believers. When a rabbi asked someone to follow him, it was an incredible honor. As worthy as it is to have, say, a family or a good job or financial security, none of that is a sufficient basis for our self-worth and happiness. First Jesus shows us, through His own example, that we must treat outsiders and sinners (even using this phrase makes me uncomfortable, as if I am not a sinner) as equals. Adventist Forum, publisher of SPECTRUM and spectrummagazine.org, is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to promoting community through conversation in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. So often all we have to sacrifice is time, treasure, talent, and selfishness. The Church at the beginning was simple, everyone was following Jesus, acting so much like Him they were described by unbelievers as little-Christ-imitators or "Christ-ians". These humble fishermen responded by leaving their careers, their possessions, and even their families to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22).A parallel passage in Luke 5:1-11 uses the phrase “they forsook all” as they began this new journey with Jesus. Answer: When people speak of “knowing” Jesus, they refer to having a relationship with Him. The person that loves Jesus values Him more than anything and anyone. Throughout the New Testament, we are exhorted to participate in the formation of our own character. 1. Like both salt and light, our relationship with God should have an obvious impact on everyone who comes in contact with it. If we want to follow Jesus too, we have to recognize him as more than a great teacher. When Jesus prayed in John 17:3, He stated that eternal life is knowing the one true God and the Son whom He sent. I’m not sure that we can say that we are trying to be like Jesus if we are not willing to sacrifice for those we are trying to have join us in the kingdom. Christians talk a lot about following Jesus, but what exactly does that mean? I thought I would talk about how we attempt to tell people to go and sin no more. It’s all about us and not about others. Part of what it means to become more like (the biblical) Jesus is becoming excessively generous with our material wealth and having the scent of poverty on our hands and feet. I think the example of a farmer is helpful here. Jesus is put to death for faithfully declaring the truth about who he is, but it is through Jesus’ death and resurrection that his followers become witnesses to the rest of the nations, just as God had intended (Luke 24:44-48). 2. What Does It Mean To Be Christlike? “The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. Taking on the character qualities of Jesus is a relational process composed of four primary dynamics. Spiritual Growth and Christian Living Resources, An Ash Wednesday Prayer to Remember God’s Merciful Love, 6-Year-Old Claire Crosby Ukulele Cover Of 'Can't Help Falling In Love, One-Sentence Summaries of Every New Testament Book, The Lenten Journey - Easter Devotional - February 17, Facing the Odds - Girlfriends in God - February 18, 2021, A Prayer for Changing the Way You Think - Your Daily Prayer - February 18, 8 Steps to Meeting God in Silence and Solitude, 10 Prayers of Intercession for Your Adult Children, "Minari" Is a Faith-Centric Film That's Winning Awards, 7 Warning Signs Your Schedule Is Too Full, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright © 2021, Crosswalk.com. Feb. 2, 2003. In Christ Jesus God has shown his true nature; this is what it means for Christ to be “equal with God” — to pour himself out for the sake of others and to do so by taking the role of a slave. Before we even think about how we might resemble Jesus in the kingdom or when we finally put off mortality for immortality, we should understand how we are to be like Him today in the body. Paul alludes to the power of example when he writes: “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do” (Phil. Part of being like Jesus is loving like Jesus loved. (2): Holy as He is Holy from Heaven Bound on Podchaser, aired Friday, 12th February 2021. Subscribe to the Spectrum Magazine newsletter for email updates! Top 15 Bible Verses-Being More Like Jesus … How can we be more like Jesus? JESUS’ IDEA OF LOVE. A Christian does not only know about Christ, but a Christian also knows Christ personally. Taking on the character qualities of Jesus is a relational process composed of four primary dynamics. Ken Baugh was a successful pastor before a crippling experience of burnout disrupted his career and set him on a journey to better understand the dynamics of spiritual health. But instead I want to end with the words of Paul. One of the … What I mean by "look like Jesus," is not in physical appearance, but to follow Jesus in both the big and small areas of their lives, in order to be the blessing that He was on earth, and to recieve the blessings of obedience to and pursuit of God. The ultimate goal of every Christian is to look like Jesus. This life means eternal life in heaven. The “spectrum” Jesus presents only includes two points: those who follow Jesus and those who don’t. For example, “What does it mean to be like Jesus?” We talk about this a lot, and rightly so. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Jesus went through pain and agony that none of us could ever imagine just because He loved us so much. Jesus likened our intimate connection to himself using the analogy of a vine and its branches: “I am the vine; you are the branches. They bear witness to what they have seen and experienced: Jesus’ death, resurrection, and offer of new life (Acts 2:32; Acts 4:33; Acts 10:40-41). The heart and core of Christianity is the fact that we must be diligently seeking to change to become like Jesus Christ—to have His life formed in us. In other words, I cannot make myself grow, but as I participate through spiritual disciplines, I cultivate an environment that facilitates growth. He became as others in order to win them to Christ. If you are “in Christ” listen to what it means for you. Check out the unique opportunities to actively live as salt and light serving with Jesus Film Project! When Christ called His first disciples He simply said, “Follow Me.”. Let’s look at how the disciples would have understood Christ’s invitation, and what it means for us today. As the church gathered, they were taught that every facet of their lives were to be reflective of what they learned while following Jesus personally. That salvation can be received through believing Jesus to be not just the historical Christ, but to be our Christ. One of the main reasons people reject Jesus is pride; they believe they don’t need Him and can make it through life on their own. God intends His family to be made up of children who think and act as He does.To many human beings, becoming like God seems out of reach, completely impossible! The Lord had come to teach them about himself, and they were going to help establish his kingdom. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we now have a way to be reconciled with God and have eternal life with Him in heaven. What does it mean that Jesus is God incarnate? Paul is clear that believers “are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. Answer: Becoming more like Christ is the desire of every believer, and it is encouraging to know that God has the same desire for us. What it means to be in Christ is just the opposite of what it means to be in us. We rationalize Jesus' demanding teachings: "Of course, Jesus wasn't actually telling you to abandon your family. When we read it all together, we see that verse 48 reads as a summary of Matthew 5:43-47, which is all about loving our enemies. Christ-formation is an active process that includes our direct participation. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. To love Jesus means to treasure Him above all things and all people (Luke 14:26; 16:13). It might not mean you have to die for someone else but it does mean that we die to ourselves and serve one another, and like Jesus, lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters in Christ. Answer: A Christian wants to be as much like Jesus as he or she can be. Question: "What does it mean to know Jesus?" It is about the MANY ways a True Believer is to be like Jesus Christ. They wanted to loveothers more deeply and authentically. Becoming like Jesus is primarily the work of the Holy Spirt; he is the agent of change. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. We must strive to reflect God’s character in every way: in spirit, approach, nature, attitude and love. They wanted to know how to live life more fully. No one comes to the Father except through me" . In other words, if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father, because Jesus always does the will of the Father, and so whatever you see Jesus doing is really what the Father wills Christ to be doing, however another important point is you cannot be Christ-like until you’ve suffered like Christ did. After all we are equals. Becoming like Jesus is … JESUS’ IDEA OF LOVE. Jesus Christ: What Jesus’ Incarnation Shows Us About What It Means to Be a Human “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14) is arguably the most profound and exciting statement in the Bible. They wanted to experience God’s forgiveness for their failures and sin. To be incarnate is to have a fleshly body. His latest book, Unhindered Abundance: Restoring Our Souls in a Fragmented World, released from NavPress in February 2021. To follow Jesus as one of his disciples is to become like him in his character and quality of life. 2:8-9), but we must exert effort as we participate in our own Christ-formation. Christ-formation is a partnership with the Holy Spirit that takes place in the context of relationships with God and others—primarily other believers—and requires direct participation as we participate in grace-sustained spiritual disciplines. And of course, He wasn't really saying to leave everything behind to follow Him." But what if we really want to keep the English translation as we have heard it most often? In real life walking with Jesus means hills and valleys, times when we will feel energized, weary, challenged, and relieved. 3:18). Jesus frequently encountered people with spiritual questions. Read these Top 15 Bible Verses-Being More Like Jesus … 1 John 2:6 Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. This is made clear in John 1:41 when Andrew invited his brother, Simon Peter, to follow Jesus by saying, “‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ).” The people and Rabbis of Jesus’ time would have been looking for the Christ to come and righteously rule God’s people because of the Old Testament prophecies they were taught ( 2 Samuel 7:11-16 ). The Holy Spirit. Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. The Goal of every True Believer is to Conform into the Image of Jesus Christ— and to be like Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29, 2 Cor 3:16-18, John 14:12-13, 14-15, John 17:18, John 20:21, Matt 10:25)— this is pleasing to God the Father, and Glorifies God (1 Cor 10:31). Ephesians 1:7, “In [Christ] … When we read it all together, we see that verse 48 reads as a summary of Matthew 5:43-47, which is all about loving our enemies. John 1:14 describes Jesus as the “Word made flesh.” Jesus literally changed his very being to become like those He was trying to save. The first thing that Jesus did was He became like those He was trying to reach. © 2020 Spectrum Magazine. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen.”[1] I feel like churches (or at least people in my denomination) talk a lot about witnessing to people, but don’t talk as much about finding out what people want, or what they need, or wanting to really know who they are. The first thing to recognise is that this verse sums up Jesus’ teaching on the fulfilling of the law. God doesn’t simply “zap” you to re-create you in Jesus’ likeness. Does He begin making our choices for us? What it means to be a Christian. To be like Jesus is to be a person willing to put others before yourself, to seek wisdom, and to care about how you interact with all people you come across in life. It is breathtaking what it means to be in Christ. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. https://spectrummagazine.org/article/column/2013/08/29/being-jesus The growth of crops is an indirect result of the farmer’s effort. Jesus preached the coming of the Kingdom of God, the coming of God’s new rule and reign in this rebellious world. It begs the question of whether we are willing to do the same, or whether knowing all we know and acting like we know it is too important to us to relinquish. And not only that, we shall be like Him! If we do not have the qualities of Jesus Christ’s life being formed by our free choice in using the power of the Holy Spirit to change, there will be nothing in us worth saving 2 Corinthians 13:5). PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES: Is It Even Possible? 4:23-24. Notice that Paul says to “work out” NOT “work for” your salvation. Furthermore, the sacrifices that we are called to give are so light in comparison to what Christ gave for us. The apostle Paul maintained that from the moment of salvation, every believer is in a process of being formed into the image of Jesus Christ: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. But what if we really want to keep the English translation as we have heard it most often? Being friends with Jesus means allowing yourself to be defined by Him. Salvation remains an act of God’s grace, not works (Eph. When Jesus prayed in John 17:3, He stated that eternal life is knowing the one true God and the Son whom He sent. is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Jesus taught His disciples, and I believe He wants to teach us, that there is no “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). In Christ Jesus you were redeemed and forgiven for all your sins. If we can rid ourselves of selfishness and empty conceit, if we can empty ourselves and humble ourselves to the will of God, than that, above all else, is being like Jesus. Theologians refer to the transformation process as Progressive Sanctification and others use the phrase Spiritual Formation, but I prefer to use the term Christ-formation because it is more descriptive of what is actually taking place. In Unhindered Abundance, I write: “direct participation—empowered by God’s grace and carried out in partnership with the Holy Spirit—becomes a powerful catalyst for change.”. 9:36), servanthood (Mark 10:45), and humility (Phil. He did this in a very literal way. Jesus is the model, par excellence, of what it means to be a Christian man. Not only must you receive the image of Jesus; you must retain the image of Jesus. These strong attachments become the primary means of our character formation as we follow their example. Jesus came so that we can have life because He is the embodiment of life. However, Jesus gives us guidance on how to accomplish this task to the best of our human ability. To be like Jesus is to be a person willing to put others before yourself, to seek wisdom, and to care about how you interact with all people you come across in life. “God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn. Jesus is summarising his teaching on the law. I highly doubt that we should become exactly like the people we are trying to reach. (You can find them in Mark 10:15.) He’s calling them unbelievers. That new person is made to be like God -- made to be. Forgive: Forgiveness is a choice and not a feeling, which takes time and prayer. 2:7) to name a few. The effort on my part includes making the time in my schedule and sitting down to read my Bible. That comes through you working together with God in the process. Jason and Roger dig into Part 2 of a 4-part series exploring that question. When I first began thinking about this, I thought I would at some point make a critical pivot to the things that we do when we say we’re being like Jesus, but don’t really show the heart of Jesus at all (even if those things mirror His actions). 1:5-7), and Paul commands believers to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. Jesus walked around speaking and teaching on the Kingdom of God. Peter writes: “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Pet. You must stay in His light and keep focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, but the good news goes much farther than that. Listen. How much more can you say about that? As Christians, we all want to be more like Jesus. PHP 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which. We will be able to see Jesus Christ just like He really is (verse 2). Hereby he not only reveals the character of God but also reveals what it means for us to be created in God’s image. Article Images Copyright ©, 6 Ways to Keep Praying When Life Gets Chaotic, Unhindered Abundance: Restoring Our Souls in a Fragmented World, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Practically, the effort we are to exert in our Christ-formation can be identified as grace-sustained spiritual disciplines. The growth that takes place is the work of the Holy Spirit. Max Lucado in his book, “Just Like Jesus” makes this statement at the beginning of his. When God says in Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” He means what He says! What does incarnate mean? I think this is what Paul means when he talks about winning souls to Christ in 1 Cor 9:19-23. We can be disciples of Jesus who follow him closely, learn from him, obey him, become like him, and represent him to the world. Because if you are a Jesus follower, you are the Church. Yes, in some ways making a commitment to Jesus Christ is similar to getting married. 1. "Knowing" Jesus means having a relationship with Him. Here are some ways to be more like Jesus. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” In my new book, Unhindered Abundance, I define Christ-formation as “the overarching goal of the Christian life. What following Jesus meant for the disciples . So what does this verse mean? Answer: In many places in the New Testament, the apostle Paul refers to himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ” (e.g., Romans 1:1; Colossians 4:12; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 4:6). Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. Paul was willing to forsake his freedom to understand the chains that bound others. Question: "What does it mean to be a servant of Christ?" Simply put, we take on the character qualities of the people to whom we are most attached. 15:5). Taking on the character qualities of Jesus is a relational process composed of four primary dynamics. 2:12). God created human beings to need deeply attached relationships with others in order to grow and thrive. Jesus isn’t calling the Laodicean church “less devout,” and encouraging those Christians to be more on fire for him. In fact, the Bible says that God “predestined [believers] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” ( Romans 8:29 ). But the question is, how does this happen? It’s interesting to note that the first directive that Jesus ever said to His disciple Peter, was “follow Me” (Matthew 4:19), and the last thing that Jesus said to Peter was also, “follow Me” . By Christi Brown . What I mean is, if we are not in Christ, we are only into us. The Lord’s half-brother Jude refers to himself in the same way (Jude 1:1). If we can find a way to do this – to have the type of attitude that exalts others above self. Paul exhorted Timothy to train yourself to be godly (1 Tim. I think if we’re really interested in being like Jesus, there are two things that Jesus did that we should do our absolute best to replicate as His disciples. They act as means of spiritual exercise through which the Holy Spirit brings about transformation. John 8:31 Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.’ Introduction While Webster’s Dictionary describes a disciple as “a pupil or follower of any teacher or school of religion, learning, art, etc,” a Christian disciple follows Jesus.A Christian disciple is one who loves God with everything one has. and (2) How does it happen? The Holy Spirit. Then He bade them, "Follow Me." To know Christ personally means to get to know Him as you would a friend. There are quite a few names throughout Scripture spoken about Jesus or given by Jesus himself. The disciple of Jesus must be willing to give up anything and everything, even his or her own life, in service to Him. He did not look down on them, and he didn’t treat them as markers on His way to some evangelistic quota. His teaching focused on what living within this coming rule would look like: The last would be first. There are differences, of course—but both involve a decision to leave our old ways of living and commit ourselves completely to someone else. Recently I have been thinking about some of the most basic questions about Christianity that we often gloss over. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. - in the light — In the darkness, a mirror can't reflect anything. 5:22-23) and would also include qualities like “compassion” (Matt. But what does it really mean to be like Jesus? Even if we choose to keep this word as perfect, we must look at the structure of this entire passage, not only this one verse.. As disciples of Christ, it is of the most important questions that we should answer. (Mt 16:13-23) Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do you say I am?" 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Answer: “Do you believe in Jesus?” seems like a strange question. The word Christian was given to the early followers of Jesus, and the name has 'stuck' to this day. 10 Ways to Be More Like Christ. Bound to Christ. Of course, many unsaved people do some remarkable things for humanity, and that’s great, but that’s never going to place them into a personal relationship with God. Definitions. All rights reserved. The second thing that we can do in order to become like those we want to reach is to empathize with them and try to truly understand who they are. "Knowing" Jesus means having a relationship with Him. In a similar way, this is how we participate with the Holy Spirit in our own Christ-formation. What Does It Mean to Look Like Jesus? They wanted to know about death and eternal life. A Christian does not only know about Christ, but a Christian also knows Christ personally . To such people Jesus frequently offered a simple invi… When David saw John and simply became his friend , he was, in that very moment, one of the tools God used to grow His Church. Because if you are a Jesus follower, you are the Church. The character qualities of Jesus would certainly include the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. That is, if my belief and life does not reflect Jesus has His appropriate place of honor in my life, I likely am not going to be a recipient of the salvation He offers. United to Christ. 5 Powerful Ways to Love Like Jesus: 1. It does us no good to ask the question, “What will we be like when we see Jesus,” if we are not striving to be like Him today. With a DMin from Talbot Theological Seminary, Ken is the founder and CEO of IDT Ministries. Matthew 5.17 onwards sets out the new relationship of Jesus’ disciples to the law. Yes, in some ways making a commitment to Jesus Christ is similar to getting married. These four dynamics work together to bring about the greater formation of our character to that of Jesus Christ. I thought I would talk about the way we judge people. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. I thought I would talk about how we insert ourselves into the lives of others based on what we think we know when we don’t have the mind of Christ.