Am I increasing in Christlikeness?

But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him. - 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Living Bible)

As they gaze at the glory of the Lord, believers are continually being transformed into Christlikeness. The ultimate goal of the believer is to be like Christ, and by continually focusing on Him, the Spirit transforms the believer more and more into His image. - John MacArthur

In this life, if we want to mimic a person's success in a specific endeavor, we study and apply the process, discipline, and habits that person developed to achieve that success. In pursuing Christlikeness, our ultimate goal in this life, we must continually focus on Christ and spend time in His Word to grow in our knowledge of His character and His will.

But about the Son [the Father says to Him], "You have loved righteousness [integrity, virtue, uprightness in purpose] and have hated lawlessness [injustice, sin]." - Hebrews 1:8a, 9a (Amplified Bible)

Do I love righteousness? Is it evident in my daily actions?

Do I truly hate my sin, or do I hate the consequences of my sin?


For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. - John 6:38 (NASB)

Am I fully committed to executing His will or my will?

Am I growing in my knowledge of God and His will by studying His Word daily?


God’s ultimate goal for us, however, is that we be truly conformed to the likeness of His Son in our person as well as in our standing… Jesus did not die just to save us from the penalty of sin, nor even just to make us holy in our standing before God. He died to purify for Himself a people eager to obey Him, a people eager to be transformed into His likeness… This process of gradually conforming us to the likeness of Christ begins at the very moment of our salvation when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and to actually give us a new life in Christ. We call this gradual process progressive sanctification, or growing in holiness, because it truly is a growth process. - Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace


Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,This is my constant longing and prayer;Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.Oh! to be like Thee, oh! to be like Thee,Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart. - Thomas ChisholmBe Encouraged to make Christlikeness your main pursuit in this life.

-Jeffrey Thornton 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Am I a Daniel?

Image
Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue who were inhabiting all the land: “May your peace abound! I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom, men are to fear and be in dread before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be unto the end. He saves and delivers and does signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has also saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” So this Daniel enjoyed success in the kingdom of Darius and in the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian. - Daniel 6:25-28 (LSB) Impacted by Daniel and by the Lord, Darius the Mede expressed himself as if he had come to a point of personal trust in God for his salvation such as Nebuchadnezzar had before him. Daniel illustrated the evangelistic potency of a godly, uncompromising life. - John MacArthur Now when Daniel knew that the written document was signed, he entered his house (now i
Read more

Am I praising God? - Part2

Image
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and [the voice] of the living creatures and the elders; and they numbered myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands (innumerable), saying in a loud voice, "Worthy and deserving is the Lamb that was sacrificed to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And I heard every created thing that is in heaven or on earth or under the earth [in Hades, the realm of the dead] or on the sea, and everything that is in them, saying [together], "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb (Christ), be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped [Him who lives forever and ever]. - Revelation 5:11-14 (Amplified Bible) Yesterday God helped me, today He'll do the same. How long will this continue? Forever—praise His name! God does not reveal His will
Read more

Is my hope in the Lord?

Image
Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer. - Romans 12:12 (ESV) Rejoice in hope. Now, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13 (NASB) For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB) Choose to view life through God's eyes. This will not be easy because it doesn't come naturally to us. We cannot do this on our own. We have to allow God to elevate our vantage point. Start by reading His Word, the Bible...Pray and ask God to transform your thinking. Let Him do what you cannot. Ask Him to give you an eternal, divine perspective. - Charles Swindoll  Be patient in tribulation. Do not fret because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell i
Read more