Jesus did not die for you so that you could try hard to be good! As natural legalists, we all must battle the inclination to procure self-righteousness. To relegate your walk of faith in Christ as simply trying to “live the Christian life” means you are focused on your performance. Paul emphasized that no one was better than he was! He believed himself to be blameless when it came to keeping a moral code. But, he asserts, to merely keep trying to be good is to miss the point and the power of the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ.
Jesus died for you so that first, by faith, He could declare you righteous and then transform you into His character. An apple tree branch produces fruit – not because it tries hard to do so – but because the branch abides in and draws life from the tree. Producing apples is a natural outflow. This is what Paul meant when he said, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14). This is not a wooden command to try to become more like Jesus. But a call to daily pursue Christ as a student/follower, and surrender (“take My yoke upon you”) to His Spirit’s regenerating work to mold and shape you into the “measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
This shaping occurs through the events of daily life. For example – recently I heard testimony from one of God’s children that they experienced physical hostility from a store employee. This brother initially expressed astonishment and disfavor but did not retaliate. A little later – calling to mind that he was forgiven by Christ – he called the store manager to communicate his desire to forgive the offending store clerk. This was a vastly different response than what it would have been before coming to Christ. This is how attitudes and behaviors are shaped by truth – not out of fear of judgment, but out of love for the One who loved us first.
If you feel compelled to follow a list, then take a dive into the lists of the New Testament. Here are a few examples:
The beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
Our habits of thought (Philippians 4:8-9; Colossians 3:1-3)
The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
The virtues to add to your faith (2 Peter 1:3-10)
What is looks like to put on Christ in Christian love (Romans 12:9-21; 13:8-14;
Ephesians 4:24-5:2; Colossians 3:12-15)
The directives for you in Christ are largely about relational pursuit of God/man. Follow Him, abide in Him, imitate Him, draw near, love Him….this is what Paul understood as he testified to his receipt of the “righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know Him” (see Philippians 3:7-10).
You become like Christ by pursuing Him. It is not just a matter of knowledge, nor is it brute determination, but a quest to discover, and follow in the steps of the One who knows you fully, loves you completely, and who alone can bring you to the presence of God where there is fullness of joy.
As you meditate on these truths this week and seek to know Him more, here is a song that we sang at the end of the service Sunday to help you keep your mind on Christ: “I Want To Know You” by CityAlight.
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