Untitled Sermon (170)

STRIVING TO BE LIKE CHRIST

INTRODUCTION

THERE WAS A FAMOUS ATHLETE NAME MICHAEL JORDAN WHO EVERYBODY WANTED TO BE LIKE. THEY EVEN MADE A , COMMERCIAL THAT EVERYBODY WANT TO BE LIKE MIKE.

IF THE QUESTION WAS ASKED TODAY WHAT A PERSON WANT TO BE LIKE, MANY MAY SAY SPORTS PLAYER, MOVIE STAR, OR A FAMOUS SINGER, BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD SAY I WANT TO BE LIKE CHRIST.

JOHN MESSAGE WAS TO ASSURE BELIEVERS OF THEIR IDENTITY AS GOD’S CHILDREN AND TO DEFINE TRUE CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR BY LOVING OTHER’S AND RESISTING SIN.

TODAY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT STRIVING TO BE LIKE CHRIST.

LOVE

ABIDE IN HIM

ABSTAIN FROM SIN

A. LOVE

1 John 3:1–3 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

LOVE MUST BE THE FIRST THING THAT A CHILD OF GOD MUST HAVE IN THEIR HEART TO BE ABLE TO STRIVE TO BE LIKE CHRIST. BECAUSE LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SIN. IT TOOK GOD TO LOVE US IN THE VERY THING HE HATED THE MOST AND THAT WAS SIN. GOD HAD TO TRANSFORM US THROUGH CHRIST, SO THAT HE COULD RECOGNIZE US AS HIS OWN. BEFORE CHRIST CAME INTO OUR LIVES, WE WERE THE CHILD OF THE DEVIL.

WHAT KEEPS US STRIVING TO BE LIKE CHRIST IS HOPE. PAUL IN Romans 8:24–25 “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

IN THE MIDST OF HOPE THERE WILL BE STRUGGLES THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH, BECAUSE NONE US ARE PERFECT, BUT WE DO SERVE A PERFECT GOD THAT WILL PERFECT IN US WHAT WE ARE LACKING IN. GOD PROMISED US WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM. PEOPLE OF GOD IF YOU HAVE THIS HOPE WITHIN YOU, YOU CAN BE WHAT GOD HAS PROMISE YOU TO BE. HOPE IS CONFIDENCE WITH EXPECTATIONS TO BE. I BE WHAT GOD SAID I WILL BE.

Ephesians 4:24 “and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

B. ABIDE IN HIM

1 John 3:6–7 “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”

IN ORDER FOR ANY OF US TO BE LIKE CHRIST, WE MUST DWELL IN HIM, MEANING WE MUST STAY CLOSE OR CONNECTED TO HIM. THE REASON ,THERE IS NO SIN IN HIM. THE MORE YOU’RE IN HIS PRESENCE , THE MORE YOUR CHARACTER BECOME LIKE HIM. TOO MANY PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE THEY CAN BE LIKE HIM BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT THEY HAVE TO BE PERFECT. GOD IS NOT ASKING YOU TO BE PERFECT, BUT BE HOLY LIKE HIM. HE WANT YOU TO LIVE A LIFE THAT WILL PLEASE HIM. WE MUST STRIVE TO BE LIKE HIM IN EVERY DETAIL OF OUR LIVES. THAT’S GOING TO TAKE WORK BY CONSTANT PRAYER AND STAYING IN HIS WORK AND TRUSTING HIM WITH OUR LIVES.

1 John 2:26–27 “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”

C. ABSTAIN FROM SIN

1 John 3:8–9 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

THE DANGER OF NOT LOVING OTHER’S AND BEING DISCONNECTED FROM GOD, SIN WILL BE WAITING AT YOUR DOOR. SIN IS DECEPTIVE, IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE SOMETHING IS MISSING IN YOUR LIFE ONLY TO MAKE YOU ASHAMED AFTER THE SIN HAS BEEN COMMITTED.

THE WORD ABSTAIN MEANS TO DELIBERATELY CHOOSE NOT TO DO SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY SOMETHING PLEASURABLE OR UNHEALTHY.

WHAT CAN MAKE A PERSON RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST UNHEALTHY IS WHEN SIN IN THEIR LIFE BECOMES A LIFESTYLE. BUT WHEN YOU’RE A CHILD OF GOD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS MADE HIS ABODE IN YOU, SIN CAN’T REMAIN IN YOU, BECAUSE THE ANOINTING THAT IS IN YOU WILL DESTROY THE YOKE AND SET YOU FREE. IF YOU’RE TRUE CHILD OF GOD, YOU DO NOT PRACTICE SIN. JOHN SAID HE THAT COMMITTETH SIN IS OF THE DEVIL. MEANING WHOEVER WILLFULLY PRACTICE SINNING IS OF THE DEVIL.

John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”