Sermon Tone Analysis

The process by which believers are conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, especially in relation to obedience to and trust in God.

Through the Holy Spirit, God refashions believers in the image of his Son, who is set before them as a model of the form of the redeemed life.

Believers are to become Christlike

Paul is arguing that believers must allow God to make them Christlike, which is the natural goal of their process of growing in faith.

Christlikeness is not achieved by people merely trying to imitate Jesus Christ, but by God making believers more like his Son in sanctification, through the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV) — 1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Philippians 2:5 (NKJV) — 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,

The Holy Spirit makes believers Christlike

The result of experiencing Jesus’ nearness, love, righteousness, and power through prayer and His Holy Spirit is our being changed into His likeness.

The more that we know Him, the more like Him we’ll be.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) — 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Christlikeness is the aim of discipleship

If we live in the Spirit, we also ought to walk in the Spirit!

The whole point of us identifying with Jesus is that we would become more like Him in every part of our lives.

1 John 2:6 (NKJV) — 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Christlikeness is based on total commitment to Jesus Christ

Becoming like Jesus isn’t always the easiest path to take.

It’s the path with the greatest reward.

We’re praying for you because the trials will come, that your faith will be strong in your pursuit and commitment to follow Jesus!

Luke 9:57–62 (NKJV) — 57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” 61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The demonstration of Christlikeness

In costly sacrifice

Jesus suffered, and in this He set the example for you and I.

He did not waver from it but committed Himself to it.

1 Peter 2:21–23 (NKJV) — 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

In humility and service

Our greatness is not measured by the authority we may have over someone else, but rather in our servitude to and for them.

We are called to serve!

Matthew 20:26–28 (NKJV) — 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

In love for other believers

Jesus commanded us to love God and love each other.

We know love because Jesus demonstrated love to us, He loved unconditionally.

We are identified with Christ by our love for one another.

John 15:12 (NKJV) — 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

1 John 3:16 (NKJV) — 16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.

And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

In a readiness to forgive others

Forgive just like Jesus did.

Colossians 3:13 (NKJV) — 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

In sharing Jesus Christ’s mission to the world

We demonstrate Christlike love when we share our message of hope with the lost and perishing world.

You might be a pastor, evangelist, missionary, teacher, deacon, or volunteer in the church, but if your not actively striving to bring others to Christ, your not actually fulfilling your for God.

Matthew 4:19 (NKJV) — 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”