"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
The one goal of a disciple is to be like Jesus.
Think about the 12 original disciples of Jesus. They spent three years with Jesus. They walked with him. They talked with him. They were eye witness of his life, his character, his attitude, his conversations, and how he interacted with people. They observed it all…and they never forgot it. I believe they spent the rest of their lives emulating his life and character. They wanted to be like Jesus.
This is our goal. I hope it’s your desire. In every area of your life to be like Jesus. God is at work to this end. The Holy Spirit with in us is transforming us and giving us the opportunities to allow our character to be changed to be more like Christ.
Theologically, this process is called “sanctification.” It’s the ongoing journey of letting go of the old life and taking on the new life that pleases God.
Paul said in Romans 8:28-29 - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…”
God uses all things in our lives, the good and the bad to help conform us to the image of his son. He is at work to make us like Jesus.
Our job is to surrender to that process. We are to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit and to say yes to God. Let’s allow God to shape us and mold us to be like Christ.
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
Jesus will not stop until the job is finished. And in the end we will each one stand before Jesus Christ whole and complete. Perfect, pure, perfected. No more hammering, no more sawing, no more finish work. Why? Because God finishes what he starts.
What is left for us to do? Simply to place ourselves in God’s hands. To cooperate with the Master Designer as he shapes us into the image of Jesus. To say, “Lord, here am I. Make me what you want me to be.”
Today’s Challenge: Listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. During a sermon, while reading the Bible, during your prayer time, expect to hear God speak. Notice how he leads, how he guides, corrects, convicts, and be willing to say yes. The more we cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit, the more we grow to be like Jesus. This is the goal of a disciple.
Discussion Questions:
- What does it mean "to be like Jesus?"
- Why is sanctification the one goal of a disciple?
- Where is God working in your life to help you become more like Jesus?
Recommended Resource: Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus by Kyle Idleman
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