"CHRISTLIKE" Introduction

INTRODUCTION

All believers are called to imitate Christ in Ephesians 5 as Paul writes, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” Christ being without sin is the perfect example for the Christian to model their lives. As we disciple others our motive should be for them to become Christ like. When we give our lives to Christ we literally die to our own wants and desires and take on Christ’s wants and desires. Mark 8:35 (ESV) “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. His desire is that all would follow him.“ Christ lived his life to show us the way in which to live our lives. He performed signs and wonders so that the unbeliever might believe that he truly is the son of God. If we truly believe we will follow Christ and his teachings. To Rev. Charles A. Lefort x live as Christ isn’t necessarily to perform signs and wonders as he did although he told us believers would do even greater things. Rather it is to take on the nature and person of Christ thus, we must have a knowledge and understanding of the person of Christ. The Gospels overflow with examples of how Christ dealt with unbelievers and nay Sayers. As we look further into the Gospels we find a deeper content that the apostles deposited for our benefit. A disciple is a person who believes in Christ and begins the journey to become Christlike. This journey is lifelong allowing the Holy Spirit to become alive in us along with God’s Word exploding within our limited minds. The Holy Spirit brings the Word to a complete new dimension. You have heard people who have read the Bible multiple times yet reject its teachings. The Bible is a unique book that without the empowerment and enlightening of the Holy Spirit you will not understand it or hear the voice of God come alive. Jesus was full of the Spirit of God. At his baptism, we recall the Spirit descended upon him like a dove. This same Spirit is available to believers, Today. To come to a better understanding of the person of Christ it is essential we believe in him and allow the Holy Spirit to empower us. As the Holy Spirit enlightens us to understand the Word of God, a good point to begin our study is the Sermon on the Mount. This is a sermon delivered by Christ to his Disciples. This was not delivered to the crowds but to men with whom he developed an intimate relationship, those closest to him. These men would take his gospel to the world after his death and resurrection. It was vital that these men learn who he was, learn his message, adopt his purpose, and the men he desired them to be. Essentially, he laid the ground work with these men which was then recorded for future generations, us, to embrace as we place our faith and trust in Christ. If we are to be Christlike xi disciples of Christ, to be Christlike, we must do some house cleaning. Galatians 5:24 (ESV)” And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” This house cleaning involves losing our secular humanistic attitudes for the attitude of Christ. Becoming like Christ entails taking on the character of Christ. In the following pages, I will attempt to take you through the Sermon on the Mount in order that you might apply these teachings to your life. We are called to a higher standard of living when we place our faith in Christ. We are called to be separate from the world. 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (NIV) ”Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people’ 17 Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” God has sought obedience from his people from the very beginning. Adam and Eve were called to obedience and they failed. Thus, they were cast out of paradise. While there are penalties for disobedience there are also blessings for obedience. Deuteronomy 28 reveals God’s blessings and curses for the obedient and disobedient. Why would one choose to live a cursed life when you might experience the blessings the Lord has promised? Even within the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught how man might be blessed.