|
God wants us to
grow up like Christ in everything.
We were created
to become like Christ.
Our 3rd purpose in life is to become like Christ… to think like
Jesus, to feel compassion and mercy, a sense of righteous indignation and
a hunger for justice, like Jesus, and to behave like Jesus in the way we
treat others and ourselves.
Paul speaks of
having the same mind within you that was in Christ, Jesus. That doesn't
just happen. It grows. It is an on-going work of the Holy Spirit. Being
changed into the image of Jesus, actually having our life deeply and
completely changed so that we become more like Christ. Rick Warren calls
this process discipleship. I have to diverge from his point here because
we Methodists have a long history of focusing on this process of really
changing, deep in our soul, and becoming more like Christ. We call this
process sanctification, which means becoming more holy. We also talk of
the process as going on to perfection…
Our spiritual
journey begins with a desire to be saved, to find salvation, wholeness and
completeness in our life here and in the life to come. When we accept
Jesus Christ, invite Jesus Christ into our hearts, when we lean on his
grace to save us through faith in him, yes, we are saved, we are justified
in the eyes of God, but there is more to salvation than justification.
There is a process called sanctification that begins. Justification plus
sanctification equals salvation. Through God's justifying grace we are
pronounced clean but then God doesn't leave it there. God actually begins
to make us clean, more pure and holy, through sanctifying grace. This is a
work of God in our life, not something that we will or do on our own. It
is a real change that happens in the way we are, in who we are. It happens
over a lifetime of worshipping and fellowshipping, loving and serving.
John Wesley referred to the process of sanctification as going on to
perfection. For him being perfect didn't mean being mistake free, or all
knowledgable, or incapable of being tempted to sin. Wesley defined
perfection as "having the mind of Christ, being inwardly and
outwardly devoted to God, walking uniformly as Christ walked." He
preached about perfection often. He contended that the church would become
weak and flabby if this concept of sanctification, going on the
perfection, was not talked about. Wesley often talked about being happy
and holy. The two adjectives were for him one reality. "Why are you
not happy? Because you are not holy!" he would say. Becoming more
like Christ is the key to your happiness, both now and in eternity.
So how do you
become more like Christ? As I said earlier, sanctification is a work
of the Holy Spirit. It is something God does with your life when you
freely and completely offer it to God. Rick Warren has some suggestions
that can help you grow, help you work along with God, not against God, as
God brings about these changes. Let's fill in the blanks on that handout…
Begin by
remembering that everything that happens in your life, everything, is
being used by God to work for good in your life. Romans 8:28
God uses
trouble to reach teach us to trust in him.
Of course, that doesn't mean that we should go out of our way to find
trouble, or that we should be happy in some way when troubles come to us.
But it means that the God who resurrected Jesus Christ places seeds of
resurrection in every painful experience that we walk through. Trust that
the Lord of all life can bring a new life back to you and your family once
again.
At the very least,
troubles produce patience and character and hope. Our troubles drive us to
our knees in prayer and lead us to watch and wait for what God will do
with us. And God does always answer pray- the pray is always answered
either yes to our request, no, because God is doing something that we
cannot understand, or wait, God's not done yet.
So, keep a
spiritual journal. This helps you remember how God has acted at key
turning points in your past. It helps your trust in God to deepen.
Moses kept a
written record of the progress of his people. And his people remembered
how God worked in their midst for thousands of years. And that built them
up.
Remember the
reward. Life is more than just here and now. If you are living just for
today's pleasure and today's comfort you are making a major mistake. Life
is preparation for eternity. Your troubles will not last. But your
character will. Keep your eyes on the prize- becoming more like Christ and
sharing heaven with him forever.
In everything God
works for good for those who God.
God uses even
uses temptation to teach us to obey.
We were created with free will so that we could be independent, moral
beings that God could reason with and with and share with. God wants us to
be a community of moral beings, which means, we can and will be touched by
temptations in our life and we can choose to either follow where the
temptation leads us or obey what we know is right, do what God has called
us to do. When we are tempted to be unloving or unkind, when we are
tempted to lie even a little lie so we can get ahead, those are moments
when we can learn how great it makes us feel to resist temptation and
learn to obey. Avoiding temptation is all about using your head, about
thinking of the consequences of your actions. If you tell that lie, if you
cheat on that test, if you have that affair, what does that make you- a
liar, a cheat, and a pig. Is that how you want your children to know you?
Is that how you want your friends to know you? Is that how you want your
God to know you?
Keep your mind
focused on good thoughts.
Focus on what is true and good and right. And visualize your life right in
the middle of all that goodness, being one of the righteous, speaking and
living out only what is true. This will help you fight temptation, if you
love and cling to what is truly good, and you can't imagine giving that
good up.
It also helps to
get a spiritual partner, someone to hold you accountable. Someone you can
take your hard decisions to who can ask key questions like, "What
would Jesus want you to do?" Small groups of Christians banding
together to study the Word and share wisdom with one another are great
because they hold us accountable. They keep us walking forward.
Remember the words
of the preacher of Ecclesiastes- Say then with me, won't you?
"You're better off to have a friend
than to be all alone… If you fall, your friend can help you
up."
If you fall to
temptation, your friend can help pick you up and clean you off and get you
back on the right road.
God uses
troubles, God uses temptations, God uses trespasses to teach us to
forgive.
If you really want to have a growth spurt in your maturity process, work
through forgiveness with somebody who has hurt you, or whom you have
really hurt. When you do that, share forgiveness, you are doing the most
Christ-like thing you can do in this life.
Jesus said, "Father,
forgive these people, because they don't know what they are doing."
These are words of Jesus from the cross. Even while people were harming
him in the most painful way possible, he was setting them free by offering
them forgiveness.
Remember God has
forgiven you. When we forgive others we are once again reminded of how
much forgiveness means to us. And it leads us to forgive all the more, and
to become more like Christ.
Remember, God
is in control.
That doesn't mean that God causes troubles, and temptations, and
painful people to drizzle down upon our lives just so our character can be
built up. It doesn't mean that every accident and ever illness and every
bully and loudmouth that crosses our path is part of God's master plan and
that we should just somberly accept what God is doing to us because God is
working good in our lives somehow that we can't understand. No, "God
is in control" doesn't mean that we are victims of an inscrutable
God.
It means that no
matter what happens, God can and will make it right. No matter what the
illness, no matter what the relationship problem or job turmoil, as deep
and painful and real as it gets, God knows, God cares, and God will heal,
and restore, and bring justice and make it right.
Joseph was a
victim of his dysfunctional family. His brothers sold him into slavery. He
adjusted and served as a faithful slave until his boss's wife tried to
seduce him. He resisted the temptation but was punished anyway. He was
thrown into prison and near death. The first 40 years of his life were all
downhill. You remember his story, from Genesis chapter 37 - 50. It is the
story of an arrogant young man becoming spiritually mature. Near the end
of his life he could look back and say to his brothers, "You meant
to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the loves of many
people, which is being done."
That's maturity.
That comes through discipleship, growing to the mind of Christ.
"Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
Why should you even care about growing to be more like Christ, why
should you invest yourself in Bible studies and small groups and ministry
and mission opportunities? Because becoming like Jesus is delightful.
Philips Brooks, who used to serve in Philadelphia, is best known today as
the author of the Christmas Carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem."
He was a very busy pastor, yet he always seemed relaxed and unburdened,
wiling to take time for anyone in need. Shortly before he died a young
friend asked him the secret of strength and serenity. Brooks spoke from
the heart, giving credit to his still-growing relationship with
Christ.
"The more I
have thought of it," he said, "the more sure it has seemed to me
that these last years have had a peace and fullness which did not use to
be. It is a deeper knowledge and truer love of Christ… I cannot tell you
how personal this grows to me. He is here. He knows me and I know Him. It
is the most real thing in the world. And every day makes it more real. And
one wonders with delight what it will grow to as the years go
on."
Keep growing into
Christ. Let Christ live through you. Let it become more real. And you too
will be filled with delight as you think of the future.
2006,
Rev. Dr. Truman T. Brooks
West Chester United Methodist Church
129 S. High St, West Chester, PA 19382
www.WestChesterUMC.com
|
