HOW DO I BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS?
1. How Do I Become More Like Jesus?
a) Stating how to become more like Jesus is straightforward. The difficulty, however, is putting what God says into practice! One, albeit formulaic, way to become like our Savior is through prayer, Bible study, fasting, and meditation.
b) Prayer is the foundation on which a healthy, strong, and growing relationship with God and Jesus are built. Just as communication is essential to human relationships, communing with our Father through prayer is necessary for us to draw close to him. Although God already knows all our needs (Matthew 6:8) he wants us to make our wants and desires known to him, especially since we have Jesus as our intercessor.
c) Having therefore a great High Priest, Who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, we should hold fast the confession of our faith . . . Therefore, we should come with boldness to the throne of grace . . . (Hebrews 4:14, 16)
d) And this is the confidence (assurance or free from fear conscience) that we have toward Him (Jesus): that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14)
e) Talking primarily with God the Father, but also with Jesus, helps us understand their will. It aids us in conforming our lives to be like Christ. One thing we should always remember is that our discussions with God can and DO make a difference not only in us but also in the lives of others (James 4:2).
f) The Bible is God's map that leads us to salvation through Christ. Bible study may sometimes not be the easiest thing to do, but it is the MOST worthwhile journey anyone of us could take! Scripture is a puzzle that needs to be put together correctly before we will be able to understand it completely (see Isaiah 28:10 and our rules for studying the Bible).
g) One good tip for comprehending the scriptures is to study them in their original languages (2Timothy 3:16). Help with reading the original languages (Hebrew, Chaldean, and Greek) exists in concordances and other Bible helps. For some basic rules to studying the word of God please see our article on rules for Bible Study.
h) Occasional fasting can bring us closer to God and refocus our priorities to be more in line with his will. It can help us gain a bigger picture of what truly is important in life. Meditation is the act of focusing our minds to think deeply about how God's precious truth applies to our lives. It is one way we can spiritually digest what the Bible teaches and further our pursuit of becoming more like Jesus.
i) The apostle Paul admonishes us, in the book of Philippians, to meditate on anything that is good, wholesome, and true (Philippians 4:8).
j) In closing, always remember that becoming more like Jesus Christ is a lifelong process of trials, troubles, and triumphs. Our goal should be to dedicate ourselves into fulfilling God's will for our particular lives then dying in the faith. If we die in faithful service to him not only will we be considered profitable servants (Matthew 25:13 - 23) but we will receive a glorious crown of righteousness and eternal life (1 Corinthians 9:25, see also 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12 and 1 Peter 5:4)!
a) Stating how to become more like Jesus is straightforward. The difficulty, however, is putting what God says into practice! One, albeit formulaic, way to become like our Savior is through prayer, Bible study, fasting, and meditation.
b) Prayer is the foundation on which a healthy, strong, and growing relationship with God and Jesus are built. Just as communication is essential to human relationships, communing with our Father through prayer is necessary for us to draw close to him. Although God already knows all our needs (Matthew 6:8) he wants us to make our wants and desires known to him, especially since we have Jesus as our intercessor.
c) Having therefore a great High Priest, Who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, we should hold fast the confession of our faith . . . Therefore, we should come with boldness to the throne of grace . . . (Hebrews 4:14, 16)
d) And this is the confidence (assurance or free from fear conscience) that we have toward Him (Jesus): that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14)
e) Talking primarily with God the Father, but also with Jesus, helps us understand their will. It aids us in conforming our lives to be like Christ. One thing we should always remember is that our discussions with God can and DO make a difference not only in us but also in the lives of others (James 4:2).
f) The Bible is God's map that leads us to salvation through Christ. Bible study may sometimes not be the easiest thing to do, but it is the MOST worthwhile journey anyone of us could take! Scripture is a puzzle that needs to be put together correctly before we will be able to understand it completely (see Isaiah 28:10 and our rules for studying the Bible).
g) One good tip for comprehending the scriptures is to study them in their original languages (2Timothy 3:16). Help with reading the original languages (Hebrew, Chaldean, and Greek) exists in concordances and other Bible helps. For some basic rules to studying the word of God please see our article on rules for Bible Study.
h) Occasional fasting can bring us closer to God and refocus our priorities to be more in line with his will. It can help us gain a bigger picture of what truly is important in life. Meditation is the act of focusing our minds to think deeply about how God's precious truth applies to our lives. It is one way we can spiritually digest what the Bible teaches and further our pursuit of becoming more like Jesus.
i) The apostle Paul admonishes us, in the book of Philippians, to meditate on anything that is good, wholesome, and true (Philippians 4:8).
j) In closing, always remember that becoming more like Jesus Christ is a lifelong process of trials, troubles, and triumphs. Our goal should be to dedicate ourselves into fulfilling God's will for our particular lives then dying in the faith. If we die in faithful service to him not only will we be considered profitable servants (Matthew 25:13 - 23) but we will receive a glorious crown of righteousness and eternal life (1 Corinthians 9:25, see also 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12 and 1 Peter 5:4)!
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