Becoming Christlike

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

If you could change through self-effort, you wouldn’t need the Lord. Plus, any attempt on your part to earn or merit His grace disqualifies you. Why is that? Because you’re striving to be the source of your own salvation, or your own significance, or your own strength. If you want to know what really upsets God – that will do it every time! ‘So how on earth am I supposed to become more Christlike?’ you ask. Die to ‘self’ and allow Christ to live through you! Take a moment to ponder these Scriptures: ‘Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life…If God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed…God…won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells – even though you still experience all the limitations of sin – you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself?’ (Romans 8:5-11). How can you tell that Christ is alive and working in you? When others look at you they will see Him. When they listen to you they will hear Him. And when they walk with you they will be following Him. ‘How long does it take to become Christlike?’ you ask. It happens a day at a time, over a lifetime. Each day die to self and be alive for Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me each day to die to self so that I can be alive for Christ! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.