Live As Jesus Did (Like Christ)

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. [1 John 2.6]

Well now, that's a simple enough instruction, isn't it?

A lot of people claim to live in God - they claim to be Christians. But are they? How do we know? 

We know a person is a Christian because their life looks like Christ (thus "Christ-ian" - like Christ). The identification of a believer in Christ, according to the Bible, is very simple: that person's life mirrors the life of Christ as seen in the New Testament.

Unfortunately, the only clue we have that most people are "Christian" is that they attend church services. 

Attending a church service does little to make a person like Christ. I can stand, sit, eat and sleep in my garage but that does not make me a car - it never will. A car is a car because it was specifically designed to accomplish a certain task utilizing certain basic components: wheels, an engine and transmission, a fuel source, a place to sit and operate it, and all the controls to operate it. A car is easily identifiable by these basic and necessary components. There is nothing random about the arrangement of these components either as they must all work together in proper synchronization for the car to be functional. Many store their car in a garage for its preservation and their convenience - but the garage is not the reason for the car's existence. The garage does not make the car. The car's function is to "go" - not to sit. In fact, cars that sit too long without "going" tend to deteriorate into uselessness.

Like a garage, church services exist for the preservation and convenience (growth) of believers in Christ. Every comparison can be made to the details listed in the previous paragraph to a car and garage and Christians and church, but the most profound comparison is that of "going." Christians are made to "go" just like a car is. If they don't go, as Jesus went, they lapse into uselessness.

The sad truth however is that many who attend church are not even Christians to begin with. Again, they may claim Christianity, but if the basic components identifying them as 'like Christ' are not present, their claim is only just that - a claim - a baseless claim.

Jesus conveniently identified Himself for us so that we might then identify ourselves in Him. How convenient! Jesus said:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” [Luke 4.18-19]

So, here (above) are the basic components of being like Christ. How do we compare? How do I compare? How do you compare? Are we living our lives by the basic components found in Jesus' life?

Jesus' life is our model and example. Any attempt to contemporize Luke 4.18-19 in a way that eliminates any component of it is pure rebellion.

While many walk through church doors with the rubber stamp "Christian" to their credit, we must all remember that Christians are not confirmed by their title, but instead by their actual Christlikeness.

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. [1 John 2.6]

Simple? Yes. Easy? Well...

Father, may we truly be found "in Christ" and not just going to church (standing in the garage) hoping that will make us Christians. May we concentrate on being like Christ. May we look in the mirror willing to candidly acknowledge what we see - and if we don't see Christ, to submit to Him until we do. So be it.