YOU ARE CREATED TO BE LIKE CHRIST

YOU ARE CREATED TO BE LIKE CHRIST

 

Hello, beloved friends. I am glad to meet you again through this broadcast. I am glad you are listening with full attention. The entrance of the Word of GOD brings light and healing. I encourage you to take steps to practice what you hear. Any activity you are requested to carry out do it with all your heart: from repentance, from dead works of sin to renouncement of evil ways and surrendering your life to our LORD JESUS CHRIST and praying. Do it – you will find peace and joy. You will not lose anything; rather you will gain a robust relationship with GOD, and you will never regret it.

Today’s message is titled: “You are created to be like CHRIST”.

YOU ARE CREATED TO BE LIKE CHRIST

We’ll take our reading from Ephesians 4:22-24

Ephesians 4:22-24

22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

PRAYER

Our dear FATHER in heaven, we bow in reverence and honour to YOUR Name. YOU are our Maker. YOU created us in YOUR image, a little lower than The Angels. Kindly open our spiritual eyes to see where we failed and see YOUR provision for our restoration…in the Name of JESUS CHRIST. Grant me an open door of utterance: unhindered utterance…in JESUS’ Mighty Name I pray. Amen!

 

Yes: you are created to be like CHRIST. Does it sound incredible to you? Not of course! From the very beginning, GOD’s plan has been to make us like HIS Son JESUS CHRIST. Several years ago The Master’s Vessel Ministry set a toll goal for the members. Right in the church auditorium is written in bold letters: To be like JESUS in love, in suffering, in humility, in kindness, in holiness, in obedience and so on. This is our destiny; this is our purpose. In Genesis 1:26 the bible said,

 

Genesis 1:26

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

That was the original intention of GOD. The next verse says,

Genesis 1:27

27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

 

In all creation, only human beings are made in GOD’s image. It is a great privilege and honour. It gives man dignity. You may not know all that it entails. My Alma mater, The University of Nigeria has as their mission, to restore the dignity of man. And so they conceived courses that will give all-round education to the students. The founding fathers only considered the physical and mental development. They did not give equal priority to the spiritual constitution of man.

Friends, GOD is Spirit; the image of GOD is Spiritual. Like GOD we are spiritual beings. The spirit of man is immortal and will outlast the earthly bodies. Man is equally intellectual: we can think, reason and solve problems like GOD. We are also relational. Man can give and receive real love. We can forgive, we can discern right and wrong, which lays upon us the burden of accountability to GOD. Every person, not just believers in CHRIST, possesses part of the image of GOD. That is why every person condemns murder and theft. But the image has been damaged by sin. It is therefore not complete. It is not completely distorted by sin.

What does the image and likeness of GOD look like? It looks like our LORD JESUS CHRIST. In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, the bible says,

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST is the exact image of GOD. In Colossians 1:15, Apostle Paul writing to the Colossians said,

Colossians 1:15

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Again in Hebrews 1:3 the bible says

 

Hebrews 1:3

 And HE is the brightness of His glory and the exact image of HIS nature, upholding all things by the word of HIS power, when He had Himself purified our sins, HE sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Our LORD JESUS reflects or radiates the glory, the character – the attributes of The GOD who created all things. We could never have known the nature and character of GOD without the incarnation of GOD through JESUS CHRIST.

In everyday language people say like-father-like-son, like-mother-like-daughter. The image of a parent is seen in the son or daughter. GOD wants HIS children to bear HIS image and likeness. We shall never become gods – we can only become Godly. GOD’s ultimate goals for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. GOD wants us to go on spiritually and become like CHRIST.

CHRIST-likeness is all about transforming your character – not your personality. Never forget that character development is one of GOD’s purposes for your life.

Friends, you cannot reproduce the character of JESUS CHRIST on your own strength. It is the HOLY SPIRIT that enables you to produce CHRIST-like character. This process of changing us to be more like JESUS is called sanctification. It is another purpose of our lives on earth.

Finally, GOD is far more interested in what you are than in what you do. Your character will go with you to heaven; but you will leave your career hear.

The commencement point is to open your heart and invite and receive JESUS as LORD and Saviour. JESUS, through the HOLY SPIRIT, will mold your life to conform to that of CHRIST. If you do not do this, other forces like peers, co-workers, culture, society, will mold you into their images.

Let us pray.

 

PRAYER

Heavenly FATHER, YOU gave YOUR SON JESUS CHRIST who is YOUR express image. As many as are surrendering their lives to YOU transform their hearts and give them the GOD-nature designed after righteousness and holiness…in the Name of JESUS. Those who are sick, heal them in JESUS Name. I rebuke the interference of the forces of darkness in their lives and cast out all unclean and infirm spirit…in the Name of the FATHER, and of the SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN!.

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