Becoming Like Christ
Scripture tells us that we who belong to Christ are now ambassadors for Christ. As ambassadors, we are tasked with two things: the mission of God and the character of Jesus.
The goal this passage sets out for us sounds pretty simple: to become more and more like Jesus in the way that we act, think, and feel, and to also accomplish the purposes that God has for our life. We are tasked to accomplish the work of God in the way He wants it done, following the "word of truth," or the Bible.
As Christians, we should strive to be like Christ. We want to have the same mind and attitude that He had. Paul’s encouragement to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15 reinforces that mindset about our character. In the midst of a culture that is grumbling and fighting, act like Jesus.
In this letter, Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of his past, but instead to let his past be a testament to how Jesus has changed his life. Your past is part of your story, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s a way that you can show others how Jesus changed your life.
The best way that we can continue to be transformed by Jesus is to continually seek His truth in Scripture. As we engage with Scripture and the Holy Spirit, our mind, heart, and hands are changed to be more like Christ.
How can you be more like Christ today? Think of a few small steps you can take to begin to shift your thinking and action towards the mission of God or the character of Christ. Ask God for His help as you seek to follow Him daily.
Seeking and Finding God
In the Old Testament, God’s presence and His relationship with His people was mediated through priests and the temple system. The people of God worshiped God and prayed to Him, but it was the priests who would enter a sacred space and speak with God on their behalf.
They revered God, but they were still separated from Him.
However, the prophet Jeremiah wrote about a time when God’s people would be able to experience a direct relationship with Him. God’s Spirit would dwell in them, and they could find Him anywhere at any time.
Through Jesus, Jeremiah's prophecy was fulfilled. Jesus sent the Spirit of God to dwell within us, to have access to God’s presence at any time.
This means that God is never far from you—just like it says in Jeremiah 29:13, He can be found when we seek Him. He is present and ready for a relationship with you.
Jeremiah also says that we must seek God with all of our heart. We don't just seek God, He seeks us as well. When you pursue a ...