Conforming yourself to Christ
As a Christian…you are to become and strive to obtain being righteous, holy and pure.
Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:14
Who wouldn’t want to be called a friend by Jesus?
Romans 6
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 Let it not be! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were immersed into Christ Jesus were immersed into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through immersion into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be nullified, that we should no longer serve sin.
7 For he who has died has been justified from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives unto God.
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under Law but under grace? Let it not be!
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you.
18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves to righteousness.
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness unto sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves to sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end, eternal life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Conduct:
A Christian by definition is a follower of Jesus Christ. Therefore, someone who takes up the name of a follower of Jesus Christ would imitate Christ, would they not? Would the Christian not desire to be Christ-like, as a follower of Christ, would they not want to purify themselves in order to become more holy and righteous?
This is preciously the problem with American ‘c’hristianity! Do not think for one moment that there can be tons of people everywhere claiming to be Christians yet behaving like the devil!
If a new coworker were to come to work and proclaim that he was a wicked pagan, yet you saw him with good conduct, reading the bible, etc., would you not call him a liar? I’m not saying that anyone would go as far as calling him a Christian, nor should they, but his behavior would not be according to his claim. This is how the world sees those who call themselves Christians.
Still a dangerous idea floats around. When most people proclaim Christ, yet all seem to live lives that are not Christ-like, it really sets the stage for self-deception. It allows those who know they are not right before God to be self-justified by the behavior of those who are fellow proclaimers of Christ.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.” 1st Corinthians 2:12
Clearly those who are truly Christians have received the Holy Spirit.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be led astray. Neither prostitutes, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” 1st Corinthians 6:9-11
The warning is clearly given in verse 9, ‘do not be led astray’. However, the Christian was washed (vs.11) and sanctified, justified in the name of Jesus. So why or rather how could a true Believer once again live in such a way?
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2nd Corinthians 5:17
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2nd Corinthians 5:21
As a Christian we are not to look back, for Jesus warned, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62b Why then would those who claim to be Saved look back to the things of the world, prior to becoming a new creature? Would any of those things be more desirable to them than following Christ? Let’s certainly hope not!
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galations 5:22-26
So as a Christian, you are to be holy, separate, and let’s remember that you have the Holy Spirit. Now those who are indwelt with the Spirit have fruit. Are you walking in the Spirit, bearing fruit?
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” Ephesians 5:8
“Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may be blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,” Philippians 2:14-15
So Christians are clearly to walk as children of light…therefore you will be lights that shine in the world. You will be a testimony of Christ, as a Christian, or follower of Christ. Someone who proclaims to be a Christian, or a follower of Christ, yet walks in darkness IS NOT A LIGHT. The world will NOT see their fruits and look towards Christ!
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy; think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
Part of the problem with the apostate age church is that those who do know Christ do not keep focused on the things of God, but rather things of the world. As Christians are thoughts should be focused on things that are pleasable to the Most High.
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the full true knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing into the full true knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who has delivered us from the authority of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins.” Colossians 1:9-14
How ought ye to walk, you who claim Christ?!
“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, being rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7
“If then you are raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on the things of the earth; for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3
“Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands firm, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2nd Timothy 2:19
As a Christian, you have died to sin, you have died to this world and you are alive in Christ Jesus the Lord, King and Savior. This means that you are focused on the things of above, departing from sin, living for Christ…having forsaken your life to serve Him.
“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has been released from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.” 1st Peter 4:1-2
What is a test of your Salvation?
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” 1st John 2:3
“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1st John 2:6
Once again, reiterating that those who claim the name of Christ, ought to become like Him. This would mean following Christ’s example set forth in the Holy Scriptures. How can someone know what the example of Christ is if they do not study the Holy Scriptures?
“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1st Peter 2:1-3
“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” 3rd John 11
“I rejoiced greatly because I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.” 2nd John 4
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, supply with your faith virtue, with virtue knowledge, with knowledge self-control, with self-control perseverance, with perseverance godliness, with godliness brotherly affection, and with brotherly affection love.” 2nd Peter 1:5-8
This is a roadmap of sort…starting off with diligence, or rather putting everything into it, continuing, despite hardships, going for it. From there a true Believer will start to be fruit.
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Judas 20-21
“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which has the power to save your souls.” Jacob 1:21
“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also become holy in all conduct, because it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.” 1st Peter 1:13-16
To summarize with the Holy Scriptures, how we are to conduct ourselves as we, who are Believers, conform ourselves to Christ…
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live with sound mind, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify a people for His own possession, zealous unto good works.” Titus 2:11-14
“…keep yourself pure.” 1st Timothy 5:22b
Remember, Christians are ambassadors of Christ.
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ…” 2nd Corinthians 5:20a
