Study Jesus to be like Him?

[Vine Abider]

This morning I heard a radio speaker say rather emphatically, "We must study Jesus and this is the way we can become like Him. We must become life-long learners of what He did and this is God's gift to us!"

Of course we should study the life of Jesus as recorded in the gospels and as depicted in the Old Testament . . . But is this is how we can become like Him?

[Obedient Christian girl]

We can only strive to his sacrifice and know that in everything we do, we do for him who gave his life for everyone throughout time regardless of their deeds. 

   A bit of a tall order for just one man to aspire to...

[Vine Abider]

3 minutes ago, Obedient Christian girl said:

We can only strive to his sacrifice and know that in everything we do, we do for him who gave his life for everyone throughout time regardless of their deeds. 

   A bit of a tall order for just one man to aspire to...

Hi and welcome to Worthy!

So how do you think we become like Jesus - is it just through outward study of His life?

[Obedient Christian girl]

3 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

Hi and welcome to Worthy!

So how do you think we become like Jesus - is it just through outward study of His life?

I'm not sure but it seems as though its innate in our souls, we naturally follow the 10 commandments though some need more direction than others.

I would think through intensive prayer, self study, enforced self silence and most of all empathy.

I certainly don't have all the answers I'm curious what others think.

[Marathoner]

15 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

This morning I heard a radio speaker say rather emphatically, "We must study Jesus and this is the way we can become like Him. We must become life-long learners of what He did and this is God's gift to us!"

Of course we should study the life of Jesus as recorded in the gospels and as depicted in the Old Testament . . . But is this is how we can become like Him?

Of course not.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NASB)

Through tribulation and trial (Acts 14:22), enduring the same (James 1:2-8), and obeying His voice (Jeremiah 7:23), we walk in those works which the Lord ordained for us (Ephesians 2:10). We were created for those works, yes? 

As for our transformation? This is the work which He started in us.  

[Vine Abider]

2 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

Of course not.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NASB)

Through tribulation and trial (Acts 14:22), enduring the same (James 1:2-8), and obeying His voice (Jeremiah 7:23), we walk in those works which the Lord ordained for us (Ephesians 2:10). We were created for those works, yes? 

As for our transformation? This is the work which He started in us.  

 

2 minutes ago, Obedient Christian girl said:

I'm not sure but it seems as though its innate in our souls, we naturally follow the 10 commandments though some need more direction than others.

I would think through intensive prayer, self study, enforced self silence and most of all empathy.

I certainly don't have all the answers I'm curious what others think.

Brother Marathoner hit the nail on the head with the verses in 2nd Corinthians 3:17-18, in that our transformation into His image is a matter of the Spirit - by beholding Him in spirit.  That is, turning to the Lord and looking at Him in a real and living way.

Practically speaking (and as you mentioned) this happens by prayer, getting into His word in a fresh & living way, fellowshipping  how Christ is operating in your life with others, singing songs to Him, etc.

You also mentioned "empathy" and Christ is the most compassionate and empathetic - and He now lives in us!  (Colossians 1:27)  By turning to Him and doing some of those things mentioned above, we let the one living in us also live through us! (and we are thereby transformed by Him)

[Vine Abider]

1 minute ago, Tony the student said:

How do we become like Him, Jesus? Study every word in the Bible and internalize the lessons learned. Accept Christ's teachings and Father God's teachings and apply those lessons the Holy Spirit tells you to apply in your daily life. Father and Son's Holy Spirit can come in and talk to your inner self. God still speaks to His servants. Reveal the courage of Father God and the mercy of Jesus Christ.

Yes, it's the Spirit's speaking and application of those written words that transforms us into His image!  Otherwise, it's dead letter on a page: "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  "The words I speak unto you are Spirit and they are life!" (2 Cor 3:6 &  John 6:63 )

[AnOrangeCat]

35 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

Of course we should study the life of Jesus as recorded in the gospels and as depicted in the Old Testament . . . But is this is how we can become like Him?

Study is a start, but if it was all that was needed people would end up a little more Christlike every time they watched a decent documentary about Jesus. James 1:22-25 should dispel the notion that study alone is the way. "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does."

[Vine Abider]

23 minutes ago, AnOrangeCat said:

Study is a start, but if it was all that was needed people would end up a little more Christlike every time they watched a decent documentary about Jesus. James 1:22-25 should dispel the notion that study alone is the way. "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does."

Are you saying doing things like Jesus would do will transform us into His image?

[AnOrangeCat]

8 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

Are you saying doing things like Jesus would do will transform us into His image?

For a Christian, yes. It's part of the process. We're told that if we love Him we'll keep His commandments (John 14:15). The commandments aren't just "thou shalt not"s, there's a lot that we're supposed to do as opposed to just not doing. We know from James 2 that faith without works is dead, and that if we draw near to God He draws near to us in turn (James 4:8). There's also the parable of the talents where each of the three servants was entrusted. Out of the three one of them just sat on what he was given, doing nothing with it. It all points to action being part of the process that we as Christians go through.

So what about the unsaved? At least from my perspective they can't truly imitate Him. Jesus demonstrated a lot of good traits that can be emulated. Charity, compassion, boldness, self sacrifice, mercy, and so on. The thing is that His actions were done with love for the Father as a crucial part of the picture. Without that love for God as a motivator all that's left is a semblance of being Christlike. It would ultimately be hollow for the purpose of sanctification.