Hello! And welcome to Practically Christlike, where my purpose is to discuss practical ways to live the Christian life and to become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Christian life, to be honest, is not easy. Wherever we are in our journey with God, none of us is truly like Christ. To say that we are sounds suspiciously holier-than-thou. And in our culture, to say that we are Christlike would be something like putting our neck on the chopping block – someone is certain to take a whack at it!
Nonetheless, our becoming like Christ is exactly what God intends. God calls everyone to come to Him through Jesus and be saved from sin and death. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should have eternal life with Him.
To those who answer the call to be saved and to abide with Him in Christ Jesus, God calls again, this time to be holy, as He is holy. Leviticus 44:11 And when we answer this call, He promises an abundant life that produces much fruit and a heart full of love, joy, peace, faith, goodness, kindness, patience, gentleness, and self-control.
Becoming Christlike is what the Bible calls “sanctification,” and that is a process of being purified. From what? From sin, anger, selfishness, strife, hatred, jealousy, moral impurity, greed – the list goes on and on and includes anything in our life that is not holy or pure, anything not of God. God knows our heart, and He wants to see holiness in our heart. He knows our every desire, worry, and concern, and He wants to see love and purity lived out in our behavior. Very simply put, God wants us to set aside the sin that clings to us like Velcro and choose Him over everything else. The good news is: God doesn’t leave us alone to struggle through. God performs this great work in our hearts for us!
Maybe you are a new Christian, or perhaps you just discovered that salvation isn’t all there is to the Christian life. Maybe you’ve realized you desire to go deeper with God. Or maybe you are just curious. This blog is for you! I hope you will find here some of what God has for you to help you learn and grow on your journey to live this abundant life.
I’m glad to meet you here along the road. Please add comments and questions. We can walk and talk, and learn and grow together.