Forty Days of Purpose

Lesson 4

Discipleship: You were Created to Become Like Christ

May 8, 2005

I have no doubt that every child which is created, like

Adam, in God's own image - that is God's will that

that child becomes like Christ. This involves us all!

There is a sequence - home, church, school, peers,

government - where Americans learned this - a sort

of safety net. See ( Forty Days Lesson 4 Teachers Morality Code of 1916)

Ps. 82:6 - "ye are gods; and all of you are children

of the Most High"

Not "gods" in the strictest sense, but possessing a

derived, and so a qualified, divinity!

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath

bestowed upon us, that we should be called the

sons of God......Beloved, now are we the sons of God,

and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we

know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him;

for we shall see Him as He is" - I John 3:1-2

It is very hard not to digress here because of the

import of v. 5 of Ps. 82 - where the fundamental bases on

which the life of man upon the earth rests, the very

principles of morality, are shaken, and totter to their

fall, when those whose place it is to administer

justice, pervert it & deal out injustice instead.

Knowing me like you do, I bet a high percentage of

those here and especially our listeners on radio and

watchers on TV probably think I made that up but

it comes verbatim from p. 178 - Pulpit Commentary -

vol. 8 - The Psalms.

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the

righteous do?"

v. 7 "ye shall die like men and fall like one of the

princes"

You were designed for a better fate than that.

Jer. 29:11-13

While we are still in Jeremiah look at 6:30-31,29

I say "woe to those who love to have it so" - that

for the Lord do not gather, only scatter!

Romans 12:2 - not a conformation - that is for horses -

not a confirmation but a transformation.

We are to offer our bodies.

A living sacrifice. INSULATED from the negative

influences of the world. Insulated, not isolated!

Self-centered, selfish, materialistic Society - the

world’s philosophy and mentality. Don’t get

caught up in it but be TRANSFORMED.

Everybody’s doing it does not make it right.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

(Sunday alcohol sales)

Isolated - compare John 17

The other extreme - imitating and being

conformed to the world and its culture -

by so doing the “salt has lost its saltness”-

Mark 9:50

The solution is neither imitation nor isolation.

It is insulation and infiltration.

Human secularism and godless materialism

in a society that rejects God.

John 17:15 - “I pray not that thou shouldest

take them out of the world, but that

thou shouldest keep them from the evil”

“be not conformed” by what is accepted by

others - public opinion polls.

Human character and life are treated as

something to be formed and fashioned by

the personal will.

In the New Testament, Satan is called "the

prince of this world" - the unbelieving, the

unchristian population are designated as the

"children of this world".

To be Godless is to be lifeless! To be "fashioned

according to this world" is to conform to sinful

and prevalent practices.

“be transformed” - a metamorphosis - what

a caterpillar goes through to become a beautiful

butterfly.

Rob - Home School - Project

"be renewed" - "this is the will of God, even

your sanctification" - I Thess. 4:3 - Set apart from

evil and for the use of God!

Likeness to God will exclude likeness to the world!

This is only the result of the Holy Spirit working in

us, producing this likeness to God, transforming us

into His image, bringing every thought into captivity

to the obedience of Jesus Christ!

This transformation is to be developed by living

near to God. Prayer, and the study of God's Word,

are avenues toward obtaining this likeness.

Renewal of the mind - not self-focused but

focused upon God - “looking to Jesus the author

and finisher of our faith”

God's will is SALVATION, growth and personal

habits and life style that is a reflection of Jesus Christ,

a witness, the salt of the earth, a source of preservation

"ye must be born again" is a Divine imperative!

Mr. Warren says once you are in the family of God, God

wants you to spend the rest of your life developing family

characteristics. He wants to make you like Jesus Christ!

God's part and our part.

Phil. 2:12-16

vs. 12-13 - Work out! Work in!

(OUR PART)

It does not say here - work for your salvation.

Eph. 2:8-10 "Salvation is of the Lord" -Jonah 2:9

"I, even I am the Lord; and beside me there is no Savior"

Isaiah 43:11

"Salvation belongeth unto the Lord" - Ps. 3:8

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no

flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the

knowledge of sin" - Rom. 3:20

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there

is none other name under heaven given among men

whereby we must be saved" - Acts 4:12

"your own salvation" - I hear a lot about "its not

about you" - eleven times in the first paragraph of

The Purpose Driven Life some form of you is mentioned.

Christ saves - God forgives - your growth and

development has to do with you - Alternative School -

you have to live the rest of your life with yourself -

Job says - "whom I shall see for myself and not

another"

"with fear and trembling" - salvation and growth

have eternal consequences

(GOD'S PART)

v. 13 - "for it is God which worketh in you"

"energeo" - ( ) - Greek word - energy

It is God that gives us the power and energy -

John 1:12

Romans 12:1-2

Three tools God uses to make us like Jesus

a. Bible

b. Holy Spirit

c. circumstances

THE BIBLE

II Tim. 3:16-17

Mr. Warren says that "If you want to get serious

about changing to be more like Jesus, you need to

get into the Bible" - NEED - KNEAD

The more you get into the Word of God, the more you

are going to be changed.

Through the commands and examples in Scripture we

discover God's plan for salvation and spiritual growth.

Many Christians are confused about God's will simply

because they do not know His Word!

I Cor. 10:13 - "Now all these things happened unto them

for ensamples: and they are written for our

admonition, upon whom the ends of the world

are come"...."and so much more as ye see the

day approaching" - Heb. 10:25b

"The entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth

understanding to the simple". Ps. 119:130

The second tool God uses to make you like Jesus is

the HOLY SPIRIT.

The Holy Spirit gives the leadership, the direction and

the power to change, to drop bad habits, to develop new

ones, to change the way you think and respond to

situations.

John 1:12 - That is God's design

The secular world looks "deep within" but can never

succeed to salvation, to justification, to sanctification -

the best they can do is exemplified in Matt. 12:43-45

Unfortunately we do not always open God's word, thus

the necessity of preaching - Rom. 10:11-17

II Cor. 3:18 - teaches us that the Spirit of the Lord

changes us

Is. 30:21 - Usually a shepherd went before the flock and

the instructions would be before them but sometimes

the shepherds guided from behind the flock

We do not always listen to the Holy Spirit so another tool

God uses is circumstances.

Running of the Kentucky Derby - clucking, wooing,

jerking, use of the whip - Ps. 32:9-10

Sometimes God uses a third way when we do not respond

to His Spirit and that is through CIRCUMSTANCES.

ADVERSITY IS GOD'S OWN TOOL TO SHAPE THE

MAN BY CHIPPING AWAY THE FOOL.

Todd Burden

God often uses problems, pressures, difficulties, stresses

to mold and shape our character.

Health Class Adaptive and Maladaptive Behavior -

Mental and Defensive Mechanisms.

Everybody has problems. Adam blew it but I never

will criticize Adam for I have made the same or worse

choices in my life.

(remembrance of sin vs. sin of not believing Jesus cleansed

me from sin) - Jesus plus ?????? = worst sin - IT IS JESUS ONLY - not Jesus plus?

Satan wants to destroy your life - "walketh about seeking

whom he may devour" - Satan desires to sift you like wheat -

"but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not"

Luke 22:31-32

These poor decisions we make bring problems upon

ourselves.

I have blown it - I blow it - I shall blow it!?

Another EGR case - Extra Grace Required

If God is going to make us like His Son then we can

expect to be tempted in all points like He was but yet

we/I have sinned, sin and will sin! Whereas Jesus was

"in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" - Hebrews 4:15

Jesus experienced problems, loneliness, depression,

anger, impatience ???, He was criticized and misunder-

stood - He wants to develop us - He wants us to GROW UP!

Phil. 3:8b-10 II Cor. 1:3 - "the God of all comfort"

Why art thou cast down O II Cor. 4:17-18 Rom. 8:18

my soul and why art thou

disquieted within me?

Jer. 29:11-13 Psalm 103:13 Heb. 11:24-26

"He that is faithful in that which is least is

faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in

that which is least is unjust also in much. If

therefore ye have not been faithful in the

unrighteous mammon, WHO WILL COMMIT

TO YOUR TRUST THE TRUE RICHES?"

Three choices to help be more like Christ.

a. What you think about - Eph. 4:20-24

Jer. 10:23 Prov. 3:1-10

Ps. 119:9-11

The more you fill your mind with

God's Word, the more it transforms

your life.

b. You allow God's Spirit to work in your

life - depend on Him moment by moment.

You and I must abide in Him - John 15:4-5

Resolutions - turning over a new leaf -

good intentions - is only like an adornment -

garnished, swept and clean - "washing the outside

of the cup and of the platter, but within full of

extortion and excess" - Matt. 23:25

c. You can respond positively to circumstances.

Adversity will make you better of bitter - Joe B. Hall

You are born again instantly but you must grow and

develop for the rest of your life - Beware of laziness/atrophy/!

We know not what will happen on the morrow but

we know who holds tomorrow!

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these

things will be added to thee"