Becoming Like Christ

Friday, April 4, 2025

Good morning, Lord

Father in Heaven, I seek You first-the knowledge of Your limitless love in Christ and endless power. Build my trust and my passion. I take up my cross and follow...In Jesus' name…

Memory verse: Ephesians 2:6 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

Verse of the day: Ephesians 1:7

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Daily Reading: Ruth 1-4 Luke 8:1-25

Becoming Like Christ

Romans 8:29-

29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters”.

So, is it safe to say,”We are being transformed into the image of Christ so that Christ is in the middle of many like Him so His glory shines all the more?”

That is a glorious picture in my mind but what about our shortcomings-our challenges-our weaknesses? Ok-we must know that Christ went through the cross experience because of the joy set before Him, Hebrews 12:2, but we must not miss the little statement that follows in that same verse, “scorning the shame”. Jesus felt scorn for the shame of the cross. We would say “I hated that”, but the I don’t want to use that language with Jesus. He felt ‘perfectly’ negatively about the cross-how about that?

Now, in our imperfect ways, sometimes we have to do things and undergo slander for our Christian stance or our works or at least we will if we put ourselves out there-and that’s a good thing. Jesus said it would happen and even said we are blessed when it does happen(Matthew 5:11). Where is the joy in that? The same place that it was for Jesus-the ‘joy set before Him’(Hebrews 12:2).

The small pain we go through is where we learn the deep joy-the deeply felt assurance of God’s hand around us-the security of His steadfast love as our hearts reach forward to the promise of the joy ‘before us’-future grace and eternal joy.

The point of this is that we see the perfection of Christ and His motivation in suffering and we reach and stretch for His perfection to carry us through our own hard times and learn what His abiding joy is in suffering.

The challenge is to put ourselves out there-step out of the boat. Remember that-Jesus never sank but Peter did...and we will too before crying to the Master, “Lord save me-get me out of this!”. And just like Peter, we will look to Jesus and He will carry us through the storm out of the water.

...because He loves us… God will do it…

Father in Heaven,

Your name is more glorious than all things. Your kingdom holds the joy before me. Fill me with Your assurance today that I may walk away from trouble. Forgive me my cowardice.

Father of pleasure unspeakable,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen