To Be Like Jesus: Christlikeness

The beauty and image of our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed in the Gospels (the Good News, the Bible, principally in the gospel written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). The manner and way of the Lord Jesus in expressing his thoughts, through direct statements of truths or through parables (earthly stories with heavenly meaning); the love, concern and compassion He had shown to the rich and poor, to the influential and powerful and to the peasants alike, man or woman, young or old, are examples for us to emulate.

If we have received Jesus as our Lord and savior and have the love of God in our heart, we become like Jesus or we become Christlike. And if we want to know what Jesus is like, read the Gospels (the Bible).

If we study the Gospels, we can see how Jesus did things. The Lord Jesus, a master teacher, only taught and lived love and sharing, who came for love and lived in love and died for love that we might live and love forever.

Jesus went about everywhere doing good (Acts 10:38), striving to lead God’s children back to true worship of the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to the way of simple truth and love and peace, the true kingdom of God.

Love is the most important thing in life. Jesus taught: Love your God with all your heart, soul, spirit and strength, and your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37-39).

The words of Jesus are the most beautiful, inspired, and encouraging part of the Bible. He is always the peacemaker. When people did not like or refuse to accept His message, He did not force it on them. He wants only voluntary acceptance of His offer of salvation through confession and repentance of sin and by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Rev. 22:17; Eph. 2:8-9).

Jesus was very patient, loving, kind, sympathetic, and forgiving, always leading and feeding and encouraging and strengthening His flocks (believers). For unbelievers they need only to repent and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He was the greatest of all examples of love, humility, and mercy, even to the sinners.

For example as recorded in John 8:3-11, when a woman who was about to be stoned to death for having been caught in the very act of adultery (in flagrante delicto), He did not say, “Sorry, Madam, Dura lex, sed lex” (Hard may be the law, but it must be followed or enforced).

Since the Word of God is true that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), the woman deserved to be stoned to death. However, by infinite wisdom, the Lord Jesus told her accusers, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”. She was afforded a second chance, for every one left the woman alone untouched. When Peter asked Him, “How many times will I forgive my brother?” He answered: “Seventy times seven” [or 490 times] (Matt. 18:21). He further said, “If your brother trespass against you seven times in a day, and he asks for forgiveness, forgive him” (Luke 17:4). This is for God’s sake, for God is Love. Let us be like Jesus: be Christlike.