“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion- it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.” – Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) was a British preacher, author, pastor and evangelist. He was well known and highly respected as a preacher of God’s Word. Above is a very poignant declaration. Salvation isn’t a one and done experience. Yes, we’ve become Born Again of the Spirit of God. Yes, all our transgressions have been wiped clean, like an eraser wipes a chalk board filled with writing clean. Yes, we are eternally forgiven for past iniquities, but it does not end there. If truly “saved” our desires should begin to change. We start to desire to read God’s Word. We begin to learn how to pray. We find a church to attend to receive our spiritual food (sermons) and fellowship with like minded believers. However, we are then commissioned to become like Christ in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Now there are cultural and regional differences from bible times that cannot be replicated very easily, but I am talking about mostly replicating His behavior. At that point it would be completely appropriate to ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” or “How would Jesus act or react? or “How would He respond to a difficult question?” We can find those type of answers in God’s Word.
How do we know we are expected to imitate our Lord? The bible tells us... 1 John 2:6
(Amplified Bible) “...whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself.” And Galatians 2:20(Amplified Bible) “I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Being a Christian means being a follower of Christ. It means we have become His ambassador wherever we go. Are you representative of His great love, compassion, mercy, and grace? We may fail at this daily; I know I do. But that is no reason not to try and no reason to stop trying daily. Christianity is serious business. Once born again, we hold the key to forgiveness and eternal life for everyone in our sphere of influence. What are we doing about that? We plant the seeds of the gospel and rely on the Lord and His Holy Spirit to do the watering. If we are standing still in our spiritual progression we are going to stagnate spiritually. We mustn’t allow ourselves to regress. Push forward to the glory of God and His Kingdom. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
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