BEING LIKE JESUS IS…IMPOSSIBLE

“Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” – 1 John 2:6.

The goal of the believer is to become more like Jesus. But is being Christlike attainable? In our strength it is clearly not attainable, but God has given us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to change us from within. Jesus told us that His faithful disciples would imitate Him: “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

But a Christian learns early on that it is impossible to live like Jesus. Jesus was both fully human and fully God, and performed many acts that no one else has. Jesus is the incarnation of God in human flesh, the only one to live a sinless life and offered Himself as a sacrifice for all sin and evil. Jesus showed unconditional love and treated everyone with compassion and respect. He conquered death, rose again, and ascended to heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand. It is impossible to imitate all that.

Loving Jesus leads to obeying Him, allowing us to reflect Him in our lives, but it will never make us exactly like Him. But you can become the best version of yourself with God’s help and in a God-honoring way. The first step toward being the best version of you in 2025 is understanding that God’s vision for your life includes His desire that you become more and more like Christ. Jesus was not only your Savior but also your example in life.

Jesus’ whole life was an example we ought to follow, but to do so, we must soak it up. This is one reason that reading Scripture is so critical. It illuminates the path so we can follow in His footsteps. But some days, it is harder than others to act like Jesus. We get tired and irritable. The car breaks down at the most inopportune time. The baby doesn’t want to sleep. The good news is we don’t have to be perfect for people to see our Savior in us.

If we want to grow to be more like Jesus, we must understand Him. This necessitates learning about what God wants from us and allowing Jesus to be our teacher. We should know what sets Him apart. We need to grasp what motivated Him. We need to witness the ways He responded to people around Him. This requires that we become students of the New Testament.

What we need more of in the Christian life is a vision of Jesus Christ, of the One who was crucified on our behalf. As the eyes of our heart—our heart-seeing—remain on Him and are captivated by Him, we will become like Him. Here is the simple truth at the heart of God’s work of renewal: Continual, deepening, remarkable encounters with Jesus.

 Nothing compares with getting to know the God who knows us. He seeks to be known, for He has revealed Himself in nature and Scripture.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is being like Jesus feasible and what are some practical steps to being more like Him this week?