Being like Jesus
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
We recently returned from a wonderful family camp with a challenging theme.
It was “To Be Like Jesus,” which is a tall order. But the Bible tells us we are to walk as He walked.
The only way to achieve that lofty standard is through Him. We can’t do it ourselves.
But we also can’t diminish the power of the living God working through us. With God, all things are possible!
In other words, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Jesus lived a life here that was like none other. It had to be that way for Him to provide a perfect sacrifice to save the human race.
Jesus displayed all the characteristics of God as He walked the face of the Earth. He also proclaimed God’s Word.
Perhaps the two things that stood out with Jesus’ life here were His compassion for humanity and sin-free life.
It is amazing to comprehend that a man lived without sin – or breaking God’s commands. Jesus was that man.
He was also the living Word. Jesus was tempted in all points as we are tempted, yet He was without sin, the Bible declares.
The devil dangled every trick in his book at Jesus. But Jesus never fell to any of those temptations. Some of the prime examples came when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness.
Jesus overcame those temptations, stating, “Get behind me, Satan.” In each instance, Jesus used the Word of God to thwart the devil’s attempts.
At the end of those temptations, the Bible states that the devil departed from Jesus “for a season.”
In other words, Satan most definitely was not finished with his attempts to trip up Jesus. No doubt the devil whispered in Jesus’ ear while Jesus agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus fully understood what was ahead of Him with going to the cross. But Jesus was willing to go all the way for lost humanity. He desired the Father’s will – the cup that was prepared for Him. Jesus displayed perfect obedience to the Father’s will for Him.
What drove Jesus to the cross was God’s love for man. Jesus was full of compassion and love for humanity. It was evident in His conduct. Additionally, a man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
That’s precisely what Jesus did as He pressed on to Calvary. Jesus had taken such a beating before his trek to Golgotha that another man – Simon – was asked to help carry Jesus’ cross.
The Lord suffered like no other. It was all motivated by God’s love for fallen man. It was man’s only way back to God. Jesus paid the price in its entirety.
Jesus’ example of obedience and love could not have been more perfect. He was the real deal. Because of His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus can now live within our hearts. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Because of that, we can live a life that is pleasing to God. It is not about our own power or strength, but Jesus’ victory in our lives that prevails. We have the authority through Christ to love like He does and to choose God’s way over the desires of the enemy.
If we truly love God, we will keep His commandments.
His commandments are not in any way grievous, but for our good.
Another characteristic that stood out with Jesus was His forgiveness. The ability to forgive was spurred by His love. When He said the words, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” while hanging on the cross, Jesus was displaying the utmost sacrificial – or unconditional – love available to mankind.
Now that we have received that love into our hearts, we can be longsuffering with others and forgive them, as well. We must be able to forgive from the heart, as Jesus did.
There is so much entailed for us to “be like Him,” but it comes naturally when He abides within us. We have the ability and authority to overcome the world – just as Jesus did.
II Peter 1:3-4 states, “According as his divine power hath give unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
