THE GOOD NEWS COMES CLOSER

Genesis 5:24; Philippians 3:7-11; John 15:1-7

Introduction 

Becoming simply implies that you have not yet gotten there. You're setting into the process of reaching a point.

Philippians 3:10 explains to us what it means to become more like Christ as "to know Christ." 

Permit me to ask you this question. Do you know Rev. Ebenezer Ahenkan Owusu?

I believe you're saying yes because he's the one speaking to you, but look at it this way, Mama Lydia Ahenkan Owusu and yourself, who knows Papa Ahenkan Owusu more?

You realize that knowing someone comes with grade levels.

In much same way, becoming more like Christ is to know Him, the power of His resurrection and participation in His suffering to His death.

You're a Christian and I am a Christian, the point is are we more of Christ or of Satan?

HOW TO BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST

1. Be Faithful.

Enoch walked faithfully with God. Gen. 5:24. Faithfulness has the word, faith. Without faith, one cannot be faithful. Your heart is chasing after other gods and worldly pleasures simply because you don't have faith in Christ. You can never be like the one you don't trust and believe in.

Enoch was faithful to the end. Don't walk with Him today and deny him tomorrow and come back the next day.

To become more like Christ, have faith in Him. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. (Acts 16:31; 19:4; Romans 3:22; 10:9; Gal. 3:22)

2. Throw Off all Hindrances

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” –Hebrews 12:1

This is like shaking off driver ants from your body. It is done with vigorous shakes not slowly. Shake off every hindrance (unChristian) to being like Christ Jesus.

3. Sow into the Spirit

“He who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” –Galatians 6:8, NKJV

- Sow with your time

- your possession and worth

- talent and skills

4. Present Your Body as a Living Sacrifice

“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”—Romans 12:1-2, NKJV

5. Accept God's Pruning and Remain In Christ

"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful...Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. John 15:2,4.

Most people turn to hate those who will point out their weaknesses and mistakes to them. To be corrected is to make you a better person in order to bear fruit. Accept your mistakes and shake them off immediately in order to be more like Jesus, the Christ.

6. Pray in the Spirit Daily

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Mark 1:35

"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God." Luke 6:12

“For we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.” –Romans 8:26, AMPC

The most powerful way to be more like Christ is to start praying in the spirit—it is the gateway to living a life above what you have ever known. Praying in the spirit accomplishes so much at once.

- It charges and strengthens your spirit.

- It enables you to overcome the weakness of the flesh—any bad habits.

- It makes it easier to receive from God and keep what you have received.

- It strengthens your ability to resist the devil.

- It causes your inner man to rise up in adversity.

- It reveals things to your spirit you could never know by your own ability.

7. Obey the Promptings of the Holy Spirit

“The sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” –John 10:4, ESV

Basically, you become the voice that you obey. Adam and Eve obeyed Satan and so became more like him, living in the environs of sin. When we obey Christ, we become more like Christ, living a life of growth, grace, gain and glory (4G). 

Conclusion 

Becoming more like Christ is the heartfelt desire of any truly born again. A child takes after his/her parents, therefore, seeing me being more like Christ is the call to salvation. 

Victorious Christian living makes us become more like our Saviour Jesus Christ.

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🤝🏽 Shalom Aleichem...