#124. Christlikeness (3) – "The Attitude."
“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…”
Galatians 4v19.
We’ve been thinking about what it means to have “Christ formed in” us. It seems that most of us think this is an impossible dream and we are so far away from being like Jesus. Yes indeed we are far away from being like Jesus, but it is not an impossible dream to have Him formed in us – to be like Him in some ways some of the time. If it were impossible then Paul would never had written this to the Galatians (who had many problems and were very far away from being like Jesus!). I wonder what they felt or thought when this was read to them? “Wow (or the Greek equivalent), Paul thinks we can be like Jesus!?!?”
I guess it’s good to think about our desire: do we want to be like Jesus? Any counsellor will tell you that the “attitudinal is the precondition of the transactional”. We need to have the right attitude before the right action happens.
So I reckon the question now becomes, to me and to you, “Do I/you want to be like Jesus?” Is this our attitude in life? Does this hope possess me? Is this my aim and creed?
A Theologian of many years ago, Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, wrote: “Every Christian joyfully recognises the example of Christ ... And we bow before it as sublime and yearn after it with all the assembled desires of our renewed souls... (We have a) longing to be like Christ'.
May the Lord search my heart, and yours too.
Love from Paul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvccMRJPtQw
#127. Christlikeness (4) – “Full of …”
“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…”
Galatians 4v19.
We sometimes say “He’s full of himself!” “She’s full of confidence!” “Poor thing he’s full of cold – and a man-cold too, so it’s very serious!” These things define the person – they tell us what they are like!
What was Jesus full of? John 1v14: full of grace and truth
To have Christ formed in us means that God is filling us with His grace and truth. These are two wonderful qualities to be full of, two beautiful ways to be like Jesus.
And note the balance of God. Grace = loving kindness, mercy and acceptance. Truth = correctness, uprightness, exactness and justice. Trouble is we so often get these out of balance. And when we become full of grace without truth then we accept anything and anything goes and we let ourselves and people get away with all sorts! And when we become full of truth without grace then we become very strict and demanding and judgmental and won’t give an inch to people.
But grace and truth together – in perfect harmony – like in Jesus, means that whilst we certainly have standards and principles to live by, yet we do not crush other people when they fail to live up to them.
It was said of Jesus (Mat 12v20) “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.” Now that is amazing; truly amazing. Jesus will bring justice (truth) to victory, and he will do it without crushing people or wiping them out! I wish I had seen how he did this, and I wish I could be like him.
Oh to be like Jesus, full of grace and truth.
Love from Paul