Becoming like Jesus is an immensely challenging task for many individuals. Some individuals even consider the desire to become like Jesus as blasphemy, as they fail to comprehend the entirety of God’s love and instead approach Him with fear. Without experiencing His unconditional love, it becomes difficult for one to grasp the true intentions of God. Comparing the incredible love of God to the momentary and conditional love of people, many fail to fathom the depth and breadth of God’s love. Furthermore, the concept of becoming like Jesus may not even register in the minds of some people.
Becoming Like God Of This Age
Paul wrote to the Corinth church, emphasizing that the god of this age has veiled the eyes of the people, preventing them from seeing the light of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is clear that people may comprehend their current state but are unable to discern what God has done for them. It is commonly acknowledged that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and the god of this age has obstructed their ability to perceive and comprehend that all are freely justified by His grace through the redemption brought by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24). In light of this, John mentioned that the whole world is under the sway of the evil one (1 John 5:19b).
Unfortunately, the evil one also holds the desires of the people of God, leading them to ask God for things of the world, instead of seeking to fulfil God’s desires. Jesus taught us to petition our Father God for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, yet we often ask God to fulfil our own worldly desires. This results in a struggle to discern what we should offer to God, whether it be ritual or adherence to religious concepts.
Pharisees once approached Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus, in response, requested to see the coin used for the tax payment, which they presented. He then asked them whose image and inscription was on it, to which they replied that it was Caesar’s. Jesus then advised them to give to Caesar what belongs to him and to give to God what belongs to God. Today, when we grapple with questions about the world and its customs, God calls upon us to lay bare our hearts before Him. If our hearts reflect the image of the god of this age, He instructs us to yield to the evil one. Conversely, if our hearts bear the image of God, He beckons us to surrender ourselves to Him to rejuvenate us in His own image.
Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”
Revelation 22: 11 (NIV)
How Believers Fall Victim To The Devil?
While ordinary individuals may fall prey to the devil’s deceit, even seasoned believers chosen by God can be led astray. The widespread belief that we cannot emulate Jesus largely stems from the actions of certain mature believers. Initially, when God performs healing or deliverance through them, they rightfully attribute the glory to God. However, over time, the devil entices them to believe that they themselves are responsible for the works of God due to their own righteousness. Gradually, they begin to promote their own names and organizations, becoming lax in acknowledging God as the source of all they do.
This is because individuals often attribute faith, healing, and miracles to their own abilities, failing to recognize that these are manifestations of the Holy Spirit residing in their hearts. The book of Jude portrays the deceptive works of the devil during the last days.
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
Jude 1:17(NIV)
Holding On To Our Faith
It is remarkable that despite Paul’s warning against conforming to the world, the world’s influence has infiltrated the churches. Consequently, believers are faced with the challenge of unwaveringly standing firm in their faith. Jude also addresses this critical issue within the churches, encouraging believers to maintain their faith by prescribing specific spiritual acts.
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Jude 1:17-19 (NIV)
Maintain Your Most Sacred Faith: It is paramount to acknowledge Jude’s proclamation of our faith as the most sacred, as it originates from God Himself. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul also includes faith as a manifestation of God. The Holy Spirit plays a pivotal role in allowing us to recognize Jesus, granting us the wisdom to believe in His work, and ultimately, residing within us to safeguard the salvation bestowed upon us by His grace, through the faith authored by our Lord Jesus Christ. Without the Holy Spirit, genuine faith is unattainable. Thus, Jude’s emphasis on our faith as the most sacred overrides the misconception that some individuals are saved purely by their belief. It is with this understanding that Jude urges us to steadfastly hold on to our faith, especially amid confusion and turmoil within the church.
Staying within the Boundaries of God’s Love: The deceit of the devil leads believers to harbour animosity towards each other, especially towards non-believers. Regardless of any valid reasons we may harbour such sentiments not realising that the emotion of hatred does not originate from God. Hatred is the primary tool used by the devil to obstruct our receipt of God’s peace and blessings. Furthermore, God’s love is unconditional, whereas our love for one another is often conditional. God loved us first, even when we were unworthy and deeply sinful. This reality should instil in us the capacity to love others despite their imperfections and our own. It’s important to devote ourselves to daily prayers for the cultivation of His love within us.
Embracing Jesus for Eternal Life: Misconceptions surrounding attributing His deeds to ourselves are a leading cause for people failing to mirror Jesus. Many believe they must toil relentlessly to emulate Him, falsely claiming credit for the miracles in their lives and ministries. However, following Jesus is an effortless endeavour once we renounce ourselves and walk in His footsteps. The miracles in our ministries are not a result of our own efforts but of God’s intervention. It is through God’s righteousness, imparted by His Son Jesus, that we are made righteous. By embracing His unwavering love and guidance, we can place our trust in Him to attain eternal life. Salvation does not instantly grant us eternal life; rather, it is by maintaining our salvation until the end of our life’s journey that we reach eternal life — not through our deeds, but by His grace.
Ministering With Jesus
Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Jude 1:22-23 (NIV)
Show Mercy to Those Who Struggle: Simply following the aforementioned guidelines is not enough to resemble Jesus if we remain inactive. An idle mind is a playground for the devil, so we must engage in serving others alongside Jesus. One of the most crucial aspects is dedicating our time to those who are lacking in faith. Often, we tend to allocate our time to leaders and fellow believers, overlooking those who are struggling in their faith. Our Jesus is the one who diligently searches for the one lost sheep, leaving the ninety-nine behind. We must learn to guide and support the weaker souls, keeping ourselves occupied with the work of Jesus.
Rescuing Others from Damnation: God, in His infinite grace, bestowed His only Son upon the world to deliver all humanity from perishing. Despite this paramount purpose of God, we often neglect it, choosing instead to associate primarily with our own community while disregarding those who, due to their ignorance, are on the path to the fiery depths of hell. Though the desire to save such souls is universal, the appropriate approach eludes many. The prevalent belief among the faithful suggests that publicly reproaching these individuals for their sinful lives through prayer will bring them closer to God. However, our reproaches often drive them further away from God, rather than leading them to repentance. More than our prayers, the reflection of Jesus in our lives will draw others near to God and also mould us in the image of Jesus.
The Assurance
We cannot be certain of attaining a likeness to Jesus, as our requests to God often centre on satisfying our worldly desires, jeopardizing our salvation and risking eternal damnation. Our prayers frequently go unanswered, leading us to believe that God does not heed our supplications. Claiming the manifestation of the Holy Spirit as our inspiration without genuine grounding hinders us from becoming like Jesus. We err by claiming righteousness and attributing miraculous deeds to ourselves, thus diminishing our reliance on Jesus, who possesses the power to mould us in His likeness.
By comprehending the significance of God’s presence in every aspect of our lives, we must strive to rely on Him without reservation and ascribe every event to His Power. Through this practice, God will bestow upon us the most sacred and unwavering faith to wholly trust in Him for the attainment of eternal life. The indwelling Spirit of God will glorify Him by presenting us blameless before the throne of our Father God.
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!
Jude 1:24-25 (NIV)
The Jordan Valley 
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